Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-02
By Philip VERRILL MIGHELS

smile You must really allow me tt
take YOU there, Cynthia"
| was in a mood to be easily queiled
There are--some things | should like tc
explain to YOU l stammered. But
YOU see-at the hotcl-
Shall We have supper together at Ciro's
them"
Il couldn't eat
That needn't prevent me from ordering
something
Il suppose you think I'm good at act
ing said ]. Very we'll: we'll have a
table, and talk
\ few minutes later we were in a more
or less retired corner of the restaurant
AS. in the crisis of my despair. | had
called Dick dear Dick l thought
owed it to myself to explain everything
and I did SO. beginning with Cadenabbia
and working slowly up to Monte Carlo
''Of course, I'd no idea you were really
here | finished. But when saw you
as if by magic, l couldn't resist
NO excuses ere necessary. You did
exactly the right thing
Your face looks as if you'd like to add
for the first time
Never mind my face You've certainly
been extremely imprudcnt. but / don
want to scold you. Perhaps l haven't the
right. What / must do is to suggest a
rcnedyif one can be found. You say
you've told other people besides that
fellow that you expected your husband
Not exactly expected. Even tar
radddle is better than being sossiped
about, perhaps
We'll, here ] am. | assure you, Id no
more idea of finding you than you had
of seeing me. But everybody comes to
Monte Carlo. I arrived only this evening,
and took rooms at the Hermitage"
Indeed
Here's either complication or solv-
had enough of gossip and I've had enough
OF it also---for my wife
Your wife, Well SUPPOSE am
You are. And you've just claimed me
as your husband AS | was going on to
say, things being as they are. we can't
Very we'll continue to stop in the same
hotel and act like strangers
Couldn't we act like cousins"
There's no such happy medium Either
you must go back to England at once, and
I must leave Monte Carlo at the same
time, or else-we must stop on here as
husband and wife
What do you mean
Il must tell the manager Of the hotel
that my rooms were allotted by mistake
and L must have a suite adjoining that
OF my wife. who has been awaiting my
arrival. We need have nothing to dn
with each other in private, but in publ"
We must go everywhere together. Tfi-
must continue until / can engage for you
a respectable elderly dragon, capable a
frightening adventurers away, and shield
ing you from scandal, If you're determined
to spend your life wandering about tn
continent
the manager ! never learned, for | tooh
pains not to be present at the interview
but half an hour after returning to tbs
hotel l heard sounds Of luggage being
moved into room next to mine. Pres
emily polite person knocked and pro
posed removing a wardrobe which covered
the door between the rooms of monsieur
and madame | was about to forbid this
with naughty astonishment at the sug-
sestiou. when | caught sight of D;cl
standing behind the man. in the CORR
dor shaking his head. Then I remem-
bered for the second time that night tina
Dick and | were rcally--really husba nc
and Wife
When the polite person had gone, Lea
ing the door of communication wide open
Dick appeared on the threshold and grave
ly handed me the key.
Good night" We said simultaneously
Next morning we met outside my door, il
the corridor. / fancy he must have beer
waiting. l had put on new white frock
and he looked the cleanest. Background
fellow imaginable. in his gray lannel
and light waistcoat.
Il thought we ought to so down to-
gether,'' he said.
We did SO. and met the Americans
liked in the big hall. OF course, l intro
duced them. 1t seemed very odd to say
my husband" quite seriously. l caush,
Dicks eyes. and they tWinkled. 1t was
all could do to keep from breaking into
giggle.
What are YOU going to do today
asked Mrs Rowan. She was about five
years older than l, chic and gracious, but
not as pretty as her sister, Miss Everett
has suggested going to La Turbie this
morning, the old town, and lunchinE at
that jolly restaurant up there. Lord North
lands will be with us. How nice if you
and Sir Richard would join the party
At least it would relieve the situation
to have settled program for Dick and
| knew neither what TO do with ourselves
nor each other Lord Northlands was y
bridgery old bachelor, epris with Doris
Everett. lie would cling to her during
the excursion, | told myself: Dick would
have Mrs. Rowan. and l her husband. who
was very witty and amusing.
After glance at each other, Dick and
| accepted. We vent UP in the funicu-
laire, but there was not room for us
all in the same carriage and the mem
bers of the party assorted themselves diff
ferently from my original plan. Dick an
nexed Miss Everett; Mr.. and Mrs. Rowan,
who had not been married long, and were
so ridculously in love that they always
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