The Washington times., 1920-02-03


noise around them. both she and
Sarie had immersed themselves
once more in their books. But
April, at least. was profoundly
conscious OF everything said and
done by the neighboring group.
and she longed to take Dianna
Sandilands by the shoulders and
give her a sound shaking. AS for
the three men who were encourag-
ing and abetting the little mink, IL
would have been a pleasure to push
them separately and singly over
board.
She did not know how she could
have managed to sit so still ex-
cept that Sarle was there reading
by her side, silent and calm, ap-
parently noticing nothing extraor-
dinary in the behavior Of their
neighbors.
A steward brought the John COL
linses-four tall glasses of pale
liquid and ice with some stun red
as blood floating on the top. No
sooner had Diana tasted hers than
she set up a loud wall that there
was not enough bitters in it. One
OF the men hurried away to have
this grave defect remedied, and the
moment he was out OF sight Diana
took up his as yet untouched glass
and, with two long straw between
her lips. skillfully suckea all the
red stun from the top of the drink
and replaced the glass. Above the
delighted laughter Of her COM
panions, April heard a woman's
scornful remark further down the
deck:
A LITTLE Toe Much.
1T is only the April fool!"
That was the little more that
proved too much. Tho real April
closed her book sharply and left
her chair. Walking to the deck
rail. she stood leaning over. think
ing hard. trying to decide how best
to get hold OF Diana Sandilands
and tell her firmly that his folly
must stop at once.
She felt very miserable. Madeira
fading in the wake of the ship, with
already the blue haze of distance
blurring its outlines, seemed to her
like the dream she had lived in
these last few days-the golden
dream in which everyone liked and
trusted her, and her beauty was a
. pleasure instead of a burden. To-
morrow she must return to her des-
tiny of shabby clothes and second
places, with the added bitterness
OF knowing her name made the by
word of the ship.
That was something she could
never live down IL the voyage
lasted a year. There would merely
be two April fools instead Of one:
and she, the wretched masquerader
in borrowed plumes not the least
of them. IT..
Slowly she turned away from the
rail and went to her cabin. A line
sent by steward brought Diana
there at the double-quick. She
burst into the cabin, the open note
in her hand.
what do you mean! Is this the
way you keep faith trying to
slither out OF our bargain before it
is a week old2"
at Is you who have broken
faith" retored April Indignantly.
Surely it was in the bargain that
you should behave with common
decency and not make my name
notorious"
"Rot" was the airy answer. "a
few old pussy cats with their fur
brushed the wrong way-that's all.
" ho SOihb " biihu Wudt lney
say?
DO you realize that you are
known from one end OF the ship to
the other as the April foor?"
Diana burst out laughing.
Not At All Alarmed.
'I know who started that-the
poisonous asp share my cabin
with. Just because / have seen her
putting on her transformation, and
know how many kinds of paint she
uses to build up her face! IL it had
been you, IL would have been just
the same. You'd have been the
April fool instcad-that's all. You
ought to be jolly grateful instead
of bullying me-"
She sat down on the lounge,
smiling and sparkling, and took
out cigarette. April, in whom
laughter was always near the sur
face. could have smiled herself had
she not been nearer weeping. After
all, Diana's pranks and antics were
in no way vicious. but seemed
merely the result OF the lifelong
drastic restraint hitherto exer-
cised over her. Her vitality was
breaking out like a fire that has
been too long covered up.
But there was no knowing where
she would stop and what would not