Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-17

Of more interest to you than TO me. II you
| wish I'll call upon him and invite him to
| dinner tonight"
The girl was reading the note.
My dear Mr.. Harding.
This will introduce very dear friend of
mine, Count de Cadenet, who expects to be
In Honolulu about the time that you are
there. The count Is travelling for pleasure
and, as he is entirely unacquainted with
the Islands, any courtesies which YOU may
show him will he greatly appreciated. Cor
daily, L. CORTwRITE DIVINE"
The girl smiled as she finished
Larry is always picking up titles and
making dear friends of them" she laughed
j wonder where he found this one"
"or where this one found him" suggested
Mr. Harding. We'll I suppose that the
| least we can do is have him aboard for
dinner. Wen be leaving tomorrow, so
there won't be much entertaining we can
do"
Lets pick him up on our way through
town now" suggested Barbara Harding
| and take him with us for the day. That
will be settling our debt to friendship. and
dinner tonight can depend upon what sort
OF person we find the count to be"
AS YOU will" replied her father. and
SO IL came about that two big touring cars
drew up before the Count dc Cadenets ho-
tel half an hour later, and Anthony Hard
'A't'' '''i'' 1iibSitu anu Stlt ull HIS Nalh'
The count" came down In person to greet
his caller Harding saw at a glance that
the man was a gentleman, and when he
| mad introduced him to the other members
of the party 1t was evident that they APP
praised him quite as had their host.
Barbara Harding seemed particularly
taken with tho Count de Cadenet, insisting
that he join those who occupied her car,
land so II was that the second officer of the
ialfmoon rode out of Honolulu in pleasant
conversation with the object of his visit to
tho island
Barbara Harding found De Cadcnet an
| interesting man. There was no corner Of
tho globe however remote. with which he
was not to some degree familiar. He was
woll read, and possessed tho ability TO dis
cuss what he had read intclligently and
entertanly.
There was no evidence of moodiness In
him now. He was the personhcatlon of
affability, for was he not monopoiznE the
society of very beautiful and very wealthy
young lady2
Tho days outing had two significant re-
suits. It put into the head of the second
mate of tho Halfmoon that which would
have caused his skipper and the retiring
Mr.. Divine acute mental perturbation could
they have guessed it and It put De Cadenet
into possession of information which neccs-
Stated his refusing the urgent invitation
to dine upon tho yacht Lotus that evening
tho information that the party would sail
tho following morning on route to Manila.
II cannot tell you" he said to Mr.. Hard
Ing. "how much I regret the circumstance
that must rob me of the pleasure of accept
ing your invitation. Only absolute neccs-
sity, l assure you could prevent my being
with you as long as possible" and though
he spoke to the girls father he looked d.
rectly into the eyes OF Barbara Harding.
4 young woman Of less experience might
have given somc outward indication of the
effect of this speech upon her, but whether
she was pleased or otherwise, the Count de
Cadenet could not guess, for she merely
voiced the smiling regrets that courtesy
demanded.
They left Do Cadenct at his hotel, and
as he bade them farewell the man turned to
Barbara Harding with low aside.
II shall see you again, Miss Harding"
he said very, very soon"
She could not guess what was in his mind,
as he voiced this rather, under the cir
cumstances, unusual statement Could she
have, tho girl would have been terror
stricken; but she saw that in his eyes