Times-promoter., 1908-10-23

off the ring when the first impulse
came to her to do SO. Then she would
have been saved the humiliation of ac-
cepting a celebration lunch at which
she sat and planned the letter which
she should write to accompany the
ring. AS it was, the lunch had broken
her nerves completely, and, hurrying
home, she wrote the fateful letter, then
took to her bed. She was crying her
heart out in comfortable feminine fash
ion when her mother opened the doer
"Vance is downstairs and wants to
see you." she said gently. II told him
that you were i'll, but he insisted on
seeing you just moment"
"I'll see him." said Nell, with sud-
den determination. Tell him I will be
right down"
She sprang from the bed and began
to dress. While lying there she had
thought of many things to say that
were even more bitter than the things
she had said in the letter, and in her
present mood she wanted to hurt him
as much as he had hurt her. She
wanted to taunt him with his choice
and to see him shrink from her de-
scription of the girl as seen through a
woman's eyes. The anticipation gave
her strength, and with head proudly
erect and shoulders militantly braced
back she entered the parlor
Joslin came forward eagerly.
at was good of you to see me- he
cried II was afraid, from what your
mother said, that you were too i'll to
receive any one"
81 had a headache" she explained
listlessly, keeping the table between
them that he might not kiss her. Prob
ably ne had kissed that other girl.
"It's too bad about the poor head"
cried Vance. Il wanted you to come
to dinner with me- We will go to the
Trocadero and have just the best we
Gun find, or We'll go to the Alhambra
il you prefer that The music is bet
ter there, but the cooking is not as
good"
For moment Nell could only stare
dumbly He wanted to take her to the
Trocadero, where he had taken that
woman for lunch. The thought was
impossible. Probably his conscience
smote him and he wanted to compro-
mise with it.
f,NIy I,nf Il In
the Trocadero" she said, adding mean.
ingly: ''I was there this afternoon for
! lunch / met some Of the girls, and
they insisted upon my going with
them"
'.Then Wen go to the Alhambra," he
offered What time did you have
| lunch?"
"About O'clock" answered Nell,
watching his face closely for signs of
confusion. Instead he merely gave a
whistle of surprise.
II was there about them" he declar-
ed in mild astonishment.
IT know you were" admitted Nell.
II saw you.'
Il don't blame you Tor not speak
ing" he said, with short laugh. "But
why didn't you send the waiter for
me? I would have come over to your
table,"
ut seemed pity to disturb you,"
retorted Nell. ,"You two seemed SO
much interested in each other that /
did not like to interrupt. You told me
on the telephone that it was busi-
ness engagement"
"But that, was not the engagement"
explained Vance "You see, was to
lunch with old Mr.. Bingham to talk
about that infringement case. | was
on the car on my way to get him, and
blockade brought us to a halt. got
off to walk, as was late, and Bing-
hams office was. only a couple OF
blocks away, and | ran right straight
into this girl"
"Shc didn't know me at first but
told her who was, and she accepted
my Invitation to go to lunch. so
slipped in ard excused myself to Bing.