Evening journal., 1908-01-06
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A CONSPIRACY.
II'FI'U'ITH''VV"''' "'''I"'I'TF'
Iorlglnall

"NIrs. Martindale, l have request (
TO make Of you"
make t."
1T is that you Will enter upon con- |
spiracy with me to marry my father"
The color came to her cheeks. and /
she bent her head.
IF you are not joking. II you really !
make this request, yolhalre paying me
The highest compliment have ever re-
ceived"
Il am in earnest. ! assure you, first,
because l esteem you very highly and
am sure you would make my father
happy; second, because that fortune
hunter. Anabel Green. is scheming for
him, and unless l can turn him into
another channel she will get him"
"What do you wish me to do2'
Nothing except what at an oppor-
tune moment may ask you 70 do"
"Dear old mani I would gladly make
him happy II l could. but never would
l entrap him into what he might re-
gret"
do you think he would not regret
marrying this Green woman? Come;
don't be squeamish. am not likely
to turn my own father from the frying
pan into the Gre. We shall all be at
Mrs. Kings fancy dress ball tonight.
l know father has been seeking an op-
portunity to speak to the Green for
some time and will doubtless find it
and speak at the ball tonight. Remain
here till l call for you, and when
call be ready TO 90 with me at once"
My father was a gentleman OF the
old school and had never got over the
youthful hallucination that all that Is
human female is lovely. My mother
knew better, and before she died she
left me two injunctions-frs to pro-
tect my father from the designing ones;
second. TO be careful in the choice OF a
wife for myself. My father was al
ways most indulgent with me. l do
not remember ever to have been Sc
verely reprimanded by him but once,
when he heard me make a cutting re-
mark TO a girl who had been endeav-
oring to prejudice me against one who
was supposed to be her bosom friend.
"She's a iend," / said by way OF
excuse.
"she's a woman" replied my father
severely.
My sister Edith was in the conspiracy.
We had determined, since we could not
prevent our dear father from taking a
second wife and, besides, would be glad
to have him marry Mrs. Martindale, to
bring him into a position where he
could not honorably marry the Green
woman cannot bring myself TO speak
OF her more respectfully-and could moi
honorably refuse to marry Mrs. Mar
tlndale.
Edith" / said when reached
home, "have you seen the Greenr"
Il have, and she told me the costume
she would wear - Marie Antoinette
Have you seen Mrs. Martindaler
"Yes. She makes no promises.
have not asked any. think she vii
help us Now, mind. don't let father
get out of your sight a moment from
our entrance into the ballroom. havi
a plan, but It may be baked. may
at a moments notice, choose another
went TO the ball alone In a coacl
OF my own. in which l had a bundl
containing Marie Antoinette costume
When l entered the ballroom there wa
Edith-a Queen Elizabeth-hanging Of
to the arm Of father-King Henry VIII
looked eagerly for a Marie Antoinett
and espied one standing alone at tn
other end Of the room. Joined he
and asked her to dance She complies
by a nod-she would not speak to me
and it was an hour before discovers
that she was not "the Green"
was horror stricken. Our enem,
must have suspected Edith-she knew
we were watching her-and purposel,
misled her Doubtless she had sue
ceeded In some other costume in Sc
curing father / hurried of to find hin
and felt reassured when I saw him
Edith clinging to his arm like a ship
wrecked sailor to an overturned hulk.
HAS any one tried to get himr
whispered.
"Yes; a woman in a simple yelloV
2 domino. She made several attempt.
but 1 told father I felt faint and bes
ged him not to leave me. She is on
enemy. / heard her say something I
him, but could not tell what II wal
, He simply assented, and as she wen
I away he held up his two forehngers.
D "Good! She's going to take him HON
S at IL o'clock. Stand TO your gum
= Edith, and at five minutes before
j take him into the conservatory an
q hide him II you can. You'll not see m
again till then"
/ intended to go to my costumer fC
4 a yellow domino, but as went out
e came my Cousin Frank Englehart wit
t the very article wanted. wi
o obliged to tell him the whole story
: get it, but once having 1t Ia my posse
sion took my carriage and was dri
= en- TO Mrs. Martindale's. had time
get back with her to the hall and te
d minutes to spare, which we spent
h the carriage. when the hands Of m
G watch pointed to five minutes OF IL
y took her In. robed in the yellow dom
no and left her at the conservatol
door. Edith, seeing what she suppose
was the enemy advancing, clung
e father. / signaled that all was we
It She resigned her charge to the lady
!, the domino, who led him to his ca