Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-08-14
CHAPTER VII.


Mrs. Beggarstaff was right, who
herself admitted that she was always
light: Lydia was a very happy girl.
She had, indeed, never been so happy
ince those memorable days when Cra-
ren's rare, capricious, and always I'M
expected appearances in England had
invariably signalized his amazing
Iprees of paternal NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
rom which, as from the nirvana of
airy tales, one emerged In childish de-
noralization to renew acquaintance
With the hard and grimy facts of life
Is lived in Mrs. Grummle's Blooms
Jury lodging house, or with the chilly
.outine 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
" twenty had her Imagination not
Iuickened to the romance inherent In
he words secret agent. To think her
Ielf the object of stealthy surveillance,
Is daughter and confidante of a past
master Of devious diplomacy; to think
The must ever keep her courage bright
n the shadow of nameless dangers, be
brewer jealous of the great secret,
.omport herself always warily-in
hese persuasions lay delight as deep
md abiding as that of girl playing
he mischief at her first bal masque.
Not infrequently she would catch
Craven regarding her with his dark
Ind 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 flawed the
perfect Jewel of her happiness-the
Iecond and final disappearance of her
Iardonyx cameo.
The first time Lydia had missed II
t had turned up safe and sound be-
lore bedtime in its place on top Of the
:hest of drawers. But the next day 1t
Fanished again and finally. And
though for a time her hope ran high
hat 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-
hvering 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 I'M
auestionably taken a fancy to Lydia,
which the girl was quick to divine and
reciprocate with frank and-if I'M
1emonstrative-real affection. And
the Dowager Dragon was daily vast
Ing much time in amiable pickering
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.
ddly in the presence of Mrs. Merri-
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 child?"
''Oh, blow your meddlingw 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 it 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