The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-14
The Lion OF the Epe1i1lg.
By BEATR1X MALLAM.
Copyright, 1908. by Joseph B. Bowles,

i
Copyright, 1905, by Joseph B. Bowles)
II want something to stir me up. said
Teddy Bransconbe to his special friend
and erony, Jack Leyden. otherwise Elli-
son Ward, author OF the fashionable
novel; Dust to Dust
Jack Leyden laxily put out hand.
within reach Of his comfortable chair.
and distracted therefrorn spoon He
| held 1t out to his friend.
"Oh! how extremely funny you are
| this evening. my boyl. said Teddy. You
, must really save such brilliant jokes
for your next hook Think OF the trouble
| you'll have to find another!"
! There, there" said Leyden, sooth-
ingly. X III
"Bcatsly sell your going to a. dinner
party to-night.n continued Teddy.
Perhaps, you'll do my dinner party
for me instead?'' suggested Leyden.s
You're welcome to It, for Of all the
slow Institutions dinner party where
you don't know a soul Is the worst
what when YOU are the lion Of the
evening n said Teddy. envlousy Sud-
denly he wns all alive. Tell you what,
Leyden-I've Nh idea. ("No9'' interpo.
lated the other In so gentle a voice that
Teddy flowed on undisturbedO "A rip
ping idea! You know! how often we've
been mistaken for ench other7 8
Teddy" and Leyden sat UP In his
chair, "if you are about to suggest tho
extremely original Idea that you should
go to that dinner party as the famous
novelist (uhemD Ellison Ward, allow me
to tell you on good authority that
Queenc Anne Is dead @
II Teddy looked crcstfallen.
"But. llston,' he said. persuasively
walking up and down the room. After
I'LL, there's nothing new under the sun.
And. d'you know, only yesterday great
giant OF b fellow came up to me and
gave mo a rcsounding slap on the back
with a hearty: We'll, Jack, my boya
We've both got blue eyes and lightishs
hair, and Yves pretty much the same
build. and you only know your hostess
md that very slightly, and i m sure not
to meet any one I know. = ii
but you haven even read the book
properly through, have you 49, asked
Leyden Of his scatter Drained friend.
'Oh, that's soon remedied. You lend
II to me for one hour, and I'll engage to
be letter perfect by the end OF that
time, 35 & & Us ri TX Ne
81 don't sec how you are to manage,
IT. said Leyden weakly. but Teddy was
half way down the stairs. n 81
Il You must let me Introduce you to my
daughter, she Is most anxious to know
vou,. said Mrs. Leland to Teddy IN her
/ most gracious manner.
AS the latter followed his { hostess
across the room he felt, to use his own;
IN for 1t now and no mistake. 'sss How
ever, since retreat was impossible, he re-
! solved to pull himself together and to
ger as much fun out OF It AS was pos
sible. AS for the book, he had read It
through more thoroughly, all but tho last!
chapter. which he had only time to
glance at, but he could certainly guess
at most OF what It contained.
Mrs. Leland came to q stop before u
pretty dark girl standing in 5 q little g
circle OF people. 8i
Leyden. who writes. you know
Teddy bowed. He resolved that moth.
ing should make him commit himself
to any fact about that book. He would
he ga very lawyer for caution. BIZ q
However, either Miss Leland DID mot
thinksit In good taste TO begin about his
l book. or she felt shy. Is Il t35 .5
| IS How thankful Teddy was Seems to
me II understand what gratitude ~
feels like, for the first, time u He thought:
| But lust as he was In the middle OF q re-
lation%of one Of his most bare faced ex-
oloits and Just as hissaudi tor was giving
him & most Interested NJ and bewitching.
glance out q her Toilet eyes who should
| he see across the room but q great pal
Of his, by name, aHally Ross e
..yV hy,9SS dy, who'd have thought OF
meeting YOU here? ~ cried his friend.
Teddy's smile OF welcome was truly dia-
bolicalfto witness.
81 say, Ross, you Know he said with
what lie battered himself was admirable
self possession,i II wish you 5would call
me nicknames now, It was all very we'll
at sch ool. ''s This was a &C ompa lied by IN
expressive frown for had not Mrs Lee
land II distinctly introduced him to. her
daughter as Mr.. Jack Leyden?
sRoss's face expressed bewilderinent.
He could not imagine what Branscombe
meant by grimacing in that awful way at
him. t5,s 5;}4se
..Why Bra" he was beginning, VI hen
| Teddy seized his arm and Dragging MIN
away, said In low tonef-me eI cant
whisper III. W. Isl S
"I'm Jack Leyden tonight. Jack Ley
den. u remember And as the other stared
| blankly at him everybody began to go IN
I#tos dinner and little Mrs. Lei and was a t
| his elbow again saying: V B
t.You will take my daughter In. "a
AS soon as they were seated at the
dinner table Teddy took a. glance at me IN
lady on his left. He gained ran Impress
sion Of a handsome warm-b own fringe
which refused to melt into the full brown
| hair at the sides Of the head. and OF an
| expanse Of bony neck and Sd s1 ulders.
FIa urned to Miss Leland. What pretty
soft hair she had. and how was t he had
not noticed before the length Of her.
! black lashes?
! Tho lady on his left awaited q pause
| n!-his conversation. At last 1t came 5iaf
~ fear, she said to him, that YOU
| have already quite forgotten me q surely
you are Mr.. Leyden DID we w. not i 1''eo'
at Mr.. Joness? r. Il III
"Oh, yes,;Bof course! I had not seen
Who was my neighbour G. Rather neat,
| Teddy, my boy hi Z 81 @ u
Mr. iLeyden ,.s5 d, 8, v,
Teddy became aware that Mrs. Leland