Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-08-08
CHAPTER vi.

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 a 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 September sun, as
laZiIy 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?"
'TWhy not?" the Dowager Dragon
demanded with asperity. Didn't /
discover who she was and bring her
and Tad together? That's why she's
happy, if 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"
"Ouchr' said Peter pensively, and
replaced the pipe.
With a grim sniff, the Dowager
Dragon withdrew momentarily into
deep thought. ''Have you asked her
to marry you YETI"
'WhO-me" Peter expostulated.
Nothing like that!''
"Why not?"
TOO much sense" Peter explained,
rarely sententious.
wholesalers?
''Even money you can't guess"
yours, of course!"
'Therer ~ groaned Peter. 81 might've
known better than to bet against in
tuition"
''Why plain intuition, Peter? The
phrase is rightfully feminine intui-
tom"
"The weed intuition fiourishes only
In the weIl-knOwn sex. Man, possessed
Of brain, reasons to a logical conclu-
sion; woman-h1n shuts her lovely
eyes, sticks a pin through the card,
and if the perforated horse wins,
claims her choice was dictated by a
mysterious faculty denied to man. The
word itself is a sort of abracadabra,
at mere mention of which fools faint
and wise men climb trees"
Secretly charmed, Mrs. Beggarstaff
wrinkled her nose unbecomingly. For
once you admit man is deficient"
Grinning, Peter made quaint obei-
Sance, and strOIled aft, leaving Mrs.
Beggarstaff to gnaw her neither lip over
the discovery, too tardily made to be
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 COM
pany with Craven.
A second glance showed him Lydia
in the angle of the starboard rail-
Quoin at her side.
In response to q hail from Craven,
he turned sulkily to that quarter,
where, at least, a cheerful disposition
wouldn't 90 unappreciated. Indeed, he
was welcome. Having privately dis
Seminated news of their engagement
Craven and Mrs. Merrilees were indus
triously conducting themselves in as
sm2rty an unloverlike manner as pos
si5le. A tentative third was always
encouraged in their company.
sit down there" Craven insisted
The stewardu be back in a minute
want to talk to you about this
"retcEed concert tonight. They've
asked me TO be master of ceremonies
awful borer'
win a fixed, agreeable smile, Peter
sat- crank whatever the steward
DioU-AJ MIN, automatically consumed
OI1'eu Cigarettes, and listened with
out the least interest to the others
pINH>' hoW could he be interested
win mat fellow Quoin monopolizing
Lyula! Not that he didn't like Quoin
Al 4"cI Peter admired that man ire
nendouSIy: so much the more reason
to fear his inauenceI
and Lydia, leaning on the rail. 6
vision more radiant even than the day
We'll" Craven demanded with par
donable impotence.
Peter started and batted his ewes
"Eh?" he inquired stupidity.
What do you think?"
'Ah-about what?"
Good heavens ]" Craven exploded
a full, deep note of evaporation
Here 1 sit yammering at you"
Sorry" saiu Peter. "Fact is
know Mrs. Merrilees won't mind beins
iet into my confidence on the ground
noor-fact is, I'm in love with you
daughter, Tad. And Quoin's talking
20 her. So, naturally, I'm sick Will
jealousy