The Parker post., 1916-01-08

pearance, and while they conversed,
chiefly about life at the isthmus, to
which he was soon to return, Lance
was studying Betty closely, trying to
trace some likeness to the unaffected
girl of the portrait upstairs in Jacks
room.
And Betty? Beneath her masquer-
ade of paint and powder and her
mothers pearl necklace, she was rag
ing at herself. Never had she been so
attracted to any man as to Lance
Freeman, and she read only amused
contempt in his steady glance She
had always been used to the unquali-
fed admiration of her brothers
friends, and Lance was his most par
ticular chum. She was ready to cry
with vexation when the meal was
over.
Why, she asked herself, had she
taken it into her silly head to fout
plain man who hated powder and
paint on his. woman folks? Why
blame him because he wanted them
to be as fresh and clean skinned as
himself-as frank and unassuming as
he was?
And naturally Betty was all these
things herself. Therein lay the trag-
edy.
In the drawing room Isabella played
and sang for them, and presently
Lance asked Betty to show him Mr..
Fenby's famous collection of orchids.
Among the orchids in the conserva-
tory, he told her about the beautiful
black orchid which he had seen in
one Of the jungle swamps of the
isthmus and how he could go to the
very tree to which the parasitic bios
som clung.
Perhaps your father would like one
Il will try to get some and send them
up by trusty messenger" he Of
fered.
Betty agreed that her father would
be delighted, and then followed a de-
lightful half hour during which she
| animatedly told him how her father
had acquired many of his specimens,
and she displayed such knowledge
Of the subject and so entirely forgot
the part she was playing that Lance
found his heart slipping from his
keeping.
They were standing near the foun-
tain and Betty was dipping her
| fingers in the water, where goldfish
darted to and fro.
Lance regarded her thoughtfully.
I'm wondering why you took the trou-
BILE to disguise yourself under the
paint and powder of circus woman"
he remarked curiously.
Sir" thrilled Betty, trying to with
er him with a glance, but crumpling
miserably beneath his scorn She
tried to hate him for his brutal frank.
ness, his lack of polish. please take
me back to my brother"
I'm moment" he agreed gruff1y.
Il was hoping you'd wash your
face f1rstn" he blurted out.
"Wash my face?" stammered Betty.
He nodded and gave her a snowy
handkerchief. please, do" he urged,
but it sounded like a command, and
Betty, having met her master, meekly
obeyed.
She held corner Of the handker
chief under the fountain spray and
scrubbed the paint and powder from
face and lips and brows. When she
had emerged, her perfect skin, pink
and blooming from the friction, she
looked demurely at him.
"Well?'' she smiled
And please fluff out your hair the
way it is in that lovely picture in
Jacks room. There! You don't look
so confoundedly sophisticated. Thank
you, Miss Betty, you are brick!" he
ended enthusiastically, as she re-
moved the earrings.
"a brick" dimp1ed Betty, as he
tucked the damp and smeared hand
kerchief in his pocket
When they returned to the draw
ing room Isabella was telling Jack
story that brought reluctant mirth
in it's train
Here comes the little imp now"
he murmured, as she entered with
Lance. well, Betty, I'm glad you've
emerged from your war paint" he
ended in a burst of brotherly frank
ness. Where did you raise that black
satin horror"
Cousin Daisy left it here last year;
isn't it awful?" she confided.
Hours later, in her own room, Bet
ty dropped her newly purchased rouge
pots into the waste-paper basket. Then
she relapsed into dreamy inactivity.
"Oh, most adorable of men," she
sighed at last. I'm so glad you
don't like paint and powder COM
bined with pearls-I detest 'em my
self-and even if I did like them l
would-but, no-I shall not tell
even you''-nodding at her adorably
blushing reflection in the glass
what am thinking about now!"
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