Emmons County record., 1917-08-16
CHAPTER VI.


girl !" Her amazing complacency would
have suited fairy godmother gloat.
Ing over some signal benencence.
Past the deck chair In which she
was reclining, with Peter Trait at her
side, arm in arm. Lydia Craven and
Mrs. Merrilees were striding briskly
aft. Rare color warmed the face Of
Craven's daughter, mirth danced In her
eyes. a smile edged the pretty lips
from which the breeze caught q snatch
Of laughter as musical as singing glass
and bore It to the ears Of her two
devoted admirers.
"Um.hm," Peter assented indistinct.
" between teeth gripping the mouth.
piece of his pipe. Basking In the
warmth Of a late Suptember sun, as
iazily 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 not1" the Dowager Dragon
demanded with asperity. "Didn't ]
discover who she was and bring her
and Tad together7 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 a
good home"
"Ouch!" said Peter pensively, and
replaced the pipe.
With grim sniff, the DOwager
Dragon withdrew momentarily into
deep thought. Have you asked her
to marry you yeti"
"Who-me!" Peter expostulated,
-Nothing like tbat!"
"Why not?"
'Too much sense" Peter explained,
rarely contentious.
"WhOse-hers1'
"Even money you can't guess"
"Yours. of course!"
'There" groansd Peter. II might've
known better than to bet against in
tuition"
"Why plain intuition, Peer? The
phrase Is rightfully feminine intui-
tlOn.'"
"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 a pin through the card.
and If the perforated horse wins,
claims her choice was dictated by n
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. Beggarstafr
wrinkled her nose unbecomingly. For
once you admit man Is deficient"
Grinning, Peter made quaint obei-
sance. and strolled aft, leaving Mrs.
Beggarstaff to gnaw her neither lip over
the discovery, too tardily made to De
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 coun-
pany with Craven.
4 second glance showed him Lydia
In the angle Of the starboafd rx0
ouOin at her side.
In response to q hail from Craven
he turned sulkily to that quarter
where, at least. a cheerful disposition
wouldn't 60 unappreciated. Indeed, he
was welcome. Having privately dis
seminated news Of their engagement
Craven and Mrs. Merrilees were indus
triously conducting themselves in u
smartly an unloverlike manner as pos
sible. A tentative third was Away
encouraged in their company.
"Sit down there" Craven insisted
'.The steward'll be back In minute
I want to talk to you about thii
wretched concert tonight. They've
asked me to be master of ceremonies
awful borew
With a fixed. agreeable smile, Peter
sat. drank whatever the steward
brought him. automatically consumed
Craven's cigarettes. and listened with