Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-20
The
Substitute
Millionaire
BY
HUBERT FOOTNER


Now that was nice of you'll"
Come on up TO the library and
HI introduce you
But I'm not one of the distin-
guished guests"
That's all right. Mrs. Cleaver
said l was to treat the house as il
1t was my own."
Bobo paused only long enough to
snatch another mouthful or two, and
they made their way up two flights
of the broad stairs. On the main
floor the racket was undiminished.
tho 1t was long past midnight. Some
where In the distance one seemed TO
be frantically saving on VIOLIN
but it was impossible to be sure. on
the floor above the groups were
smaller, and one had q pleasant sense
of rising above pandemonium.
Bobo led the way into the front
room. In the corner a lovely lady
reclined in a low basket chair filled
with cushions. Three cavaliers were
in attendance. Quick to spot the
approach of newcomers, she dismiss
ed the three with charming insolence.
Run along boys, I'm tired Of you
now"
|, The departing ones. greeted the ar
rivals with no friendly chances
Jack could not but commend Bo-
bo's taste in beauty. The girl was
indeed lovely to look at. She had
great brown eyes. capable of working
havoc in the most indurated male
heart. an exquisite naturally pale
complexion, and n glorious crown of
chestnut hair. She was enveloped
in slinky draperies of black silk. and
her ankles were truly poetic.
But when she began to talk, Jack
did not feel obliged to alter the opin-
ion he had formed of her in advance
There was nothing simple about her
or rather, her simplicity was the
effect of well-nigh perfect art. Jack
was not much more experienced in
these matters than Bobo, but he had
a healthy instinct of incredulity.
Her method with Jack was much
more subtle than with Bobo, and she
had no objection whatever to letting
Jack see that it was. 1t was part
of her system of delicate flattery to
allow him TO understand that she
recognized him at once as of a SUI
was flattered Of course, but she made
mistake with him at the start that
spoilt all her work with him. It
never occurred to her that Jack
might be honest at heart
No. man, however safeguarded,
could escape the effect of her beau
ty. For Jack there was but one
woman In the world, but even his
breast was shaken by sudden lift
of the brown eyes. They had a lnys-
FERROUS, haunting beauty. which even
this bigness and softness was not
sufficient to explain. Jack, when he
had an opportunity to look closer,
saw that they were not brown at all,
but hazel; that is to say gray, with
rim of brown around the iris It
was the effect of these strangely
colored eyes looking thru curved
black lashes that moved men to reck-
less deeds.
Her conversation was not clever.
1t had no need to be. If she had re-
cited the Thirty-Nine Articles Bobo
would have hung on her lips en-
tranced. Jack was too busy trying
to explore the mystery of her real
self to pay much attention to what
she chose to give out.
Hazel eyes!" he was thinking.
Where have heard of another girl
with hazel eyes? Oh, yes, it was the
pretty stenographer who tried to
spy on Silas Clyde. She had chest
nut hair, too, and mole inside her
right forefinger. I don't suppose
these tapering fingers ever Jared the
keys"
What are you thinking Of mr.
Robinson?" Miss Culbreth asked in
silvery tones. II declare you are one
of those dreadful men that bore you
thru and thru with their eyes and
never say a word'
I'D rather bore you with my eyes
than with my conversation.
Mercy! Clever. too! Pm frighten-
ed to death of you'll"
Didn't tell you he was clever? p"
preciating what was going on.
"The worst of it Isl said Miss
Culbreth, that the men who won't
talk are those who really have some
thing to say"
This was accompanied by the sha-
dow of disdainful glance in Bobo's
direction, and warm flash. towards
Jack, the suggestion being: "One has
to humor the stupid rich but one
enjoys oneself with the witty poor"
Jack was flattered thru and thru,
but at the same time he was think
ing: "She's a regular man. eater.
I'll have to watch out for poor b.
bo"
You don't approve of me-" she
said, casting down the lovely eyes.
Indeed l do" Jack protested.
What you mistake for disapproval
is quite another telling"
And what is that?"
Instinct of representation"
"Are women so dangerous ?"
Not all women"
Her bold, pleased glance at Jack
said: I'VE can have fun right under
his stupid nose, can't we?''
But Bobo was growing restless,
and she turned to him promptly, as
befitted a prudent, marriageable girl.
You were gone an aWfully long
time" she complained.
Robo erinned like the Cheshire
cat. Did you miss me?"
She answered him with a long
glance that visibly made his head
reel. This was followed by a flash
Of intelligence in Jacks direction,
sign!fying: This is the sort Of thing
I'm obliged to hand out to them
Lord! But she's a constituencies
lovely devil" thought Jack grimly
OLA l;lxa L. al.