The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-07-05
CHAPTER VII.

-
Mrs. Beggarstaff was right, who
herself admitted that she was always
right: Lydia was n very happy girl.
She had, indeed, never been so happy
since those memorable days when Graz
ven's rare, caprlcious, and always I'M
expected appearances in England had
invariably signalized his apazing
sprees of paternal indulgenceIfrollcs
from which, us from the niryana of
fairy tales, one emerged in childish de
morallzation to renew acquaintance
with the hard and grimy facts of life
as lived in Mrs. Grummle's Blooms
bury lodging house, or with the chilly
routine of the Misses Stint's Select
Academy for Daughters of Gentlemen.
She lived those days in delicious ex-
element. She would be q strange girl
of twenty had her imagination not
quickened to the romance inherent In
the words secret agent. To think her
self the object of stealthy surveillance,
ms daughter and coniidante of n past
master of devious diplomacy; to think
she must ever keep her courage bright
in the shadow of nameless dangers, be
forever %jeaiods of the great secret,
comport herself always warlly-in
these p%ersuasions lay delight as deep
and abiding as that of n girl playing
the mischief Mt her first bal masque.
Not infrequently she would catch
Craven regarding her with his dark
and quizzical smile; and then she
would flush and smile splritedly In re-
turn, thrilled to think he read her
thoughts and understood.
One, circumstance alone flawed the
perfect jewel Of her happiness-the
second and final disappearance of her
sardonyx cameo,
The first time Lydia had missed II
1t had turned up safe and sound be
fore bedtime in its place on top of the
chest of drawers. But the next day II
vanished again and finally. And
though for q time her hope ran high
that the finder would return the trim
ket in view of the rather heavy re
ward posted by Craven, when moth
ing of the sort happened she felt
forced to accept the hypothesis that
the clasp had worked loose when she
had been lounging beside the rail, de
llvering the brooch to the sea.
In her new relationship with her ia
Their Lydia found several friendships
that, however young, promised perma
nence.
For one, Mrs. Beggarstaff had un
q~uestionably taken a fancy to Lydia
which the girl was quick to divine anC
reciprocate with a frank and-if un
dcmonstrative-real affection. An,
the Dowager Dragon was daily vast
ing much time in amlable pickering
with Craven about his daughters flu
ture. openly discountenanclng his in
tention to make Lydia part of his me
mage at least until there should b,
a second Mrs. Craven to keep his hous'
in order-and its master. into the bar
gain.
Though" she once amended &C
ridly In the presence of Mrs. Merri
lees, "as for that, to my taste, Betty
altogether too frivolous to make
proper duenna. Mark my words, Tad
just as 500 as hat pretty feather
weight head finds out life with you Il
not one round of pleasure, she's goini
to cut loose and lead you a dance tina
won't leave a breath in your fat llttl'
body. And then what will become o
the child?"
Il "Oh, blow your meddlingl I" Cravel
retorted with entire good humhf. "YoV
forget the child is of age-or will b.
In another six months. She can TAX
care of herself. If Il turns out sh'
can't, l give you permission to us
your well-known arts Of moral suasiol
and nag her until she's mad enough L
hitch up as companion to a saw
toothed destroyer Of regulations lik
yourself"
"She could do far worse" the Dow
aver Dragon shifted; "and will-if
let you have your way"
(which Is lust what Is going to har