The new enterprise., 1905-06-22
BETTY'S BET,

4 y victim, Miss Betty"
@ q drawled stout man from
4 Il i the depths Of a garden
zRoPr arm chair.
Miss Betty was a slender
young person in green muslin who
stood near the arm chair with a racket
in her hand and turned rs the speaker
waved his cigar towards the tennis
lawn below.
Il dare say" she answered compos-
edly, STOPPING to tie her shoe.
Bet YOU he isn't" returned the stout
man quickly, and a couple Of bystand-
ers Joined in his laugh.
\ delicate flush rose in the girls
checks, but she answered cooliy, "Why
do you suppose he is exceptionally
"Oh. he's man Of the world, he Isl.
answered the stout man jovaly. ".And
he's a swcll-not like US poor city
Jollnnes-had lots Of experience" he
added With n laugh. Come now you
look so Jolly confident what'n you bet
on itf You must bet or III believe you
are climbing down"
Il don't care if do she returned,
Will look Of scarcely veied contempt
at the laughing group of men. What
will you goY
The fat man pulled himself up in his
chair and his eyes twinkled. He knew
Ralph Pyne pretty well, and he knew
he would not easily be made fool Of.
Also he did not at all wish Pyne to fall
into the snares Of Miss Betty Langley.
There was a certain lovely Rebecca
Cohen, his own niece, who would make
more satisfactory Mrs. Pyne to his
thinking. But Betty was dangerous
decidedly dangerous, unless she could
be induced to cut her own throat
We'll I'll 60 as far as a pin"
"Dlamond?"
'Hum-yes-hanged if l won't stand
q diamond pin"
Done, Mr.. Juarez," answered Betty
rs she moved away, and Mr. Juarez
chuckled as he sank back among his
cushions "If Miss Bet tries any Of
her games on with that Johnnie he'll
bolt and, possibly, l may have the
catching Of him."
Ralph Pyne had already spent two
days in Betty's company, and had en-.
1oyed himself as most men did under
the circumstances, and he was not at
all loath to escort her home by the
short cut through the covert after she
had supcrintended the shooters tea at
the gamekeeper's cottage. Betty was
uncommon good company, as good as
a younger brother, and much better TO
look at. Probably it was because she
was so brusQue and boyish that most
men found themselves proposing to her
quite unexpectedly 10 themselves, for
no one could think Of sentiment and
Betty Langley in the same hour. no
humbug about her! regular good sort"
the blinded victims used to say, and
played on-lawn tennis, billiards, hide
and scek-regardless Of their doom, and
their doom never varied.
How hot it is" cried Betty sudden
ly; don't you think there is going to
be an earthquake?"
"Is it hot before earthquakes" re.
turned Mr., Pyne. THAT is an interest
ing bit Of general information"
"Oh, people always say they feel
queer before earthquakes" but
sharp rustic among the leaves inter.
rupted her lecture. "Good gracious,
it's rainingl And there is thunderl
Now we are in fix" and gathering
up her skirts she started to run.
IAN right, there's a pile Of fagots Just
beyond" cried Pyne, mo end of fine
shelter See?" as they dashed on side
by side, and he pulled back the drip
ping branches and showed the pile
which the woodcutter had arranged as
a sort Of wigwam.
Crouched down in shelter Betty soon
regained her breath and began to chat
ter again. "Now this is romantic, and
it will end in my getting bronchitis
and you'll get pneumonia, and we can't
90 to the Lorimers' dance.'
But, alas I shant go to the Lori
mers' dance anyhow. l am Off to-mor-
row."
"Ob, sayl What for? What o
shamew ..
My sister has wired she's coming
back from India and will be at Sout'
ampton. and an earthquake would