The Washington herald., 1913-12-01

Hes had a smash-up," said Tom al
the same time, and then the double
calamity was revealed. Devoe had been
thrown from his auto on the way. The
machine wasn't hurt, but he was stop
ping at some wayside doctors to be band
aged. He was coming. anyway. H.
would be there before midnight. He was
apparently eager.
But Myras letter was a complete dis
appointment. 81 simply can't come" she
wrote. The more think about that Mr..
Forester. the more l know I won't like
Z him. l don't want to meet him. So l
have left home, where you can't even
motor to see me. I have gone to Aunt
| Nellie's. and l had to break a dentists
! as result, so you may know how feel"
That night, when Mrs. Toms eyes still
| smarted with the tears OF disappointment
shed on Toms shoulder. De Foe arrived.
genial but battered. A st. Andrews cross
of court plaster covered his aristocratic
nose and drew up one side OF his mouth
! in foolish smile. over one eye he wore
binder. and in place of a collar he
wore white surgical gauze Yet he was
cheerful, even hilarious, and unmistak-
ably eager. I'm just a trife scratched"
he told Tom. Il can wear a collar to-
morrow, and I'll try to live down my
| facial defects. They will be all right in
a week" But when he came in and
! found Mrs. Tom alone his geniality took
a decided slump, and when Mrs. Tom cas-
| ually remarked that Miss Dale was not
coming. he did not hide his disappoint-
ment.
Lets go over to Myras. anyway" said
Mrs. Tom to her husband Saturday after
noon when their guest proposed a spin in
1 his motor. Il have a queer sort of feel
ing that she didn't go to her aunt's after
ALL"
As they approached they saw Myra
stretched languidly in the hammock at
the side OF the country house, and at
Mrs. Dale's suggestion the two men left
| the car and went with her to where Myra
was reclining. Myra jumped up with a
start, tried to beat a retreat, and then
| tried to cover her face with her hands
But such Myra! The "deuced pretty
face" of which Tom had told De Foe
was swathed in a sling Of white bandag-
ing. The one cheek that showed was
nodded in generous pun over one
Spanish eye.
| husband. Introductions followed and
then Myra explained.
| TT was a wisdom tooth. 1t doesn't
| hurt now, and / had to come home from
Aunt Nellie's to have 1t attended to.
| He has fixed II, but 1 am afraid il still
shows a little. Please don't look at me-"
she begged, and De Foe smiled back
sympathetically under his black binder
and cross patches. In spite of herself
and in spite of Mrs. Tom. who didn't
think Myra was in a condition to i'm
press De Foe, she was induced to pack
| up and go back with the Batesons for
Sunday, and as they motored home with
De Foe and Myra sitting on the front
seat people turned to stare back at the
damaged crew.
The weekend party lasted through the
next weeks beginning and De Foe and
/ Tom Bateson mutually agreed that the
workaday world could spare them till
Tuesday. The "deuced pretty Myra
still went with a bulging cheek and one
closed eve and De Foes features were
still hidden under patch and binder.
Myra had remained in unpretentious
shirtwaists.
But De Foe had found her fascinating
There was something instangible in her
personality, something apart from her
physical presence. that crept in upon
him and took possession Of him. But
II 1t was difficult to propose from under
binder and court plaster, II would prob
| ably be difficult anyway, unused De Foe.
Having never even thought about it be-
FORE he didn't know. In his present state
of mind 1t was inevitable.
At the close of the afternoon Tom and
Mrs. Tom had considerably left them
alone to stroll In a nearby lane. Tom
had decided on this lane as the most
suitable setting for the climax
It's like asking you to marry me
with mask on" De Foe said rather
abruptly. 'T couldn't expect you to give
me hope when l looked like this"
Myra laughed until her swollen cheek
\ almost covered the brown depths Of her
| Spanish eyes
"If you could like me when l look
like this, when I frighten myself in the
mirror'-she stood still and held him
| away from her-"but l knew when the
real thing came externals wouldn't
count"