Williams news., 1917-10-18
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
CHAPTER VI.

6aAStoih, IAShO 6OSo a 'SAJ N.NfRS grill" Her amazing complacency would have suited fairy godmother gloat- ing over some signal beneficence. 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 snatch of laughter as musical as singing glass, and bore it to the ears of her two devoted admirers.
 "Um-hm," Peter assented indistinct- ly between teeth gripping the mouth piece of his pipe. Basking in the warmth of a late September sun, as lazily 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, "BusiIess of taking all the credit to yourseif-eh?"
 "Why not?" the Dowager Dragon demanded with asperity. Didn't I 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 a stray puppy looking for good home."
 "Ouch! said Peter pensively, and I replaced the pipe.
 With grim sniff, the Dowager nro< xx-fth n1nnpnntari1U deep thought. Have you asked her to marry you yet?"
 "Who-me?" Peter expostulated. Nothing like that!"
 "Why not?"
 "Too much sense," Peter explained, rarely contentious.
 "Whose-hers?
 "Even money you can't guess"
 "Yours, of course!'
 ''ThereI" groaned Peter. q might've known better than to bet against in- tuition."
 "Why plain intuition, Peter? The phrase is rightfully feminine intui- hon.'"
 ''The weed intuition flourishes only In the well-known sex. Man, possessed of brain, reasons to a logical conclu- sion; woman-hm !-shuts her lovely eyes, sticks a pin through the card, and if the perforated horse wins, claims her choice was dictated by 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 a quaint obei- sance, and strolled 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 a hail from Craven, be turned sulkily to that quarter, where, at least, a cheerful disposition wouldn't go .ahappreciated. Indeed, he was welcome. Having privately dis seminated news of their engagement, Craven and Mrs. Merrilees were indus triously conducting themselves in as smartly an unloverlike manner as pos sible. A tentative third was always encouraged in their company.
 "Sit down there," Craven insisted "The steward'H be back in a minute I want to talk to you about this wretched concert tonight. They've asked me to be master of ceremonies awful borer
 With a fixed, agreeable smile, Peter sat, drank whatever the steward brought him, automatically consumed Graven's cigarettes, and listened with. cut the least interest to the others , plans. How could he be interested with that fellow Quoin monopolizing Lydia? Not that he didn't like Quoin In fact, Peter admired that man tre mendously: so much the more reason to fear his inf1uencel
 And Lydia, leaning on the rail, 2 vision more radiant even than the day
 "Well?" Craven demanded with par donable impatience.
 Peter started and batted his eyes "Eh?" he inquired stupidly.
 What do you think?'
 "Ah-about what?'
 Good heavensl" Craven exploded a full, deep note of exasperatioa Here I sit yammering at you"
 Sorry" said Peter. "Fact is- =. know Mrs. Merrilees won't mind beini let into my confidence on the ground