The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-09-06

significant faces ut Quoln over her
shoulder.
"Permit me, Betty Quoin suggest
ell. 81 think I know the trick"
In another breath the box was open,
the necklace In it's owners hands.
MERELY my foolish delight to see
you again so soon, my dear" A hand
patted affectionately one of Lydia's
flushed checks as, released. breathless,
and wondering, she stepped back to
readjust her hat.
You're awfully good to me. Mrs.
Beggarsraff. But l can't stop a minute.
I've another errand TO run for father
he's very busy tonight"
Another errandl" Betty Merrilees
parroted out of a mind perhaps par
donably confused.
"Yes-I sha'n't be long. Father
asked me to bring that to GU; but
promised to call for me within an hour.
SO | was to attend to the other errand
first, and wait here with you for him.
But my taXlcab broke down and"
"Craven coming here?" Betty inter-
hNlA'' a. 'NAhlVuNlN bul tAtIhtu SuuN
denly Mt n look from Quoin.
AS soon as he can get away" Lydia
affirmed. 81 mean, of course, wher-
ever you're really stopping"
1.-THE Plaza"
"That's just across the way, isn't II?
It's odd of him to make Such a mis-
take. He said the Margrave distinctly.
| Rut I'll aGlr for ~, ae tho DIava In
half an hour, IL you don't mind"
Mind! On the contrary" Mrs. Mer-
rilees said pleasantly, "Tll be delight
ed. Tad, too. That will be fun
rather! Wen have supper together
all of u.s."
And so-good night for thirty min
utes," Lydia laughed. 81 must hurry"
"Wait a minute" Peter put In. "Tm
of too, you know, and going your way"
"How do you know you arel" Lydia
demanded, smiling back from the door
way.
Because that's the way I'm going"
"But / don't want you now. Mr..
Traft-though / shall hope to see you
again in half an hour. Good-by."
The hall-door closed, leaving Peter
as dashed as Betty Merrilees was
thunderstruck. as Quoin was thought
full, as the smile of the Dowager Drag
on was satiric.
There was n little pause.
what" Peter demanded, "what do
you know about that?"
after her, you LOOM" Quoin snapped,
waking up with a start. "If Craven
told her to go somewhere else first,
be sure he never meant her to bring
that necklace here. Don't you seer"
"Ass!" Peter groaned, shifting his
forehead. "Why didn't l think?" Seiz-
Ing hat and coat, he threw open
the door even as the elevator gate
changed.
The car had dropped from sight be-
fore he reached the shaft. Planting q
thumb on the push-button, he educed
only a thin, persistent grumble from
the annunciator bell, steadily dimin-
ishing in volume as the car continued
wilfully to descend.
Infatuated, the young man commit
ted the soul of the elevator attendant
to the netbermost depths of damnation
and, turning to the stairway, plunged
down the flights in breakneck haste,
three steps mt n time.
Across the lobby he sped as one
bounded by furies, and gained the al
riage entrance barely in time TO see a
taxicab pulling away from the curb.
Peter gave chase, affording midnight
wayfarers the diverting spectacle of q
beautifully arrayed young man-coat
tails fiat to the wind and rain, top coat
streaming wildly from one arm, the
other brandishing the dernier cri In
toppers-in mad, mute pursuit of a
~self-contained taxicab proceeding stol-
Idly about its business.
Happily for Peter, its business in
volved observance Of traffic regula-
lions; and when 1t paused to give pre-
cedence to a F~ifty-ninth street cross
town car Peter caught up-if some
thing more rudely han he had thought
to. Unable to check quickly on the
greasy asphalt, he skldded against the
door with a crash.
"Hold hardv' he begged between
breaths. give me a chance"
"What the" commented the chauf-
fear suspiclously.
But at the same time Peter jerked
the door open, and-a Gravity, sinking
sensation deserted his midst: the fare
was Lydia. after ALL
She greeted this breathless appar-
ton with an inarticulate cry.
you forgot something" Peter
gasped in response, climbing In.
"What7"
"Mel" he declared settling into the
place by her side; then thrust his head
out of the door and painted, "It's all
right, driver. Cut along-and don't 80
too fast-slippery pavements-"
"But, Mr.. Trait" Lydia expostu-
lated.
Peter shut the door with a bang, and