The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-08-06
Of least resistance.

The weeks slipped by. He was with
her almost daily. other people came
to her house, some for rather protract-
ed visits, others in quest Of pillage at
the nightly bridge table. but he was
seldom missing. There were times
when he thought he detected ten
dency to waver, but each cunning at
tempt on his part to encourage the
impulse invariably brought certain
mocking light into her eyes and he
veered off in defeat. Something kept
telling him, however, that the hour
was bound to come when she would
falter in her resolution; when frank
ness would meet frankness, and the
the veil be lifted.
There were no letters from Hetty,
no word of any description. II Sara
knew anything of the girls movements
she did not take Booth into her conf
dence.
Leslie Wrandall went abroad in Au-
gust, ostensibly to attend the aviation
meets In France and England. His
mother and sister sailed in September.
but not before the entire colony Of
which they were part had begun to
discuss Sara and Booth with a relish
that was obviously distasteful to the
| Wrandalls.
Where there is smoke there Is fire,
said all the gossips, and forthwith pro-
ceeded to carry faggots.
A week or 80 before sailing, Mrs.
Redmond Wrandall had Booth in for
dinner. l think she said en- famille.
At any rate, Sara was not asked,
which is proof enough that she was
bent on making 1t a family affair.
After dinner, Booth sat in the
| screened upper balcony with Vivian
He liked her. She was keen-witted,
/ plain-spoken young woman, with few
false ideals and no subtlety. She was
less snobbish than arrogant. OF all
the Wrandalls, she was the least self
centered. Leslie never quite under
stood her for the paradoxical reason
that she thoroughly understood him.
you know, Brandon" she said
after long silence between them
they've been setting my cap for you
for long, long time" She blew 9
thin stream Of cigarette smoke TOWARD
the moon.
He started. 1t was a bolt from 6
clear sky. "The deuce!"
"Yes," she went on in the most cas-
ual tone, mothers had her heart Sc
on it for months. You were supposed
to be mine at first sight, believe
Please don't look so uneasy. I'm no
going to propose to you" She laughed
her little ironic laugh.
80 that is the way things stood
eh?" he. said, still a little amazed b,
her candor.
"Yes. And what is more to tn,
point, / am quite sure l should hav,
said yes if you had asked me. Sound
odd, doesn't It? Rather amusing, toe
being able to discuss 1t 30 unreserved
ly, isn't it?"
Good heavens, viv!" he cried un
comfortably. Il had no idea yol
cared"
Cared" she cried, as he paused
II don't care two pins for you In tha
way. But I would have married you
just the same, because you are wort
marrying. I'd very much rather hav
you for a husband than any man
know, but as for loving you! Pooh
I'd love you in just the way mothe
loves father, and wouldn't have bee
a bit more trouble to you than she
to him"
Cad, you don't mind what 20
say!"
Failing to nab you, Brandy, dar
say I'll have to come down to a duk
or, who knows? maybe a mere prime,
1t isn't very enterprising, is it? An
certainly 1t isn't gay prospect Rea
J ly, had hoped you would have m,
! flatter myself, suppose, but, hol
estly now. we would have made
rather nice looking couple, wouldn
} wet"
(To be continued.)