The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-06-28
CHAPTER vi.

side, arm In arm, Lydia Craven and
Mrs. Merrilees were stridlng briskly
aft. Rare color warmed the face of
Craven's daughter, mirth danced in her
eyes, smile edged the pretty lips
from which the breeze caught a snatch
of laughter as musical as singing glass,
and bore 1t to the ears of her two
devoted admirers.
"Um-hm," Peter assented indistinct-
ly between teeth gripping the mouth
piece of his pipe. Basking in the
warmth of late September sun, as
lazily content as any cat, Peter
watched the girls swing down the deck
and disappear round the superstruc-
ture. Then he removed the pipe to
observe, critically, Business of taking
all the credit to yourself-eh?"
"Why not?" the Dowager Dragon
demanded with asperity. didn't
discover who she was and bring her
and Tad together? That's why she's
happy, II you must know-not because
you've fallen head over heels in love
with the girl and moon around after
her like stray puppy looking for
good home"
"Ouchr' said Peter pensively, and
replaced the pipe.
With grim sniff, the Dowager
Dragon withdrew momentarlly into
deep thought. "Have you asked her
to marry you YETI"
"Who-me" Peter expostulated.
Nothing like that!"
"Why nOtT"
"Too much sense" Peter explained,
rarely sententious.
"Whose-hers7"
"Even money you can't guess"
"Yours, Of coursey"
"There!" groaned Peter. 81 might've
known better than to bet against in
tuition"
"Why plain intuition, Peter? The
phrase is rightfully feminine intui-
ton"
"The weed intuition flourishes only
In the well-known sex. Man, possessed
of brain, reasons to logical conclu-
sion; woman-hm shuts her lovely
eyes, sticks pin through the card,
and If the perforated horse WINS,
claims her choice was dictated by
mysterious faculty denied to man. The
word itself is sort Of abracadabra,
at mere mention of which fools faint
and wise men climb trees"
Secretly charmed, Mrs. Beggarstaff
wrinkled her nose unbecomingly. "For
once you admit man is deficient"
ri lint nhaf
sance, and strolled aft, leaving Mrs.
Beggarstaff to gnaw her neither lip over
the discovery, too tardily made to be
turned to his discontinue, that what
took him from her was his utter in
ability to rest in ignorance of Lydia
Craven's whereabouts. For the two
young women had failed to round out
their circuit of the deck.
Turning past the veranda cafe, at
the after extreme of the promenade
deck, Peter came upon Mrs. Merrilees,
seated at an adjacent table in COM
pany with Craven.
A second glance showed him Lydia
in the angle of the starboard rail,
Quoin at her side.
In response to hail from Craven,
he turned sulkily to that quarter,
where. at least, cheerful disposition
wouldn't go unappreciated. Indeed, he
was welcome. Having privately dis
seminated news of their engagement,
Craven and Mrs. Merrilees were indus
triously conducting themselves in as
smartly an unloverlike manner as pos
sible. A tentative third was always
encouraged in their company.
"Sit down there" Craven insisted.
''The steward'll be back in minute.
l want to talk to you about this
wretched concert tonight. They've
asked me to be master of ceremonies
awful bore!"
With a fixed, agreeable smile, Peter
sat, drank whatever the steward
brought him, automatically consumed
Craven's cigarettes, and listened with
out the least interest to the others
plans. How could he be interested,
with that fellow Quoin monopolizing
Lydia? Not that he didn't like Quoin.
In fact, Peter admired that man tre-
mendousiy: SO much the more reason
to fear his influence!
And Lydia, leaning on the rail,
vision more radiant even than the day.
"WellT Craven demanded with par
donable impatience.
Peter started and batted his eyes.
'Eh?" he inquired stupidity.
"What do you think?"
"Ah-about whatf"
"Good heavens!" Craven exploded
a full. deep note of evaporation.
"Here ! sit yammering ut you"
"Sorry," said Peter. "Fact isl
know Mrs. Merr.lees won't mind being
let into my confidence on the ground
floor-fact is, I'm In love with your
daughter, Tad. And Quoin's talking
TO her. So, naturally, I'm sick with
jealousy"