The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-05-12

ASANS 1AWEI~1
chief out of your muff."
She was shocked. did 1? What
a goose!" She famed. "Of course
you know 1 didn't do it on purpose"
"Of course. Do you mind If / follow
you a little way, just for protection?
You might lose your muff-or-or-"
81 might cast a shoe,' she flashed.
She looked ahead with a little mad
dening judicial air. We'll, all right, but
you'll have to leave me soon for I'm
almost there. It's somewhere in the
Sixties, l think. You're not going to
insist on going to dinner with me,
are you?"
I'm not sure yet"
She had been fumbling In her muff.
She brought out a note, a crumpled
creamy sheet.
He watched her curiously at first,
then with a start.
"By every sign and token of long.
distance signaling = that's Bettina
Thorpe's handwriting" he commented
casually.
She stared.
ooh, I've got my credentials with
me, too. There's no reason why this
peace conference shouldn't get busy"
He drew an unopened letter from his
pocket and thrust it under her be-
wildered eyes.
by Jove! l guess I'd better read
that" he exclaimed.
How perfectly ridiculous!" Her
breath came in gasps. why, l can't
believe tits too sillyi"
"Bettina ought to serve a can-opener
with her stationery" he complained,
tearing at the flap, "or a little dyna-
mite. All" He ran hungrily through
the note and then burst into a roar.
Il know who you are" he informed
his companion, his face frightening
with mischief. You're Patricia Otis.
Listen to this:
Dear Duke Nv been 'phoning you
you like all possessed ever since l heard
OF your arrival, yesterday morning. But
nobody knew where you were. Come
to S79 Sixty-third street to dinner to-
night with Bob and me, If it's a possible
thing, to meet Patsy Otis, who's being
maid-of-honor next week, at the chief
social event of the season. I've always
told you you'd go crazy over her. and
here's your chance. Hurriedly,
BETTY"
He damned the letter back into the
envelope. You see. I've simply got
to go to dinner with you"
Are you Duke Grayson?"
II am"
Betty never told me you we're
coming tonight. But then, of course.
she knew l wouldn't be there. 1 have
always refused to meet you"
Same here!" he agreed brazenly.
She's determined to marry US. YOU
know. That's why you looked so
familiar. It's the pictures she showed
me l would never have suspected
that you were g~ood-looking from those
things"
Thank you. I'm not. It's these
clothes I'm wearing. When Won come
to that-Betty had any number of pic.
lures of vol in her room at Bertram
hall. See here-I don't want to meet
you. Oh, Betty's a schemer. You
wait until l get alone with herr If I
don't simply decline to meet you.
Smell throw me at you in the most dis.
gushing way-leaving us to tete-a.
tetes, and everything like that. She
hates my settlement work, you know.
Her heart is set on marrying me off
She says that if l married a man like
you I'd be a different woman Isn't it
disgusting?"
"Nauseating," he agreed.
why, wouldn't marry the kind of
mar you are for anything in the world
you're too frivolous. have an oh
ject in life"
He applauded her. That's right
You stick to that-no matter how
many times l ask you"
She turned back and her little teeth
gnawed at her underlip. "Oh. sugar,"
she burst out vexedly. She made an
indeterminate movement forward and
stopped. Il won't so to their dinner"
she said with decision.
He had the look of one insnired
III tell you what We'll do. You see
now 1t is: here are two people conspir.
ing against us-against your happi.
ness and my liberty. Let's evade them
py going of to dinner together. ri
call a hanson and we'll 60 down To
the Waldorf. You can telephone
Betty so that she won't worry
Theren be nobody there to foist nm.
welcome gratuitous tete-a-tetes ON ms
that's the only way We can beat their
game" M
l don't know what grandma wouId
say she said defantly, but, ANYWAY
I'm Going to do it. I'll tell Bettina
mat I've met you by accident thar
we understand each other and her
ana that we see right through all her
plans. And If she has any idea ~
poking us into corners to fau In
with each other, she can inst
give 1t up, because we absolutely :
fuse to do It,"
That's the stun" He raised A.
alert finger to the hanson that bad
a~ssiduously trailed them IN the
avenue. ny lhe
but SIX months later, when Rett,na
w rara{vaa