The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-14
CHAPTER w.

| conspiracy.
"My dear sister," interposed
Mr.. Savage, with an imitation so
exact of the woman's tone that he
nearly wrung a smile from Sally,
do calm yourself-the matter is
quite easy to explain"
But what"
ooh, give us a chance. But per-
NIT me-" He bowed with his easy
laugh. adele, this is Miss Man
vers-Miss Manvers, my sister,
Mrs. Standish. And now"-as
Sally half started from her chair
and Mrs. Standish acknowledged
her existance by an. embittered
nod-"do sit down, Adele!"
With the manner of one whose
amazement has paralyzed her
parts of speech, the woman sank
mechanically into the chair which
Savage placed beside the table.
while her brother addressed him
self to a terse summing up of the
affair.
"Oh, as for that" said Mrs.
Standish, absently, when you
turned up missing on the train |
stopped at the 125th st. station
and came back to find out what
was the matter. I've been all thru
this blessed place looking for you.
What were you going to say?"
Nothing much, except that the
clothes Miss Manvers stands in are
hardly to be considered an ade-
quate reward"
True. But you mentioned
some suggestions or other
81 wish only to remind you OF
the news impaired by our respect
ed aunt in her letter of recent
date"
The woman frowned slightly as
with mental effort; then a flash of
comprehension lightened her blue
eyes. She nodded vigorously and
turned upon Miss Manners a be-
, wildering smile, for the first time
addressing her directly.
my dear" she said, IF you're
not overscrupulous--" -
She paused with receptive air
"I'm sure l don't know what
you're driving at" Sally said
bluntly; but I'm hardly in a posi-
tion to be nice-minded about tri-
fles."
"It's this way" Savage inter
posed, we're offering you q
chance to get away, to enjoy q
summer by the seashore-every-
thing you tell me you've been pin
ing for-if you'll consent to sail
under false colors."
"Please!" Sally begged with a
confused and excited little laugh
''He simply can't help it; indi-
rection is Walters long suit" Mrs
Standish took up the tale. First
of all, you must know this aunt OF
ours is rather an eccentric-fright
fully we'll off, spoiled, self-willed
and quite blind to her best inter
ests. Aunt Abby's passionately
fond of two things-cards and
what she calls interesting people,
Neither would matter much but
for the other. She CANDLES for
sheer love of it, and doesn't care
a rap whether she wins or loses,
And her notion of an interesting
person is anybody fortunate or un-
fortunate enough to be noticed by
the newspapers. So you see, the
people Aunt Abby insists on enter
tanning are apt to be a rather du-
bious lot. Funny things have hap.
i pened at her card tables. So Wal
ter and / have been scheming to
find some way to protect her with
out rousing her resentment by
seeming to interfere. And only
recently she herself showed us the
way-wrote me that she had quar-.
relied with her corresponding Sec
rotary, and discharged her; and
would we please look around for
somebody to replace Miss Matring.
Do you see?"
You mean," Sally suggested,
dumbfounded, you mean you'll
recommend me for the position?"
"I'll do more. I'll see that you