, 1921-09-24

you know. You tod me distinctly that
I could write the letter. and i have
written Il. and II you've any condolences
In your friends you will do nothing
about IL. but let ITEM work II out their
own way. 1 call IL a most excellent test
OF their confidence You ought to be
chance OF finding out what dear good
friends you have"
u shall treat the vhols thing with
absolute contempt. as they VIII" said
Van Bfbber. stifly. 1T is beneath my
notice. and so are you Maysie Lindsey.
indeed Who the devil Is Maysie
L4ndsey7-
II don't know said Travers. pleas
anty. ~she Is merely n beautiful crea-
ture OF my Imagination Rather
pretty name. I think. don't you2-
Aaysie Lindsey Then he asked. with
a touch OF misgiving. You don't hap
pen to wear anything around your neck.
DO you7"
certainly not confound you,- said
Van Bibber
Van Bibber = as large a noddinS
acquaintance with men in New York
as almost any other man in II. but the
women he knew were not so many and
much more near. The four women Of
AA9AA A2 "a AA1 ISI "1A1 A.1@8 -
whom Travers had sent the anonymous
letters. He was in the hgbit OF seeing
them at their own houses and at other
peoples houses as often as once a week
or more frequently. and he decided that
instead OF writing them al nee. and
explaining that n friend Of his had sent
them an anonymous letter about him.
and that he begged that they would
overlook the impertinence. he would
---4e ..-aEN - - 49, - kA1 ~
plain the situation verbally. But as the
week wore on the temptation TO let the
matter take Its course got the better OF
his first determination. and his Curl
osity and his desire 90 see Just how far
his friends trusted him overcame his
original purpose of setting things right.
Mrs. Jimmy Floyd was from one Of
the Western cities: she had married
Floyd while abroad and had entered into
the life of New York with all the zeal
and enthusiasm Of a new convert. She
inss. though she rad not herself been
adopted. But now she was undoubt-
eddy an important parsonage. n very
many people paid court to her, not for
herself so much as for what she could
do for them. There were = number OF
men to whom she was at home every
day after I'VE. and Van Bfbber came to
see her then very frequently. She
knew him well enough to ask him to
ill a place when some one had failed
her. and he thought her amusing. but
only that. He had a youthful horror
of having II thought tina he was MT
tached to married women. and made It
a rule to come late in the afternoon
and to be among the first to 20. Owing
to this no one had ever found him or
left him with Mrs. Floyd, and the men.
especially those whom he allowed to
outstay him, were grateful to him in
consequence. Her drawing-room was n
place for gossip. and Van Bfbber told
her oncc that he came because 1. saved
him from reading the Papers, and that
IN she would fine herself a penny every
time she or her friends said Il suppose
you have heard" she would be able to
pay for a box at the Horse Show with
the money. He called there. a week
after Travers had sent forth his letters,
and found her for the FIRST time Alone.
When she nodded to him brightly, and
icld the servant in the came breath
:iiai she was not at home to any one
else. Van Bibber smiled grimly to him
self and regarded her with a masklike
countenance. He saw hat he had been
of the letters had evidently reached the
home of the Floyds.
Mrs. F1oyd's attitude az she sank back
in her cushions was an unsettled one.
n her whole expressed pleas
ursble expectancy. Her visitor OBJ
served this with amused d~isapproba-
ton. but as she seemed 50 happy in be-
lievins what she had read Of him, he
thought 1t would be rather a pity to
spoil her enjoyment of It by telling her
the truth.
.rr--t /, - No.
been doing with yourself lately?" She
spoke quite gayly. as though her re-
Gently acquired knowledge of him gave
to whatever he might have to ray a
fresh interest b
Van Bibber observed this also with a
cynical sense OF amusement, and saw
that she had placed him under the light
OF a standing lamp. which threw his
face Into strong relief. while hers was
in shadow. Just" as he said later TO
Travers. -as though she were keeping
a private detective agency" The talk
between Mrs. Floyd and her visitor ran
on unevenly. She was eager TO ques-
ton him. and yet afraid of being too
precipitate. and he was standing on his
guard. At last something he said Of a
young Frenchman visiting the city
seemed to give her the chance she
wanted.
-Oh yes" she commented. indiffer-
emily. IT remember him at Homburg.
He is rather a sentimental youth. /
fancy. He wears a bangle. and a chain
around his neck. We could see them
when he played tennis"
Van Bibber gazed thoughtfully into
the open fire. Yes" he said. politely.
Mrs. Floyd looked at the fire also. Shs
was afraid she had begun too clunsily
and Yet she still continued recklessly