The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-04-14

filled with inquiry. He nodded af-
Tentatively.
"Yes-at the Casino. l was just
about ready to start on my well-known
morning ride-purely," he laughed, "in
the interests of my health, of course
when Huroki and De Lima turned up
with the changeling."
elaine !"
"Your volunteer substitute. So I
had to wait till they were otherwise
occupied before 1 thought it wise to
leave"
The two came III by the rivers edge
in a little rock-bound cove with a
sandy floor. Inland, more than half
hidden among the trees, a modest
bungalow of unsurfaced logs was Wis
ible-on its veranda the ample person
of Anne, Patria's maid, placidly rock
ing and sewing.
"Sit down. The girl sank, feet
crossed beneath her, to the beach.
"Tell me about this creature. Does
Elaine really"
Get away with it?" Parr laughed
again. 81 should say she did. The
| girls a consummate actress and mimic.
Only a close observer can detect in
, Elaine's manner the inevitable, occa-
sional gaucherie, when she's at a loss
how to behave out of her element,
momentarily without Fanny Adair at
her elbow to prompt her. AS a dip
lomat, however, she conspicuously
lacks finesse-either that, or she's vile
ly ill-advised."
"How do you mean?"
81 mean she goes about Kidding her.
self of dangerous encumbrances in the
! crudest fashion imaginable. Well, you
know how she quarreled with Anne on
the flimsiest pretext, and sent her pack
ing; and how she couldn't resist the
temptation to slap my face with the
confidential announcement of her en-
gagement, as Patria Claiming, to Juan
de Lima. And today, desiring to get rid
of Mrs. Wrenn and Rodney, she has
caused this announcement to be pub
lished, without saying a word to them.
The newspaper gave the first hint Mrs.
Wrenn got of the affair"
Parr drew from his pocket a folded
paper, and displayed to Patria n of
her own photographs, wretchedly re-
produced in half-tone, above a story
! headlined somewhat in this fashion:
MISS PATRIA CHARMING
MuItimiIIionaire Heiress Stirs Newport
Society by Announcing Her Engage
ment to Senior Juan de Lima,
Wealthy Mexican Mine Owner.
With a little exclamation of exas-
peration Patria read the article
through, then angrily crumpled the pa
per in her two hands.
"And what came of it?" she asked.
"Oh, Mrs. Wrenn protested, of
course-insisted that 'Patria' retract
the announcement. And the row
Elaine had been spelling for was on,
ending with her informing Mrs. Wrenn
Fanny Adair would relieve her of re-
| sponsibility as 'Patria's' chaperon. So
| Rodney and his mother are leaving"
"When?"
"Today, 1 presumed"
"Ohr" the girl declared in deepest
Indignation, this is intolerable! l
can't stand it, / won't, another min
ute! Don, you must let me come out
of hiding and expose these impostersl u
"Please, dearl" Donald begged.
"Give me another thirty-six hours I'm
watching them more closely than they
suspect; they do nothing 1 don't know
all about, either through personal OBJ
%servation or through my agents. /
only want to spare you publicity and
annoyance. Give these fools rope
enough and they'll hang themselves as
high as Hannah, and spare us the trou-
BILE. But let them once suspect you
live, and your life's worth-well, hard
ly thati"
THAT was a snap of PARIS fingers.
"Don't let me alarm you with my ex-
aggeration," he added, with a reassur-
ing smile. "But Huroki can move as
swifting as a rattlesnake, when he
wants to, and strike with as deadly eff
feet. I'm confident of my ability to
protect you. And you don't want to die
just yet, Will yOul WIN uLOOhC'
Her hand stole into his. Il don't
want to lose a lifetime of being in love
with you," she corrected. "So-TH do
as you say"
Less than an hour later Parr left,
to return to Newport, and resume his
task of espionage.
EScAPADE BY MOONLIGHT.
What little wind there was went
down with the sun.
Around about the little bungalow on
the Sakonnet shore the hush was abso-
lutte.
Only Patria was restless and flat
ease. Impatience and dissatisfaction
with the lot imposed upon her by Don
aid PARIS arguments, prayers, will and
ruichac ranad in hor hncnm