The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-04-12
SHIFTING THE SCENERY
BY CATHERINE cRANMER.


couch in her mothers bedroom, and
pulled off her long gloves with languid
jerks.
Surely you don't mean that Mrs.
Mason's at home was anything but
a succeSS? Her mothers response
was both a protest and an inquiry.
TOO successful" was Betty's bored
reply. That's one reason ii was tire
some. But I'm tired of being a detail
In the stage setting for some woman
ambitious TO put over on her gullible
guests either her money or her brains
or her manageable daughters"
You're desperately disappointing,
Betty. Keep up such conduct anOth-
q season and you'll be worse than a
stage fixture; you'll be forced clear
out Of the wings"
Then perhaps I'll strike up an ac-
Quaintance with the stage hands or the
newspaper reporters or somebody else
who can be spontaneous and interest
ing"
"PleaSe don't remind me Of your
Scandalous conduct at the Lafayette
club dinner dance. I should never get
over ii if the Markhams and Browns
found out that il was you who gave
the information about their feud to
that impertinent young scrub repor.
err"
"Cub reporter, mother" corrected
Betty, land that very story promoted
him from the cub class"
1--WE will not discuss this matter
now" Mrs. Barnes exuded flnality in
her tone and manner. THE Markhams
are dining with US this evening. 1
shall expect you to be decently cor
dial"
By the time the second course was
served, Mrs. Markham produced her
conversation trump-the latest book.
Have you read that piece Of eff
frontery, 'Maneuvering for First
Place'r
Mrs. Barnes pleaded such a busy
week with club committees that she
had not even heard Of the book. Bet
ty offered a meek affirmative and Mr..
Barnes surprised them all with his
reply.
81 read II yesterday on the train
coming from Chicago" he said. when
I found that Betty had put II in my
travelling bag along with my favOrite
copy of Hazlitt, 1 felt like spanking
her, but I'll have to confess that the
audacious title page carried me right
into the first chapter and that carried
me on through the book"
"Well, don't you think 1t the most
audacious slap at society Imaginable"
Mrs. Markham's indignation was deep
and dignifled.
Frankly" said Mr.. Barnes, with
smile, 81 thought it was a pretty good
hit at us for allowing ourselves TO put
too much stress on nOnessentials."
"Who wrote it," demanded Mrs.
Barnes, ready for hostilities.
ITS anonymous, but supposed to
have been written by group Of peo-
pie who style themselves the Social
Spy Squad"
and just as the dinner was over a
telephone message summoned the
Markhams home on account of an ac-
cident to one of the children; so the
bridge game that invariably followed
dinner had TO be abandoned.
Mr.. Barnes resumed reading his IN
finished evening paper, Betty busted
herself with some loose engravings
and Mrs. Barnes picked up the new
book that had been discussed at din
ner.
IF everyone else is reading this
suppose I'll have to read it, too" she
began, but the next instant stiffened,
for in the doorway appeared Barnaby
Wood, whom she mentally termed the
upstart young 'scrub" reporter re-
ferred to in her conversation with
Betty before dinner. He looked tall,
straight and assured, though decided
ly pale. Immediately after the first
formal greetings were over, he startled
them all by saying that before Mrs.
Barnes began the book he and Betty
would like to make a confession.
"She has given me the right to call
her that" he said, as he approached
Betty's side, "and we want to ask you
and Mr.. Barnes now to consent to our
marriage"
"And your means Of support?" asked
John Barnes.
"Why, daddy" broke In Betty, "our
book is already in the fourteenth thou
sand, and the publishers say it will go
to fifty within the month" Then, in |
confusion, she covered her blushing
face with both her hands, but dropped |
them as her father spoke.
81 never knew before that you were
the son of the fellow I knew at col |
lege as Squire John Wood but I'll |
confess I did suspect you two Of be-
ing accomplices in that Maneuvering
for First Place Mother, shall we let /
this squad of spies escape and cast |
their lots together for life?"
"ODly on condition that they keep
their crime a secret, and shift the
scene of future stories away from my
social set" Mrs. Barnes named her
conditions in all seriousness.
"Oh, we've already shifted the seem
cry to the working classes in our new