The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-08

"The knght' was overeSeer and chief director of the entertainment. As usual her versatility and knowledge of social Washington stood his host ess in good stead, and under his guid anee the affair progressed with an ease that only a wide social exper- fence insures.
 After dinner Kitty became engag- ed in a conversation with "The Knight,'' and it was hot long before he asked in low voice if she had heard the latest scandal about lone of the girls with the pearls" Which one does it involve, Sir Knight?" Kitty lightly inquired. ''The one who is not hereof course! Mrs. Joslin,'' ne added drol- ly, then slowly bethought himself to ask if Kitty and her husband were especial friends of the Joslins. You know that I am not more than an acquaintance, so proceed Kitty said banteringly. Well, this represents only club gossip, so I pray you to keep it quiet. Apparently, Selma Joslin Is exerting 1 her whole energies to procure a for eign appointment for her husband. and moreover, Is not in the least hes itant to grasp any means that may come within her reach to further her 1 ends.'
 Kitty was interested at once. What are her methods?" she asked. "She embraces any and all meth 1 ods within her imagination Just al 1 present she is acting under the de- fusion that old Forester who it is said was largely instrumental In pro- curing a similar position for certain | acquaintance of ours in the last ad- ministration, will be as powerful in l this regime. We'll. he may bees i pecially since be cannot resist the smile of Beauty.
 | Beauty" eachoed Kitty, in sar- | casna.
 Shes not exactly that, I'll admit
 but she appeals to Forester's eye, else
 he would hardly have been attracted 1 to her proposition. Or course, e-e-I contrive to pay him handsomely, and | in return he promises to put the ap- pointment through. Naturally, Selma Joslin pronounces him a good feI- low and "a dear" You can ima-
 zine how such endearments are tol- | erated by Selma's husband, can't
 you?''
 T can imagine that they are not tolerated at all. Is the old man going to divorce Selma?"
 
 credit for more brains than that. The
 fact is that Selma is very keenIy alive
 to the social temperature and is per
 fectly aware to the fact that her hus-
 bands career is even started as yet,
 although by this time il should be
 well along to the appointment stage
 She has employed the most direct
 methods and has frankly accused
 Forester of not playing the game
 and has threatened that if the ap-
 pointment was not forthcoming in
 short order she will lay a snare for
 him and he will find himself involved
 in a divorce entanglement of the most
 sensational character "Blackmail!' Kitty exclaimed.
 Sounds bad-but that's what il is, The Knight admitted.
 'But has she any foundation for . her threats?" Kitty queried. ! ''Straws show which way the win6 l blows, my dear lady, and already there seems to be evidence of quick
 ened activity on Forester's part Have you not seen that paragraph whicf
 eXtols the public spirit of Joslin ant brings before the peoples eye a lis of his patriotic and benevolent activi ties?'
 Kitty Robeson shook her head, ant .'The Knight" quickly found the : paper and showed the announcement to her.
 She could not help agreeing witt "The Knight that the matter looked pretty much as they had at first sur. : mised.
 , Its simply outrageous," Kitty
 exclaimed, and '"The Knight slowI1
 nodded and repeated "Outrageous.
 After a moment he continued:
 You can imagine that Daddy feels as though his Iabors so ait them sail the social seas were il vain, because it if there fs one thins that Society will not tolerate it's thi , i particular species. of 'hoid-up-' " ; "Under these circumstances, tn, |. Joslin woman is nothing more or les :, than a criminal is she?" Kitty Rob
 eson went on.
 , Neither she nor her husband. fo . I understand that he is neck to necl | with her in the scheme,'' ''Th :, Knight declared.
 The matter was soon a lively tow ! i topic. and needless to say the erst : | while clerk Muriel Chandler wa . loud and lengthy in her denuncia 2 tions. It afforded her an exceIIen | she admitted that altogether it wa | 6 very fortunate occurrence, evel . though by this time the papers wer ! announcing the appointment of Jos = ! lin in foreign diplomatic circles. c Joslin's men acquaintGnces nghl 7. 1 leased him about the matter and |
 come and all he would reply in hi q colloquial English, "Go on, now. Yo1
 ] mustn't believe all you hear. PeopI O will talk, yer kncw!
 People did talk - and what wa Q more to the point, it was eviden r that they were taking the matter ser r iousIy, for at one Of the next affair I that the Joslins gave the guests wer . few and far between, and amoni : them were none of the better class 1 Sentiment declared that in the esl' Muriel Chandler had won the battle. On all sides was heard the Ques n ton. "how much longer will tn q i Joslins be able to weather the gall e surely they will not brave Wash ington gossip very much longer!" f But day by day went on, the olt
 man openly acknowledged his ap' il | pointment, and Selma Joslin con f tinued to entertain a steadily decrcas ing circle of friends.
 . Not long after Kitty Robeso1