Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-03-24

done so. As he was passing out Mrs
Ritz drew him aside and slipped a bit
Of paper into his hand. saying that be
mad tone so well that she would not
wait to send it to him. He glanced at
1t and handed it back to her.
Xcu me. Mrs. Ritz he said.
but Mr.. Short has settled with me-"
But this is extra"
Plummer WINGED. What! Accept a
tip for entertaining his dinner com
panion? Poverty had brought him to
hiring himself out for a social purpose,
but to be paid for the pleasure Miss De
Witt had given him-this was more
than he could bear. Selling his hat
n coat, he bolted for the door.
he had no idea of accepting Miss
DE Wits invitation. Being a gentle
man, he felt that to do so while he was
thus making his living would be an
outrage. He had no choice but to pro-
ceed, for the present. in the only occu-
patton that was olen to him and must
use it or starve. Mir. Short gave him
all the employment he would accept,
which was barely enough to keep body
and soul together. He did not meet
Miss De Witt again at any of the
places lie danced or dined. for she did
not know the persons who gave the
entertainments.
But II morning he received a val
liable inyitation-not n paid one-to a
musicale given by a Mrs. Yearsley.
Who Mrs. Yearsley was or why she
had invited him he did not know. Gu
riosity led him to accept What was
his surprise, after greeting the hostess,
to be led up To Miss De Witt.
you two have met before, | be-
heve,' said Mrs. Yearsley. II leave
him with you. Catherine; see that he is
properly taken care Of"
Am | indebted to you for this inyi.
tation 2 he asked.
II an indebted to my friend Mrs.
Yearsley for inviting you. But you
don't deserve it. You have been very
rude to me-"
"In what way?"
You have paid no attention to my
request that you should call on me-"
Flummer hesitated in replying to
this, finally saying that it would not be
proper for him to accept an invitation
to call upon a lady into whose social
circle he had no entree.
"Your excuse is not accepted"
"Very we'll; | will do myself the hon.
or to call very soon,"
81 shall expect you"
~ must impose one condition"
"What is itY'
"That you ask for no more invita-
tons for me-"
Certainly" replied the lady, "since
you do not wish it"
She asked for no reason, which some.
what puzzled Mr.. Plummer. Did she
know that he had been present at Mrs.
Ritz's as a filler? He thought not
Those who hired such persons were
not likely to tell of their action.
He made the call and continued his
acquaintance with Miss De Witt. One
day a letter was handed to him by a
young man, who said to him:
Are you Mr.. Ralph Plummer?"
II am"
IT am from Elkins s. Elkins, attor-
neys. They have been hunting you
for some time"
Plummer tore off the envelope and
uncovered another addressed to Sir
Ralph Trevor.
us that your" asked the lawyers
clerk.
Plummer's only reply was to open
the second envelope. A letter contain
ed In it announced to him that an I'M
Gle in England had died childless and
he was heir to his title.
Plummer, or, rather, Sir Ralph Ire
vor, leaving the messenger to take care
of himself, went out, called a cab and
directed the driver to take him to Miss
De Wits home.
81 have come" he said to her, ito
make a confession. Poverty and an
unwillingness to be dependent on those
In England who
Call it rather pride"
Call it what you like, my position
in America has been contemplate. But
there has been a change. l am going
to tell you who l really am"
"There is no need to tell me that.
You are a gentleman, for l once met
you in London society"
you met me?"
For only a moment | don't Won
der that you have not remembered
me-"
why have you not told me thisT"
Because you seemed to prefer to re
main incognito."
And you know how | have been
keeping myself from starvation here?'
Miss De Witt prevaricated. She
knew. for Mrs. Ritz had told her. But
she wished to make it easy for him.
She said hat was none Of her affair.
He informed her that he was an or
phan; that his uncle had led him to
suppose hat he would be his heir to
his fortune, as well as to his title, and
LII - A. s,~4A 1t,