New Britain herald., 1916-06-09
How Dicky Got Rid of Miss Draper to Leave the Day Free for Madge.'

How DICky 1OC h1u OI MISS Draper to Leave the Day Free for Madge.'
 "Why! Mr. Graham, are you going away?"
 Grace Draper, with just the right touch of surprise in her voice. stood at the top of the broad steps lead ing down to the Long Island waiting room. She evidently was just com- ing in to her daily work in my hus- bands studio, from her home in Marvin.
 Dicky flushed uncomfortably.
 By love, Miss Draper, this is a shame!" he said remorsefully. 'I meant to telephone you early this morning that you need not come in to the city today unless you wished, and I forgot all about it. Mrs. Graham and I decided rather sud- denly to take a day in the country. In fact''-with a touch of embar- rassm ent-F'we are going house hunt ing"
 My heart gave a little leap of joy, in which, I am afraid, there was more than a soupcOn of malicious satisfac- tion I was meanly glad that Dicky had forgotten to telephone her. 1t showed that his beautiful model, who was also his secretary and prOtegee, did not occupy as important a place in his daily thoughts as I had been afraid she did.
 knew also what Dicky's embar- rassment in speaking of our house. hunting was due. Before he even had spoken to me about living in the country for the summer Miss Draper
 
 sieter,s home in Marvin. The memory of my quarrel with Dicky over this presumption on the part of his model was still fresh in my mind. Then. when the night before he had nronosed our trip to Marvin, he had casualty remarked that the house Miss Draper had selected had been 1 rented.
 I was curious to know what answer she would make. But her polse was perfect Not a trace of confusion or resentment in her manner, not the slightest deepening of the rose pink l flush in her cheek.
 Your not telephoning does not matter in the least, MT. Graham, she ! assured him smoothly. You know 1 have my monthly ticket, so the extra ride doesn't cost me anything, and it is such a perfect morning l was glad to watch the spring landscape through the car window. There are some wonderful spots on which to try cne's brush between here and Marvin"
 She turned to me, courteously, but with just a suspicion of hauteur in her lifted chin
 Tt Is unfortunate that you do not care for hedges, Mrs. Graham. l am sure you would have liked the place l found for you immensely if it had had the fence you desired, instead of hedge. It is such an attractive little home! And I am afraid you will be disappointed if you have set your heart on a home with fenced-ln grounds. Long Island villages, you know, run rather to hedges
 Not care for hedges? I, to whom nothing is so beautiful as a tall we'll kept hedge sheltering a home from the idle curiosity of the passers-by! I was about to utter disclaimer to her words when I caught an agonized glance from Dicky and closed my lips
 Miss Draper's Plan.
 This then, was the way Dicky had solved the problem of the house Miss Draper had selected. He could not tell her the real reason of my re- fusal to live in the house-that | re- scented her effrontery in selecting a iICme for me-so he had taken refuge in a falsehOOd. And such a ridiculous falsehood! I could have laughed aloud and 1 reflected that Miss Draper must have been guillible in