New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-04-27
CHAPTER lI--Continued.

SHt CAME up " nm anu, az ia"
length. touched him with cautious
finger-tips. And do, please, there's Il
dear boy" she pleaded, "hurry as fas'
as you can, and then ON down ant
be as nice MS q cnn"-she heS'tatet
Respectfully to IIcrmione Woodruff
She thinks you're Il wonder ana !
don't want her to be disappointed
'1he %widdyy" he asked. "Sure III
be nice to her"
She looked after him rather dubious
ly as he disappeared in the direction
of her husbands bathroom. There was
n sort of hilarious cohtentment ;iboul
him which filled her with mlSslVtnss
Well, they were justified!
According to Violet Williamson's ac-
count, given c~0ntidentially in the draw
ing-room afterward, it VAS really Her
mione's fault. "She just wouldn't Yet
Rodney llone-would keep talking
about crimes and LolnbroSo ana
psychiatric laboratorieS-Ill bet she
got hold of il paper of his somewhere
and read it. Anyway, at last she
said, Il believe Doctor Randolph would
agree with me- lie was talking To
me then, but maybe that isn't why
she did it. Well, and Rodney straight
ened up and said, rs that Randolph,
the ~alieuistT' You see he hadn't
caught his name when they We're in
troduced. And that's how II started.
Ucrlnione WAS gamr-IH admit that.
She listened and kept looking inter
estod, and every now and then sild
something. Sometimes they'd take the
trouble To smile and say Yes, indeed !!
politely, you know, but other times
they wouldn't pay any attention ut ah,
just roll along over her and smash
her flat-like what's his name-Jug-
gernaut."
"You don't need to tell me that"
was how it started. Didn't | sit there
and watch for IL mortal hour, not able
to do Il thing? l tried to signal to
Martin, but of course he wasn't oppo-
site to me, and :"
"He did all he could, really" Violet
tlSSuItu ltt. lOll nun w ~ w
the rescue. and he did, brnvely. But
what with llermione being SO nifty
about getting frozen out, and Martin
himself being so Interested in what
they were shouting at each other
because it was frightfully interest
ing. you know, if you don't have to
pretend you understood it-why, there
wasn't much he could do"
In the light of this disaster, she
was rather glad the men fingered in
the dining-room us long as they did
glad that Hermione had ordered her
car for ten and took the odd girl with
her. She made no effort to resist the
departure of the others, with reason
able prOmptitude, in their train.
When, after the front door had closed
for the last time, Martin released a
long yawn. she told him to run along
to bed she wanted to talk to Rodney,
who was to spend the night while his
own clothes were drying out in the
laundry.
Good night, old chap" said Martin
III H'Ntit' VI iN'iS N'ihiiilS'i dti'h'
"Tm glad I'm not in for what you are"
Rodney found Il pipe, sat down
lstride IA %spindling little chair, settled
his elbows comfortably on the back of
it, and then asked his sister what Mar
tin had meant-what was he in for?
Frederick, curled up in a corner of
the sofa. looked at him at first with "A
wry pucker between her eyebrows,
then with n smile, and finally answered
his question. Nothing" she said. Il
mean. / was going to scold you, but
I'm not"
Then, "Oh, l was furious with you
an hour ago" she went on. "Td made
Il really beautiful plan for you
and then | sat and watched you in that
thoroughgoing way of yours kicking
1t all to bits. The plan a of course.
10 marry you off to HermiOne Wood
He turned this over in his deliberate
way, during the process of blowing
two or three smoke rings, began
gradually to grin, and said at last:
''That was some plan, little sister.
How do you think of things like that?
You ought to write nam for the
magazines"
II don't know" she objected. 'If
re~asonabieness counted for anything
in things like that, it was a pretty
good plan. 1t would have to be some
body like Hermione. You can't get
On at all with young girls"
II don't know" said Rodney,
whether Mrs. Woodruff knows what
she wants or not, but l do. She wants
/ run for her money. And she'll want
| nice, tame trick husband TO manage
.hings for her and be Johnny-on-the-
pot whenever she wants him. And /
4 the man happened to be me !"
Frederica stretched her slim arms
outward. Thoughtful-faced, she made
70 comment, unless there was one IN
he deliberate way in which she turned Z
YER rings, q at a time, SO that the
-A-ou ~aunc x-oro s-.{lc IL