The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-07-05
When 4 Girl
 M0rries
By ANN LESLIE.
(Continued) CHAPTER CCCXV

CHAPTER CCCXv.
 In a. maze of words and eXplana- itions, we managed to convey to Tom Mason that Miss Warren and MT. Haldane were merely calling on Jim ] his picnic. whereupon Tom made up for the previous lack of invitation and made up a hundredfo1d.
 Scornfufly I thought that if ever < a. man was a completely constant ] phaanderer. that man was Thomas J. ] Mason, Esq. In the short tune I've : known him, I've seen him plunging into attempted firtations with each new woman he met. He always has a. good excuse-an opening gambit deEsfal1d1ng or even onslneSs- Something stirred uneasIly in the : back of my mind as the word '-busi- nesS'' went through it, but I didn't watching to see how Miss Warren took Toms ga1fantry, directed at her through her uncle as it was.
 But Miss Warren did nothing She . sat back with a respectful willingness ! to let her uncle deal with the situa- tion-
 ~Thank you. sir, but I never in ; duIge in Sunday exourSiopS,' said Mr. Haldane- -4No prejudice Or principles E in the matter. I know the world needs it's outdoor relaxation and I'm , Rldd can S0I IL IIIOuSn lIe pSI- feEtFun of the gasoline engine. But ,sI am an old man. Meditation and , the quiet of my home are the rest need. And I confess to an every visit with an old crony- I'm too old for motor excursions old. sir. Come, -Irnla, my dear, we'll not longer delay these young folks
 Without a sign of a bout or a, pro- ] test, Irma Warren arose. I could pie ture. the long. lonely. quiet day she was going to have in the big, old fashioned mansion where she kept house for Mr. Haddane. So I cried 7 fmpulsiveFy:
 -fBut Miss Warren---wont you let us carry her off for the day, MT; Hal dane? We've had no chance to get acquaited at an.'' Tom flashed me a. glance of com nnendation at Mr. Haldane. on whose 7counting, turned to Irn1a Warren -<Would you like to accompany Mrs; fHaTSon and her friends, my dear Jencks will give me lunch and Drl1g you've nothing to detain you at home Now that I think of it, you stay 1n with me far to much"
 s<rm very much obliged, I'm sure but I'd best not go,'' said Miss War ren staidly, but back of her words l gfTmpsed youth and a longing Tor 'companienship any ga gayfT; f5ro,,S5 59iI her reserve and make her understano how welcome she would be- - .sOh. please Miss Warren" cried Tom. with unmasked eagerness wI.Itt Viii was almost awkward, t'I do so wanl you to come. You can't refuse on tne plea. of another engagement % II you don't go, we'll have to conciuoe' that yoIl-don't like us
 seWhy do like you all, very much And I'd love to go, if Uncle can spare me I was just afraid you were peinS polite and asking me because | aa ani II
 said the girl, flashing the white teeIh and crinkling her eyes in sunny smile that hadn't a particle Of the self or the coquetry
 most vonen would have infused into situation
 So this was, settled, and Tom insist ed on driving MT Hafdane home on the way to call for Phoebe and Neal; IrIna Warren made no pretense of hiding her delight over this holiday But that didn't make her forget her . UncIe,S~ comfort and she begged TOT minute when we arrived at his house. "Of course, I'm not much comfort for, a> a>briTliant man like Uncle, but thought he might miss me if l d1dn graSe1y when we started again, she riding in the tonneau with me, while
 Jim and Tom paired off in front---an arrangement l suspected Wou1oh last It didn't
 s4Want to go in to call for the little sister," asked Tom of Jim when we arrived at the apartment bulld1ng where Phoebe makes her home with
 Sure thing" said Jim easily.
 knew, however, he'd go no fur tter than the hall and telephone from there that we were waiting However, Jim wouldn't have been consistently Harrison if he had by
 word or gesture let Tom into the s secret of his unwillingness to enter { Virginia's domain. The moment F Him in1ped into the portals of the
 apartment house, Tom leaped from
 the drivers seat and swung open the 7 door of the tonneau-
 ~Come, ride with me, Miss War
 ren,' he pleaded 'sThis Harrison LeeHyland group is a sort of closed corporation. The fiancee part of it is stupidly in love And the husband
 and wife pair are equally devoted, so let's console each other and refrain
 from breaking up the combinations.
 "Fd be very pleased to ride with
 you Just put me where l won't be in the way. I'm so happy to be along that can content myself wher- ever you like to have me"
 At this reply which didn't play up ; to him in any way, Tom winced. But most dogged, challenging look at me "a look I couldn't fathom- .-I like to have you with me- said [ Tom Mason griTnly.
 l~ Then something happened which .-distracted my interest from Tom ( and the interpretation of his tones
 and glances- Fortunately he had his back to the apartment and was ab- sorbed in making Irna Warren com
 fortable in the seat next to his so he S didn't see what made my heart skip = a. beat or-two- . Out of the building head high in air and eyes unseeing. while her lips chattered eagerly and artificiaI1y to
 cover the situation from her com
 panion, came Virginia. And bend
 ing toward her with an unmistakable air of devotion just verging on pos session, was Sheldon Blake.
 Gro Be Conunued-)
 .<bfumsie' is an important member .of inc household of Pauline Frederick
 a+ her home in Beverly Hills, Los