The Belding banner-news., 1920-01-07
BLIND EYES
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
sy IVAN GRAHAM.

wife anu tuEtt tliuIcu ~ was JuNt
his luck to meet the loveliest girl he
had ever seen.
1t was early morning. and the golf
links were deserted. Only the grace
full figure of girl swinging club
broke the tranquil peace of the scene.
Jim Hartly. as he had registered at
the hotel. advanced toward her. lie
raised his hat.
you'll pardon me, MISS" he said,
'but l guess you came out for much
the same reason that l did-to get
breath of fresh air. Doctors orders.
Shall we play round together?"
The girl seemed not to resent his
aggressiveness, however, for very soon
they were tramping together over the
great open stretch.
This was only the first of their early
morning games. After the second or
third they began to grow confidential.
J. Hartly was enjoying himself i'm
mensely.
Sometimes they would sit for a while
on one of those mounds of sodded
earth called so appropriately bunkers.
ana tell each other all about them
serves. Jim was bond salesman In
wan street, with a snug little fiat in
the Bronx and wife and three chill
iren.
Inc girl was stenographer and en-
i@geu TO the listening Jim on the
shortcomings of her boss, the depart
meht manager. She also had beau,
and tentatively showed the little ring
that ornanented her third finger. Jim
was here for his health. She on vaca-
ton.
1t was not until James Hartly For
dyce was back again in his sumptuous
apartment in New York that he fully
realized how deep his friendship with
the girl had gone. They had not ex-
changed addresses and the incident
was closed. Fordyce was regretting
the wife and three children. That had
been little artistic touch of his own
to help carry out the illusion and drive
from his tired brain the thoughts that
would come surging within him.
But how he missed, those sunlit
hours on the open turf with the chum-
my little stenographer as his partner
There was no use denying 1t even to
himself; he felt her loss more than he
could have imagined.
Fordyce was sitting in the conserva-
tory when his hostess discovered him
and led him forth ito the slaughter"
1t was the night Of the yanslttarts'
ball and he had ensconced himself
among the screening palms and banks
of blooming dollhouse flowers for a
quiet smoke.
"Now. Hartly.H Mrs. vansittart said
on finding him, "you shall not NOPE
there all evening"" And she literally
dragged him out from his hiding place
He was duly presented to various
blushing debutantes, whose names he
inscribed ON his dance card.
"And now l must Introduce you to
my niece from Boston.
Betty. let me present Mr.. Hartly
Fordyce. the famous novelist. Hartly
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Fordyce bowed before the girl at the
Introduction, but there was nC
acknowledgment on her part. She
drew herself up.
"Auntie," she said in ice-cold tones
"this man is an impostor. He's not
Hartly Fordyce. He's James Hartly
a bond salesman He has a wife anC
three children.
MY dear childl' The amiable hos
tess fairly gasped.
'Yes," went on the girl inexorably
81 was playing golf at Paxton before
l came on to you, auntie dear. This
man was there. He told me all about
himself"
Mrs. Vansttart turned from one e
the other speechlessly.
Alas it's too true" broke in For
dyce. Il am bond salesman with 1
wife and three children. And She" hs
indicated the pretty girl with deer
sigh, "she's stenographer."
This was too much for the elder
lady. She looked as though a fit Of
apoplexy would cut the proceeding
short.
what is the matter with you twoT
she stammered at last. 'Hartly Bet
tyl Are you mad?"
The two impostors stood one on eacf
side of her. Their eyes met. Ther
twin merry peals of laughter fioateC
across the ballroom.
"Oh, auntie," laughed the dimplint
girl, 'it's been such joke! You see
recognized him the first time saw
him. Why, I've seen his photograph
in the papers a dozen times. I guess
ed he was just pretending so as I,
avoid publicity"
''But-but you, Betty, a stenograph
er? What does 1t meanT The deal
lady was bewildered.
"Oh. auntie. you don't suppose was
| sxotr~ 20 tot hf,., a., oII tho foo1tuu a,