The Virginia enterprise., 1908-06-12
Ihwarting a Conspiracy
By Inez Hayne. Gilmore
(Copyright.)

l&nl.)
Sixties, 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 start.
by every sign and token of long
distance signaling - that's Bettina
Thorpe's handwriting" he commented
casually.
She stared.
"Oh, 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! I guess I'd better read
that" he exclaimed.
How perfectly ridiculous!" Her
breath came in gasps. "Why, I can't
believe tits too silly!"
"Bettina ought to serve can-opener
with her stationery he complained,
tearing at the flap, "or a little dyna-
mite. Ah!' He ran hungrily through
the note and then burst into a roar.
i know who you are" he informed
his companion, his face frightening
with mischief. you're Patricia Otis.
Listen to this:
| Dear Duke: I've been 'phoning you
you like all possessed ever since I 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 possible
thing. to meet Patsy Otis, who's being
! ma1d-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. Hurriedy.
| BETTY"
He jammed the letter back into the
envelope. "You see, I've simply got
to go to dinner with you
Are you Duke Grayson?"
Il am"
Betty never told me you were
coming tonight. But then, of course,
she knew I wouldn't be there. l have
| oA"cJ ACIuScu u meet you.
Same here!" he agreed krazenly.
shes determined to marry us, you
know. That's why you ;coked so
familiar. It's the pictures she showed
me. l would never have suspected
that you were good-looking fr,m thosc
things"
THANK you. I'm not. rs these
clothes I'm wearing. When :'ou come
to that-Betty had any number of pic
lures of you in her room a. Bertram
hall. See here-I don't wan: to meet
you. Oh, Betty's schener. You
wait until get alone with Fer! If I
DON'T simply decline to 1neet you
She'll throw me at you in tho most dis
gusting way-leaving us 10 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 | married ,nan like
you I'd be different woman Isn't it
! disgusting?"
! "Nauseating," he agreed.
why, l wouldn't marry the kind Of
man you are for anything in the world
you're too frivolous. | have an OBJ
| ject in life
He applauded her. That's right
You stick to that-no matter how
many times 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 go to their dinner"
she said with decision.
| He had the look of one inspired.
I'll tell you what We'll do You see
how it is: here are two people conspir-
ing against us-against your happi-
ness and my liberty. Let's evade them
by going off to dinner together. Ill
call a hanson and we'll go down to
the Waldorf You can telephone
Betty, so that she won't worry.
There'll be nobody there to foist un-
welcome gratuitous tete-a-tetes on us.
That's the only way We can beat their
| game"
Il don't know what grandma would
say" she said defiantly, but. anyway,
I'm going to do it. I'll tell Bettina
that I've met you by accident. that
We understand each other and her,
and that We see right through all her
plans. And if she has any idea of
poking us into corners to fall in
love with each other, she can just
give it up, because we absolutely re.
fuse to do it,
| "That's the stuff" He raised an
alert finger to the hansom that had
assiduously trailed them up the
avenue.
But six months later, when Bettina
Bosworth received certain inevi
table announcement. she only smiled
placidly.
I'D give good deal to know
whether she dropped that handker.
chief on purpose" she said to Bob.
The Voice.
A sound rose out Of the south
(SWeeter was never heardD
Like the rain song after drouth
From the mouth of a bird
Over the hills 1t came
With all the haste of hope
And the CLINT of an amber flame
Touched every slope.
| II am the vernal voice.
These were the words it said
And l cry to the world: Rejoice
Ger the winter deadv"
| Then the ancient mother of all