Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-09-02

only raised her eyebrows.
ooh, well, expect Hall viii be back
before long" said Carolyn.
Mrs. RoyaIton, placid as a COW, eyed
her for a moment, then remarked
! slowly, meditating, you call him Hall,
don't you! I hadn't known you were
so intimate"
ooh, Lord, yes. I always call him
Hall" Carolyn was beginning to be
/ amused.
Rosamund tossed her head and
crossed her feet, watching the new
conner sharply.
Well" said Mrs. Royalton, primly
ironical, I'm delighted that you know
him so well, my dear!"
well, now I come to think of it,
Rena, I don't know that I do know
him quite so well as I thought, after
all" She exchanged a smile with
| Rosamund, who laughed aloud, harsh
| ", causing Mrs. Royalton to turn and
stare at her.
I'm afraid I fail to see the joke, "
she said haughtiIy. But of course
| Hall Bonistelle isn't at all the sort of
man one sees through at glance, you
know. He's deep; q very subtle per
son, in fact. However" she smiled
complacently, 81 fatter myself that
understand him little better than I
did"
Carolyn shot her a suspicious
glance. "Why?" she demanded. Made
! any recent discoveries?"
Mrs. Royalton deliberately nodded
up and down, and smiled graphically.
ooh, I don't know fancy he has
something on his mind-in fact, /
know he has-there's a-weIl, a sort
Of cIisis-yes, I suppose he would ap-
! pear a little excited-but of course
really have no business discussing it. "
What in the world are you talking
about Rena?" Carolyn exclaimed.
why, I'm talking about Hall Bonis-
telIe, of counsel"
| well, you're not saying much"
Never mind, Carolyn, dear, it isn't
because I haven't anything to say!
You don't expect me to go about re,
peating things he has said to me in
confidence, do you?"
"Oh!" said Carolyn, narrowing her
eyes, then Hall has been confding
in you, too, has hep"
! By this time Rosamund was hard
on the scent, having almost caught up
to Carolyn's suspicious. She said moth,
| ing, but her eyes were hot and shin.
! ing, as she scrutinized Mrs. Royalton' s
face.
See here" said Carolyn, now thor
oughly interested, 81 don't see why l
haven't a right to know. I'm pretty
good friend of HalPs-you know that
and I think you ought to be able to
trust me-"
well, it isn't only trusting you
Mrs. Royalton looked significantly at
Rosamund, sulkily listening.
well, I declared" said Carolyn
! calmly, 'Rena Royalton, either you're
making an awful fool of yourself, or
else Hall Bonistelle has actually"
She got no further. Flodie, head up,
with a busy air, hustled into the room,
carrying a handful of prints. She
| stopped suddenly, with a fine imitation
of surprise, and gazed at Mrs. Royal
! ton.
! ooh, Mrs. Royalton!" she exclaimed.
why didn't you let me know you
were here? I've got your proofs all
ready for you. think they are splen-
did"
She handed them over, and ap-
preached Carolyn with two other
proofs. Here are yours, Miss Dallys.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so
long" She returned to Mrs. Royalton.
ooh, how l dread to look at them!"
that lady was saying. She was, new
ertheIess, perusing them hungrily.
Carolyn meanwhile had stridden
across the room to Rosamund, and the
two girls conspired as Mrs. Royalton
lost herself in her portraits.
ooh, I don't like that one
Really? . Why, I look a hundred
years old! There! That's more
like me. Which one do you like
best, Miss Fisher? No, do you?
Why, I think it's awful. My eyes are
so hard to take right; you don't get
the soul in them, somehow Oh,
think ought to try another sitting,
don't you? Say, where is Mr.. Boni-
! STEELE, anyway"
There came a ring at the telephone.
Flodie jumped to snatch up the re,
! ceiver.
Hello! i. Yes Why, what's
the matter? Oh, naturally
Wait just minute, pleased"
Flodie stopped and held her hand
over the transmitter. ooh, Miss DaIlys,
would you and Miss Gale mind not
J talking quite Sc loud for a minute? l
can't hear very we'll"
There was a long pause, and the
three women, all studying Fqodie's
face, saw q dozen different expressions
/ pass over it in quick succession. Then
she spoke again: Really? Oh. you
know, Mr.. Bonistelle-weI, personally,
/ I Ioathe them . Oh, l don't know,
! but a big diamond is so funny, some.
how g. What?" Then: "Oh, yes
. we'll, know Oh, but it's awful
to pawn that! Why, it was your IA
| Tiers, wasn't it? Well, Of course
you know best e. Oh, didn't you?
| Well, l might send it by the JAM
! tor where did you leave it?