The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1918-01-19
LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
CHAPTER vi.
-

/ have suited larry SouIlioticI 6ioAl
Inc over some signal beneficence.
PAST the deck chair in which she
ras reclining, with Peter Trait at her
aide. arm in arm, Lydia Craven and
Mrs. Merrilees were stridinS briskly
az Rare color warmed the face OF
craven's daughter, mirth danced IN her
ewes. a smile edged the pretty lips
from which the breeze caught snatch
Of laughter as musical as singing glass,
and bore 1t to the ears of her two
devoted admirers.
"Um.hm," Peter assented indlstinct-
| " between teeth gripping the mouth
| niece of his pipe. Basking in the
warmth of n 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, Business of taking
Ill the credit to yourself-eh?"
1 sWhy not?' the Dowager Dragon
demanded with asperity. Didn't l
discover who she was and bring her
and Tad together? That's why she's
happy, II 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 q
good home"
"Ouch! said Peter pensively, and
! replaced the pipe.
With grim sniff, the Dowager
Dragon withdrew momentnrily into
deep thought. "Have you asked her
b marry you YETI"
"Who-me?" Peter expostulated.
Nothing like that"
why not?''
TOO much sense" Peter explained,
rarely sententious.
"WhOSe-herS?"
Even money you can't guess"
yours, Of course!"
"Therel' groaned Peter. II might've
Known better than to bet against in
milton"
"Why plain intuition, Peter? The
phrase is rightfully feminine intui-
t0n.'"
The weed intuition flourishes only
h the well-known sex. Man, possessed
Of brain, reasons to q logical conclu-
don; woman-hm shuts her lovely
eyes, sticks q pin through the card.
and If the perforated horse wins,
Claims her choice was dictated by q
mysterious faculty denied to man. The
word itself is sort Of abracadabra,
at mere mention of which fools faint
md wise men climb trees"
Secretly charmed, Mrs. Beggarstaff
vnnkled her nose unbecOmingly. 'FOr
snce you admit man is deficient"
Grinning, Peter made q quaint obei-
nnce, and strolled aft, leaving Mrs.
beggarstaff to gnaw her neither lip over
tne discovery, too tardily made to be
turned to his discontinue, that what
look him from her was his utter in
ability to rest in ignorance Of Lydia
Cnyen's whereabouts. For the two
young women had failed to round out
near circuit Of the deck.
turning past the veranda cafe, at
tae utter extreme Of the promenade
peck, Peter came upon Mrs. Merrilees,
seated at an adjacent table in COM
pany with Craven.
a second glance showed him Lydia
the angle Of the starboard rail,
nuoin at her side.
T.
III response to hail from Craven,
4. turned sulkily to that quarter,
snere, at least, cheerful disposition
couldn't 80 unappreciated. Indeed, he
as welcome. Having privately dis
ss'nlnated news Of their engagement,
raven and Mrs. Merrilees were indus
uaously conducting themselves in as
sMartly an unloverlike manner as DOS
Su'e. A tentative third was always
acouraged in their company.
SIT down there" Craven insisted.
Ane steward'll be back in minute.
want to talk to you about this
,etcned concert tonight. They've
-ked me to be master Of ceremonies
awful bore!"
WIN liked. agreeable smile, Peter
- drank whatever the steward
~~ouent him. automatically consumed
'.vens cigarettes, and listened with
~ ne least interest to the others
How could he be interested,
49,. .nat fellow Quoin monopolizing
Not that he didn't like Quoin.
Net Peter admired that man ire
ously: so much the more reason
isar his influence!
80 Lydia. leaning on the rail, q
more radiant even than the day.
MeuT Craven demanded with par.
abb impotence. |