The Washington times., 1920-01-29

""oObbN - -
4 without the surroundings
~ and clothes to put them
In are not much of a gift"
well. change with me- then
urged Diana. She gave her hat an
I other stab. April quivered all over.
like n mother who sees a child Ill
} treated.
1 Don't do that!" she cried at last
in a poignant voice. She had seen
that hat in her dreams for years
but never got so near IL before.
Diana Sandilands looked at her
! thoughtfully, then held 1t out.
"Put II on" she entreated. wear
II, and be surrounded instead OF
me. oh, for heavens sake, do! l
( 500 you arc just as keen as i am.
! and just as sick of being who you
are. Try IL on"
l She may have meant the hat or
she may have meant the plan. April
I accepted the hat, and with IT the
plan. From the moment she saw
herself in the glass her doom was
( digit. She crushed the hat softly
: down upon her dark. winging hair.
crinkling and shaping II to frame
her face at the right angle. Her
fate was sealed.
"All right" she said. in a slow.
dreamy voice. Lets arrange It,"
Z The Roles Cast.
. So, while tho train swooped on
/ its way to tho port whence the
I great ships turn their noses toward
2 tho Southern Cross. they drew up
I the plot and the roles were cast.
Diana Sandilands, for the duration
{ Of the voyage only, was to be the
penniless, friendless English girl
who could 60 her ways freely, and
talk and mix with anyone she liked
( without being watched and criti-
1 cized. April Poole, in the lovely
hats and gowns and Jewels of Lady
Z Diana, would accept the dignity and
social obligations that hedge q
peers daughter even on a voyage
t. south Africa. On arrival at the
cape each to assume her identity
! and disappear from the ken Of their
+ fellow travelers-April to be swal-
LEVIED up by a Cape suburb. where
she was engaged to teach music
and French to tho four daughters
Of a rich wine-grower; Diana to
Z proceed to her destin ation-the farm
Of an eccentric woman painter
somewhere on the weld. 1t all look
! ed as simple and harmless as pick
4 ing apples in an orchard.
No one would be the wiser. they
said, and no harm would accrue to
anybody. while each girl would have
the experience Of enjoying herself
in a new and original fashion. The
only things they did not take into
stheir calculations were their per-
sonal idiosyncrasies and the machi-
nations of an old hag called Fate.
! What a time I'll have!" cried
Diana. Though what you will get
out Of it as the Earl of Roscannon's
daughter beats me! You won't be
,sick Of it halfway and want to
schaHge back, 1 hope?"
4 IF you only knew how sick I
am of being April Poole, you
wouldn't be afraid" was the fe-vent
tanswer.
Diana looked at her curiously.
1T can't be only the clothes
1 though, of course, I imagine, it
must be rotten not having the right
,clothes. BY the way. there are
splenty for us both, you know"
Il should hardly expect you to
iwear mine," said Aprily dryly. "No,
as you rightly suspect, it isn't only
for the clothes. though they fasci-
nate and lure me. And it isn't for
the honor and glory OF being Lady
Diana, though that is fascinating.
,too, and it will be priceless to have
the joke on the rest of the world
for once. 1t Is for various subtle
reasons which / don't suppose you
would altogether understand"
, Never mind them, then" inter-
rupted Diana. I'm not a bit subtle
and don't care a tuppence for rea-
sons. All 1 care about is having
a topping time for once in my life.
( Now, listen: I'll tell you few
things about myself. so that YOU
won't get bowled If anyone asks
you. My father is Lord Roscannon,
and our place IL Bethwick Castle,
in Northumberland. It's a gloomy
sold place that would give you the
creeps.
Mother Long Dead.
MY mother died twenty-five
years ago, when I was born, and my
father doesn't care about anything
except archaeology, so / have al
ways been in the clutches of my
maiden aunt, Lady Grizel Sandi-
Glands, who ruled Bethwick and me
Jas long as ! can remember. Every
lone called her 'the grizzly bear"
Never mind; she's dead now, and
have been able to persuade papa
THAT my health needs a sea voyage.
HE suggested the continent-of
ycourse, with n companion! But
Shave been clawed backward and for
sward on the continent for years by
AUNT Grizel and have had enough.
II chose Africa, because Il sounds
n in