The herald., 1917-08-30
HER MASTERPIECE
|sy MARTHA MIC. WILLIAMS.

coats. Being restricted TO trousers, IL
expressed his discontinue by rattle
wabbling strides and heavy flop int
the corner of the Settee. There, afte
minute, he placed his head in hi
hands, and swOre-under his breath
! because the duchess lolled In a lont
chair little way off.
She was not q real duchess, of course
! The nickname ran back TO the days o,
| pigtails, when he had been King Molly
! COB, she Duchess of Two Sticks, though
an unfeeling world had called them
commOnplacely Dave Mason and Janet
Lee. Only children and close neigh
| bOrs, they had been all but inseparable
until the era of college. Janet went
first, being year the older. Then
Dave went, and thus it happened that
they had not met for five years.
'Swear out loud! It's more reliev.
ing" Janet said after a minute, with a
soft, suppressed giggle. "Or, better
still-tell me about it. Does true loves
course refuse to run smooth for lack
Of an obstacle"
Davy cried, sitting up with jerk:
How did yOu-how could you
guess?"
"Didn't-a notwithstanding the
other party in interest as do" Janet
flung back. Davy shook his head at
her. ITS bad enough to have you
reading law, though you don't mean to
practice" he said. 81 won't have you
talking 1t at mel want to forget there
is such a thing"
"Hey, for the briny. The Spanish
Main. We yearn to go a-pirating, We
do, oh, we do" Janet intoned, her eyes
twinkling.
Davy looked properly foolish, but
blurted out: "If you knew what rea-
son | have to hate law and all its
works, you wouldn't make fun of me.
Edna refuses me, because our joint In.
heritance of the Wayland fortune
makes it all cut and dried-Pd like
to give her my share-indaed, I'd give
1t to anybody-but-the will steps in
If either Of us refuses the money 1t
works forfeiture to both"
Leaving you free to refuse each
other? What q pitym Janet inter-
rupted: IF Ed had to take you, will
she-nil-she, she'd be just the loveliest
martyr. l can see her right now, faint
Ing at the altar-regardless of orange
blossoms and the Wayland old lace"
Don't! You hurt me" Davy pro-
tested. "You can't know how much
since you've never cared for-any-
body"
Praise be-" Janet flung back at him
with yet a subtle hardening Of the /.
lips. "But live In hope, my child. Who
was it sang, old maids at forty-five
grow giddy'? When my time comes 1t .
VIII be your turn to laugh"
II never want to laugh at you
promise you won't laugh at me-now,"
Davy answered eagerly. "You see, I've
been thinking that maybe If Ed could
be persuaded there was something's
prior attachment-Oh, hang 1t, you I'M
1erstand.' She got up and walked to
he window, saying over her shoulder,
II.
AS she disappeared in the library be-
'ond Davy saw her suddenly falter and
'prang toward her. She waved him
Jack gayly and shut the door in his
ace. Half an hour later she came
through it holding a fairly written
heet, which she thrust into his hands.
When he had read 1t his eyes were
lin. Lord! But you do make I'D
hings" he said not quite steadily. "If
If this were true" glancing at the
heet-"why, l shouldn't ever draw an
ther happy breath"
"Oh, yes. you would! You're forget
Ing the stimulus to your vanity. Think
I being the only man that ever
Ouched this adamantine BOSOM" Janet
ried merrlly. II call that a very per-
ect appeal and confessional 1 did
~ 1t on rather thick. Ed likes her
as the old lady did her grog-
he didn't mind so long as it was hot, /,
trong, sweet-and plenty of it."
Cease. hooking cynic and tell me
ow you did it. 1t is simply wonder !,
IL. L swear truth couldn't be as true"
avy interrupted. Janet half turned
er head, saying In her gayest voice: .
You Halter me. Still, agree with
ou. Truth couldn't be as true: feel :
e, you know, never equals magma :
on. But now. be off with you, while :
copy this for the mail bag. OF course :
m going TO keep the original-of nv !,
asterpiece."
Il wonder will Edna dare-rn hate b
n If she shows 1t to me-" Davy said,
ishing. Then he got up, caught both :,
mes hands In his, and said huskily: Il
duchess, you are the greatest woman
the world. Not another would have .
humbled her pride, even in make-be- =,
we, to humor another wOman's within u
ID save mans love from tantalizing =
lay. DO believe mel couldn't rev.
ence you more if what you have done .
IRE real. marvel that, knowing you. "
AN love anybody else" ',
''Will you take yourself OFF," Janet =
ed imperiously, but letting her hands l.
In his clasp. He kissed them ten :
rly, turned and left her. She flung
rself upon the settee, pressing her
S, her cheek, her fingers. upon the
'od where his head had rested Her