The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-04-28
CHAPTER VII.

Mrs. Beggarstaff was right, who
herself admitted that she was always
right: Lydia was a very happy girl.
She had, indeed, never been so happy
since those memorable days when Cra-
yen's rare, capricious, and always I'M
expected appearances in England had
invariably signalized his amazing
sprees of paternal indulgence-frolics
from which, as from the nirvana of
fairy tales, n emerged in childish de-
moralization 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 a strange girl
of twenty had her Imagination not
quickened to the inherent in
the words secret agent. To think her
self the object of stealthy surveillance,
as daughter and confidante of a past
master of devious diplomacy; TO think
she must eyer keep her courage bright
In the shadow of nameless dangers. be
forever Jealous of the great secret,
comport herself always warily-in
these persuasions lay delight as deep
and abiding as that of a girl playing
the mischief at 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 spiritedly In re-
turn, thrilled to think he read her
thoughts and understood.
One circumstance alone fiawed the
perfect jewel of her happiness-the
second and final disappearance of her
sardonyx anne
The first time Lydia had missed It
IT had turned up safe and sound be-
fore bedtime in its place or top of the
chest of drawers. But the next day 1t
vanished again and finally. And
though for a 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 ha worked loose when she
had been lounging beside the rail, de-
livering the brooch to the sea.
In her new relationship with her ia
Their Lydia found several friendships
that, however young, promised perma-
hence.
For one, Mrs. Beggarstaf had I'M
questionably taken a fancy to Lydia,
which the girl was quick to divine and
reciprocate with a frank and-if I'M
demonstrative-real affection. And
the Dowager Dragon was daily vast
ing much time in amiable pickering
with Craven about his daughters flu
ture, openly discountenancing his in
tention to make Lydia part of his me-
mage; at least until there should be
a second Mrs. Craven to keep his house
In order-and its master, into the bar
gain.
Though" she once amended ac-
ridly In the presence of Mrs. Merrf-
lees, "as for that, to my taste, Betty's
altogether too frivolous to make a
proper duenna. Mark my words, Tad.
Just as soon as that pretty feather
weight head finds out life with you is
not one round of pleasure, she's going
to cut loose and lead you a dance that
won't leave a breath in your fat little
body. And then what will become OF
the childf"
"Oh, blow your meddling !" Craven
retorted with entire good humor. "You
forget the child is of age-or will be
In another six months. She can take
care of herself. If II turns out she
can't, l give you permission to use
your well-known arts of moral suasion
and nag her until she's mad enough to
hitch up as companion TO a saw
toothed destroyer Of regulations like
yourself"
"She could do far worse" the Dow
ager Dragon shifted; "and will-if
let you have your way"
(which Is just what is going to hap
pen. Lydia and I understand eacf
other. my homes the place for her
and there she goes, straight from the
steamer"
When he had detached his fiance'
and departed, the Dowager Dragon
took up the thread of her discourse
with Lydia.
"It's up to you, my DEAR" she an
nounced. ~ mean TO say, It's for yol
to decide. 1 warn you you'll eve b'
happy. Tad's not old enough TO De
father. For hat matter, he's not olt
enough to be a husband. He's heed
less IRRESPONSIBLE, as Eighty as Bett,