The Washington herald., 1914-09-20

&
they toasted each other in a hearty
How" Then. with libations tossed
inward, the old friendship was conse
/ Grated anew.
Tell me- said Ten Eyck, are YOU
alone-or with somebody Don't an
swer if it will incriminate vou"
: No such luck" groaned Forb.s I'm
alone. a castaway on this deserted Is
land" 4.
Well, I'm the little rescuing partyf)
How long are you here for?" u
Il don't know | was ordered To
Governors Island. | don't have TO re-
port for d week, so / thought Id have
a look at New York"
That won't take you long. There's
nothing going on. and nobody in town
Forbes remembered the crowds he
, had seen, and smiled Il saw three
ve'y charming ladies in that party Of
yours"
Glad you like EN-. Come and meet
en-
Perhaps one OF them is your wife.
Are you mated YETI"
Not yet Not while | have my
health and strength
I'm right glad to hear it. was be-
ginning to feel afraid that you had
ma led that wonderful one"
Ten Eyck shook his head and laughed.
Who: Me: Me marry Persis
Cabot"
Is that her name: Well. why not T."
II YOU only knew her you wouldn't
ask why. I'm not millionaire
She doesn't look mercenary."
She not. Money Is nothing to her:
she doesn't know what il means: she
Just tosseS It away. She's like Yacht.
You think II costs lot to buy. but wait
TIL you count the upkeep. Persis Is a
corker. She's d fne girl to play with.
But you must promise not to marry
| her"
Il promise"
Fine, Come alorg"
len Eyck waved Forbes scruples,
dragged him 20 the box, and presented
him TO the women and two other men.
FORBES was too much perturbed IL
catch single name. Even the last
name OF Persls escaped both his mem
ory and his attention.
T Ten EyCk gave Forbes d glowing ad- .
verusement a. d brilliant soldier and 4
lIfe-Saver. and oHered him his own
chair next to Persis.
She mad answered his low bow OF
homage with nothing more than
wren-like nod and half a hint OF a
smile
Ten Eyck threw Forbes into confu-
sion by saying
You'll have TO do better than that.
old girl. Mr.. Forbes not only rescued
me from the depths, but lie told me
YOU were the most beautiful thing he
ever saw on earth
Per>Is smiled a little more cordially
and murmured:
That's very NICE Cf him
She was evidently 80 used to bcu-
quets in the face that they neither Of
tended nor excited her But lIiss-or
was It Mrs. anyway. the plump wom-
an interPosed:
He must have been referring to me.
My mirror tells me | am fatally beauti-
tul. and God knows there's more Of me
than OF anybody else on earth"
FORBES was IN a dilemma. He had
not made the comment aScribed to him.
vet he could hardly deny it, Nor could
he deny the plump lady's claim to the
Pral~e. lie simply flushed and smiled
benIgnly on everybody.
Fortunately, the lights sank Just then
and the curtain went up with sound
Ike great "Hush! The party. hav-
ing been once rebuked. iell into silence.
FORBES rose To return to his own seat, =
but Ten EyCk. standing back OF him,
pressed him into his chair with power
iul hands
He stayed put But the play no long
er held him. He could think only "f
one thing. He was posted at the side
OF this creature who had fascinated him
from atar and terrIned him anear. and
whose last name he did not yet know.
Al the end OF the act Forbes rose to
60. but Ten Eyck checked him again.
" hat YOU doing after the play
Nothing
Come turkey -trUtrng with US
.,r Iurkey-trotting! Forbes gasped.
DO nice people-
We're not nice people. said Persis.
but we do
It's all we do do" said the lady OF
the embonpoint, whose FIRST name BY
now he had cleaned as Winifred.
Its awful People have gone stark
mad over IT. The mayor ought TO stop
II. said one OF the men. a queer little
fellow. he was.
oh. Willie. don't be prude." said
Persis. You know it, healthier than
playing bridge all day and all night"
Its sickening.' Willie insisted It's
unfit Tor a decent woman"
Thanks. - said Persis, with d tone
OF zinc
The little man made haste with an
apology. Il don't mean YOU my dear.
OF course: YOU dance it quite harnleSsly
enough: but-well, | don't like to see
you at it, that's all
Your own mother is learning it"
said Winifred
oh. mother Willie gasped. Il
gave her up long ago.
Ten Eyck intervened.
What difference does it make" ne
said. The turkey-trot is only vulgar
when vulgar people dance 1t. and they'd
be vulgar anyway. anywhere The trot
has set people to jigging again. That's
one good. wholesome thing. For sew
eral years you couldn't get people TO
dance at all. Now they're at it morn
ing. noon and night"
The police ought to stop it, tell
you" Willie insisted, with a peevish-
ness that was like a dash OF vinegar.
Il hate to see it.
Then don't come along. my DEAR"
Persis answered. with a CLINT OF tenn
Der