El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-18
CBy c. W. WestrOn.)

- guardian, and laugh. do not Cd
jeet to it strongly. Indeed, to tell the
truth, cannot find 1t in me to OBJ
ject very strongly 20 any OF Crystals
little ways. Yet eandor urges me to
! q personal explanation. My age Is 80,
/ my temperament fOrbidding, and / am
I Crystals guardian by her courtesy or
merely for my sins, but certainly not
Z by reason Of any legal relationship.
But, though 1 did not resent her man
I uer Of addressing me, 1 thought it
just as Wen to ignore it.
Crystal nestled luxuriously among
| the fire.
a dear" she repeated. apparently
! in seIf-cOmmunion.
"A disgrace" I murmured mourn
Old" said she continuing her in
! dictment.
ITO her SEX" added. including
mine
Why" asked Crystal. in high.
! clear voice, suddenly raising her eyes.
Now I don't like the word, and 7
/ didn't want to use it. but at the mo-
ment I could think of no other
Because" answered, you are
( first Of the most pronounced and de-
Z Yastating kind
DO you really think I'm that?" she
asked. I shrugged my shoulders eX-
{ pressively At least, tried. I am not
1 very good at it.
why do you say all this to me2"
I she asked. What does it matter to
you if I am a coquet and all the rest
Of it,"
It was what You might call a home
You know perfectly Wen" I an
swered.
NO. I don't"
That I have your interests at
heart" / continued.
Crystal said that everyone who
made Objectionable remarks seemed to
have her interests at heart. She
wished to know if there was any rea-
son why 1 should have her interests
| at heart more than Mr.. Huntingdon,
who made one, or Mr. Ascue, who
made two; or Mr.. Littleham, who made
three, or the others.
There is every reason why
should / answered.
There IS every reason why you
shouldn't" she retOrted petulantly.
1t occurred to me that the waters
were becoming slightly troubled.
, didn't want that, so I observed. in a
cOnciliatory manner that perhaps il
depended on the point Of view. The
remark, however, was not altogether
q success. Crystal took no notice of il.
Apparently she was deeply interested
in the buckle of her shoe. It was GER
tainly a pretty buckle, and it was
just then rejecting the freight in a
painstaking and highly agreeable j
manner. On the other hand. it was her
own buckle, and she could watch il I
at any time, and
Suddenly she rose.
I am engaged to be married" she /
announced with considerable dramatic 1
feeling.
'I know that I said calmly.
Know it," cried Crystal in dismay. {
Certainly
she took refuge among the cushions (:
again.
Then to whom am 7 engagedg" she
Really I began
You Know nothing ab0nf
Yes, I do"
Then who is it?"
Really
DO tell me"
Tn not going to do anything so
ridiculous" 1 said.
But you must"
'Because-because-"
Because" I echoed, by way Of en-
cOuragement.
Because don't know myself" said
Crystal
1 confess that I had not expected
that. The reason had not occurred to
me as probable i was rather taken
aback. L suppose I showed it.
It's a fact reiterated Crystal Il
don't know"
you must know" I insisted. You
can't possibly have become engaged
without knowing it"
But that wasn't it at all.
Il know Pm engaged she ex-
planned, only I don't know who I'm
engaged to. Now you seer"
Perfectly"
IT'S quite clear?"
Clear as-as crystal" said L
But a little awkward" she con-
unued unkindly ignoring the appro-
priateness Of my diction.
"A little" I agreed. 1t did seem
a bit awkward. For a minute feared
that the solution Of the problem was
to be left at the extremely unsatisfac-
tory stage which it had reached. for
Crystal looked at her shoe buckle, and
I looked at Crystal and there was
silence. At last she broke it in a
burst Of confidence.
1T was all that horrid telephone"
she announced.
"TeIephonei Now, don't-don't, my
dear Crystal. ask me to believe that
you engaged yourself through the
But I do" she replied. Ct do do
Il do! do ask you to believe it,
guardian dearl
"HorribleI" I calculated.
90, IT may be horrible, said Crystal.
but it's a fact for all that You see,
he rang me up"
..'WhO?" We were coming to the
That's just what don't know.
guardian dear" said the irritating
girl
.Ohr' I calculated bIankly.
But" she continued 4 feel sure it
was-er-One of them"
"Of the-er-five g' I suggested.
Yes" she admitted, and 1 fancy ft I
was just then that she blUshed, That's
something, isn't it2"
1T certainly narrows the field Of
inquiry" I conceded
And I've got a clue besides - his
voice, you now"
7 know"
1T was a horrid voice" said Crystal
pensively.
L think that possibly. just possibly,
it was Capt. COrcoran's voice"
And did you accept him on that ac-
COUNT
Certainly not, you stupid" she re-
piled. with considerable heat. 81 never ,
meant to accept him at all. 1t was a |
mistake. Tt was that nasty telephone.
1t Hurried met always does. When I
] realized what had done. II
smashed the telephone. L did really.
But that's no good"
None whatever" I agreed.