The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-05
CHAPTER IT.

NE of Loveland'S most easily
 detected virtues was his care
 less habit of telling the truth
 He had never lied or even flDbed whftelyS as a small boy. But Lady Betty Bulkeley had always n1ain- tained that this bold truthfulness, of >her cousins was the result of 1ncon- siderateness rather than nobility of soul.
 She said (and she ought to have known, as she had been acquainted with him since she was two and he eight years old) that he did-not bother to think of polite fibs simply because the feelings of others were not for him of enough importance to seem worth saving at the cost of mental effort Besides, according to Betty, Val took an impish delight in shocking people. Now, in his letter to Betty asking for introdEctions he made no attempt to cover his real intentiQps with therQses of pretty fiction.
 He let it appear plainly that he thought his cousin, having visited America and snatched a millionaire from the matrimonial grab bag. ought gladly to help him succeed in the same game.
 'AThe wretchr' said Betty in the
 
 frank letter to Jim, her American tro- phy- T believe he has the impudence to think I married you for money! I'd like to shake him and box his silly, conceited ears!''
 sThey may be silly and conceited, but they're exactly the shape of yours. darling. So couldn't find it in my heart to box them. no natter how much good it might do their owner" said Jim Marlborough, who had been Betty's husband for nearly year and was joyously watching her triumphs as a young married woman. : Naturally Betty kissed him for this speech, as they were at breakfast alone together, the servants banished. well, anyway we won't give him the letters," she said when she had gone back to her own place. not far away.
 :sWon,t we?' asked Jim, with a thoughtful air.
 'eNo, certainly not" returned Betty. s1 like your countrywomen and won't deliberately let Loveland loose to prey upon them.'
 t'I guess they can take care of them selves said Jim, putting on his Yan- kiest accent
 tsI don't know. Some of them might fall in love with him. suggested Bet ty doubtfuIly. Hes awfully good looking, with a kind of winning. boy ish way and a voioe that's far too nice to express him, really. One often feels too lenient with Val. as if he were one of ones own pet weaknesses come alive and walking about"
 s@As for his looks. he's Ippre like you than 3eur own brother fs,S' said Jim 'seyes, dimples, curly hair and all. So you wouldn't want me to bate him. would you? And,tas for his voice, it's occurred to me that maybe it ex- presses something in his real self the hidden self that he and nobody else knows anything aboUt--the self he's never had chance to develop or find out because his mother and other people have spoiled him from his babyhood."
 That's very subtle of you. Jim. as well as very kind and like you," said Betty. fI wish I could think it's true. as he's my cousin. But, thank good bess. for one never spoiled him. I scratched his face once when was small girl, and I'm glad. I wish it had left a mark
 'sIt would have been even a more honorable scar than tbe one South Africa gave him. But I admit. he is rather an unIicked cub at present. I pity the girl who falls in love with him as he now is.''
 Always was and probably ever will be, Loveland without end.' finished Betty f1ippantly. '"The cheek of him expecting me to ask you for Hetters so that he can go over to your country and do his best t& make some nice American girl miserable for life and spend all her money. I shall punish him, since I can't do anything worse. by telling him exactly what I think of him."
 ''Thare are other ways of punishing ndn more fitting to the crime per haps," remarked Jim thoughtfully.
 What ways?"
 "Giving him the letters.''
 ssJimW
 '.And then-and then-Ye1l, a lot de- bends upon whether he's a born ego ist or merely made one. I haven't quite worked out the idea yet. It's sfmmering It'll soon begin to boil.'' Whether Jim Harborough's idea had already boiled or not, at all events that same afternoon a fat envelope went out by post. registered and ad. dressed to the Marquis of Loveland, Cragside Lodge, Dorkch, N. B. In 1t there were at least ten letters of in- troduction, all to names the bare mention of which had powers to raise the circulation of society papers in America or create a dutter in Wall