New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-06-06
p |.

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As usual nowadays, instead Of
knocking at the door Fate called up
on the telephone.
Though the bell shrilled almost in
Mrs. kip's ear she would not answer
IT. She WINGED, shook her head, agi-
fated her rocking chair with petulance,
embroidered vindictively, and hardly
80 much called out MS sighed very
loudly toward the hallway:
Daphne! Ooh, Daphne! the tele-
phone again, :"
On the stairs there sounded n
mufiled scurry like the rush Of an
April shower chased down II hillside
by the sun. An ~allegory of April dart
sd across the room and raised the tel
ephone to her lips as If it were Il
beaker Of good cheer.
Her mother was used to this humor
Of Daphne's and paid no heed Till n
sudden frost chilled the warm tone of
the girls voice. The smile Of hospi-
tality wasted on the telephone had
given place TO n look Of embnrrass-
ment.
Mrs. Kip whispered anxiously, who
IS it,"
Daphne mOtioned her not to inter
rupt. and her voice grew deep and
important. II became what her brother
. Bayard called her reception voice.
In her grandest contralto she said
This is Miss Kip. Yes, ! have. Yes,
No DOCS b,u Y,r,lNn9 m - Nh : nh :
How do you do, Mr.. Wmbwm."
MIR. WhoT" her mother keened.
Daphne whispered to quiet her. "a
young man from New York-friend of
Bayard's-same office. | haven't got
his name yet"
Into the telephone she was saying,
nnd bowing and nodding the while
with her politpst face. Indeed I'll try
to be. OF course Clevelnnd's not New
York, but BY the way, do you
dance? That's good. That's right
might as well be deaf If you don't
How long will you be In Cleveland3
oh, is that all? Well. then. you must
come out here and have tea with us
this very afternoon. I'll call for you
at the hotel In my little ear. No; It's
not M Of those; it's an electric. |
run IL myself. Afraid TO risk IT,
Brave man! I'll be there in fifteen
minutes. and you might he on the
steps. Goodby. Mr.. Wmbwm."
This last was said in the fond tone
Of ancient friendship, and she hung
up the receiver with "A gesture like
sinking hands.
She turned to find her mother thin
ming her lips in a long, tight line: her
checks bulged exploslvely. Daphne
f~orestalled her:
Hes a young fellow In the same
firm as Bayard. Says he's here on
business for ten days. Bayard told
him to call me up and tell me to be
nice To him. That sounds like BY. !
Also said he hadn't time to write. That
sounds liker still. Rayard told him
to kiss you for him. so he must be all
right. | was going to take him to
the hotel to a tea-dance. hut | thought
I'd better give him a look-over first.
So I'll roll him out here. Get out the
nice china and the napkins | mono
grammed. and"
but. Daphne! Wait | can't"
Il haven't time to argue with you.
mamma Please do as ] tell you for
once. and don't fuss. Mr.. Wmbwm
will probably have a lot of news to
tell you about your prodigal son.
G'byl"
She popped a kiss on the forehead
that anxiety had turned to corduroy
and ran upstairs like another April
shower chasing the sun uphill. She
dashed down again with hat and
gloves. and, with lose repowdered,
slammed the front door gayly.
thrummed the steps. and strobe across
the long lawn to the little electric car
standing under the porte cochere. The
car was very large for a beetle but
pretty small for an automobile.