The Spectator., 1916-02-15
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
By CATHERINE CRAkMER.
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 Stanley Williams was an irreproacn- ably dutiful son. He was also suc- cessful young lawyer. The one thing about him which worried his doting mother was his indifference to matri- mony and his bookwOrmish tendency.
 One day Mrs. Williams returned from visit to an old friend and ap- nounced to her astonished son at the dinner table that the young daughter of this friend was coming to remain as.their guest while her mother went on protracted visit to Panama to be with her engineer son.
 I'm afraid it will be deuced awk- ward having young lady in the fam fly. as it were. It will doubtless mean that we'll have to sacrifice to frivolity many an evening which might be put to uses worth while" Stanley objected which from one of his dutiful hab- it's was little short of open rebellion, but his mother only smiled in whim- sically pleased way.
 "Oh, Pussy won't demand any sac rifices that will be hard for anybody to make" she said, still smiling
 Pussy! Mother, you don't mean that the girls name is-that?"
 Its a nickname only. Her real name is Augusta, and both are clearly misnomers."
 Stanley rose from the table and passed into the library, where he picked up a copy of Flammarion 8 Wonders of the Heavens" which he had reluctantly laid aside when dinner was announced
 A few days afterward, Stanley was called to neighboring city on busi- ness. Absorbed in his work for sev- eral days, he quite lost count of the time, and on the day of his return he saw in book store window Q new Unpublished book.
 It was a cold, bleak day fin January, and Stanley strode from the street car to the house with his soft black hat pulled low over his eyes and his over- coat collar turned up, while he held the treasured new book under his arm. He went straight to the library, ex-
 
 cheting or scanning the society col umn in the evening paper.
 The warmth of the wood fire was soothing to his chilled body, and he walked across the room before remov- ing his hat or overcoat. When he reached the hearth, he was astounded to see a diminutive young woman snugly tucked into the shelter of his capacious armchair. One tiny foot was tucked under her and the other dangled within a foot of the floor. Hearing footsteps. the young woman opened two very bright brown eyes and looked in- quiringly up at him without moving even the dangling foot from which a tiny suede pump was in imminent dan ger of dropping.
 Just as the girl began to uncurl her self from her snug position, Mrs. Will Hams entered the room from the din- ing room.
 Why, Stanley! We've been wish ing you'd come tonight; haven't we, Fussy?" As the girls name was spok en by his mother, Stanley realized the situation, and in the introduction which followed he stammered out his acknowledgment and his stiff welcome to their guest.
 Mercy. but I'm relieved" said Pussy. You looked so serious stand ing there all in black that 1 thought the minister had come to dinner"
 Now that we have a man at our command, Pussy" began Mrs. Will Hams. as they left the dinner table, where shall we station him for duty this evening""
 "Oh. let's make it musical comedy, with glitter and gayety, and pretty girls and pretty gowns, and perhaps bit of supper at one of those dance awhile. eat-awhile places I've heard so much about! Is that too much for a tired traveller to tackle in one eve ming"
 Not at all." said the dutiful host, forcing himself to look away from the table, where the new book lay tanta- lizingly near his hand as he passed into the library.
 The next evening when Pussy came into the library all dressed in soft gown of pale pink. she found Stanley absorbed in the new book.
 Please don't let me break up all your honey habits" she pleaded, as she approached him so closely that he caught the faint perfume from her hair. Wont you sit down and go on reading. or won't you read aloud to me-"
 oh, this book can wait" said Stan ley, with strange absence of resent ment. "and I'm afraid it might be dry reading for you. The writer interests