The San Francisco call., 1909-10-10


got to be OF it Otherwise you'll be altogether niser-
able"
"I'II be miserable anyway" moaned-
"Oh. no you won't He laughed reassurngly- IF
I know cad he's usually coward don't think
Baron de Berenzg will further trouble you with his
attentions"
But that he did not know the particular class Of
cad to which the baron belonged Baron de Berenzg
evidently OF the elastic conscience kind-he
simply had no conscience to stretch
When reached home found he had telephoned IN
my absence and left word that he would drop in for
tea that afternoon I Immediately discovered mem
orandum of several calls that had be paid-besides
an engagement for early in tae afternoon-and lett
the house shortly before he might be expected But
my the butler detained with the news
that tea was being served IN the library and that
madame awaiting there
1 tried to trail into the room with the OF
ner to which I had been trained. but felt myself
going from red to yellow with kaleidoscope gddiness
Helena Penning was there-nly Nella. to whom knew
should before long, make clean breast OF every
thing-and Mrs James Taghern-Stewart. who grinned
ike Cheshire cat and scratched like ten OF them,
and Perry Willing whose chief Joy in life carry
ing compromising tales from one woman another
There's pretty story told about Perry-that one
night when he and kindred spirit coming home
from party rather the for wear they held
up bya footpad and Perry slid down. easy VIC
tim TO the sandbag, he walled threateningly You
rotterl III ruin you socially for thisT
Baron de Berenzig was seated near my mother, and
as my glance slipped past him could not meet his
eyes without revealing then and there all feIs-my
mother and gave me her place at the tea table
knew she doing It with deliberate intent, and Tor
the moment an awful fear gripped that even then
might be the butt OF smOthered laughter and later OF
open ridicule l determined take the bull by the
horns in spite of everything
"Oh, by the way I remarked TO the company IN
general l turned with attempt at nonchalance
and sprnkled half the orange pekoe over the table
instead of into the teapot, has anybody had chance
TO talk to the cosntess and did she bring any
worth while from abroad"
did shes" Mrs. Taghern Steward drew Amer
lean beauty rose invtingly her very red lips
and smiled its top at the baron well rather
such delicious bitF'
as If suspended in idar and that the Ieast.reIaxng
of the tension that held there would send to
the ground.
I'm sure you'll all be interested" said Mrs Tag
hern-Steward, containing 10 draw the rose back and
forth her lips until she quite Of every
ones attention
Then must say" pouted Perry Willing. you've
kept it TO yourself long enough And at the end OF
the season, too when things ghastIy dullP
UNoBSERvED BYPLAY
@You poor, starved boylv She brushed his arm
teasingly with the rose Well its about some one
who's been kind to you so you needn't be happy.
1t seems" she on, slowly that Mrs Hal Brake
man. whose parties Perry has been urging all
winter to grace went TO England in February with
the hope of being presented the first court"
!, heaved sigh OF relief and as I sank back IN my
chair caught the look OF contempt I had half
pected meet in my mothers eyes Her open ses-
; anne" continued the lady quite unconscious Of the
byplay she had missed, ~wzs be string Of price
less pearls something ike the wastcoat buttous
- r.,f
sentsd to Lady Burrell-Crane the summer before.
Lady BurrelI-Crane however. who IS good friend
. OF the king-and queen-was promptly called 10 the
. continent and poor Mrs Hal left without the
proper inducement
The story IS scarcely novel," shrugged my Nella.
gieam in her roguish eyes There plenty Of
women who have failed OF presentation at court
merely because an expected invitation-that had been
well paid for-dd not arrive" And she looked
squarely at Mrs Taggy-Stew,' as Perry called the
lady behind her back
~The story is not yet began" replied the other,
with chill that omened Ill for NelIa- at seems
that, nothing dzunted. Mrs Hal got hold Of some
one in power at reception the embassy and es-
pressed an intense desire to invitation TO
coming ball at Sandringhan- The accommodating
gentleman at once sent her a card-for inspection
onIy-which she proceeded to in person Isn't
that exquisite7
-And she at once became the observed Of al OBJ
servers" put in Perry. proudly @Of course she
would"
ANY one who has ever seen Mrs. Hal at the
opera conceded Mrs is, with an uplift OF eye
brows and the OF her fascinating capaciOus
mouth. knows that the breastpate OF diamonds she
wears takes the place Of limelight The king OF
course, singled her and asked who she But
nobody knew Result-Mrs. Hal privately inter
viewed and informed with regrets that the space she
. and Mr. Hal occupied on the floor required for
the queens pet dog, which needed exercise,
, such thing"
The story was greeted with hilarity IN which I
joined somewhat hystericalfy; such an intense
lief TO find some else where you expected 10 dis
III