Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-02-18
Love in a
Hurry
Bv GELETT BURGESS
Illustrated by Ray Walters
Copyright by Gelett Burgess
Continued from page 6

Continued from page 6
Here, the rugs were all up and the
aoor waxed for dancing. Three mt.
sicians were scraping and tuning their
Instruments. Hall Bonistelle was in a
corner, arranging a vase of flowers.
Rosamund darted in and swan up to
him. No scowl now; she was a differ
ent creature, smiling, radiant, angelic,
sailing on an air of gladness. She
seized Halls hand excitedly.
"Oh, Hail." she exclaimed dramatic.
ally. mas perfectly delighted! It's
all right, and you needn't worry o
moment longer! Aren't you glad?"
She hung on him fondly as if she ex.
nected him to embrace her.
Hall had turned white. Rosamund's
beauty had instantly disarmed him
He could no more have said the brutal
things he had contemplated than he
could have struck a child. Weakly, he
urocrastinated, fumbling her hand
1Really?" he managed to say. "Jove!
That's fine!"
"Well why don't you kiss me, Hall?"
Rosamund's eyes yer on the door.
watching anxiously for Interruptions.
Flodie gazed in.
Hall looked over his shoulder, EN-
barrassed. "Oh, these musicians-l
don't want them to-say, wait till we
can be alone!"
She stared at him in annoyed sur.
prise, then gave another irritated
glance at the door. The sound OF
women's voices goaded her on. "Non.
sense! Why, I intend to announce
our engagement Immediately"
Terror-stricken, Hall exclaimed,
"oh, no., that won't do at all, Rosa.
mund, really. Well have to wait a lit.
tie while-not tonight, anyway"
"Why, that's half the fun of being
engaged-talking about i'll" Then,
after another quick look toward the
Office, she gazed up at him and pressed
his hand. we are engaged, aren't me
Hall?"
"Oh, yes-certainly! Only"
Rosamund had an instant of triumph
and relief. 1t was all right, then. She
tossed her head as If In secret revolt;
she would have her own way, see If
she didn't! WELL" she said coldly,
"T1l wait a while, if you insist. Only.
l should think you might look happier
about it. You act 80 funny!"
He was saved from having to reply
by Jonas H~assingbury, who, glimpsing
the encounter. and impelled by Flodie,
had plunged boldly forward to the res.
cue.
Say" he began pointblank to Rosa.
mund, "be you any relation to Abijah
Gale? l believe his mother was q
Nettleton."
Rosamund glared, and Hall, Selling
the happy chance, had already begun
to edge off, with a mumbled some
thing about duties and guests. People
had, in truth, begun to arrive and the
place was filing rapidly. The must.
clans had begun to play; Flodie looked
in, with a distressed face, and beck.
Oned. Still Rosamund held him by
the sleeve.
Jonas fired again. "Ain't never been
down Bradford way, have We? Say,
you ought to run down to our village
some time, miss, and git a mess O.
CLAIMS. We got some fust-class Holsters
down home. Know it?"
Rosamund turned the full glory OF
her gaze upon him. ooh, yes" she said
aweetly, Il can easily believe that!"
But ala for her irony! This indul-
sence had cost her her prey. Hall was
already across the room, and Jonas
elung like a leech. She could not,
W1n all her ~insolence, detach him.
ITO 10 Continued