The Washington times., 1921-04-01
By Kathleen Norris.

DJ AeSSAASSAA
x<r on is? Why. how on earth
did Lou Page como to do
- that!"
'Favor to me. perhaps"
Silence. Mrs. Throckmorton
frowned In thought.
who IL this Newspaper man.
Pat?"
"One OF the editors"
"Yes. but whoT'
.T can't tell you, Aunt Annie. 1t
wouldn't be fair"
"Contemptible cadv said the ma
tron hotly. "Prying into other peo-
ple's AFFAIRS! II were you I'd take
q great deal of satisfaction in send
ing him about his business!' She
eyed her niece interrogatively. but
Patricia did not look UP. I'll tell
you what ! could do. I could sug-
gest Miss Palmer for membership
At the next board meeting" added
the matron unwillingly.
s'Tomorrow?" said Patricia in
Aexibly.
ais it?-Yes: believe it is to-
morrow. But, of course, she may
not pass the members vote!"
"But you will make q special
case of ii, Aunt Annie?"
"Oh, l can't promise that! But
you can tell her her name has been
proposed, IL you like"
"Aunt Annie, that won't mean
anything to her. She wants to get
in. Good heavens, doesn't Uncle
Cecil practically finance the club?
You manage it," Patricia persisted.
~I don't have to let my editor know
until tomorrow night, and 1 can
telephone you!'
Mrs. Throckmorton was In deep
thought.
"Pat," she said hesitatingly. "if
you are so hard up, why don't you
Jet me speak to your uncle? Until
you got work that is really worthy
III you"-
"oh, wouldn't borrow! Patricia
said quickly. She reached to the
table and picked up a himsy week.
ly. Talk Today. This Is the sort OF
thing he wants." she said care
lessly. Every one reads 1t, you
know! And. by tho way, Bobby
isn't out of the hospital yet, is
he7"
"If Lou has let her into the Entire
Nous" unused the matron.
"About ten columns Q week, for
the Sunday issue, he wants" Pat
ricia said absently, as she whirle6
pages.
Listen. Pat. I'll do my best"
Mrs. Throckmorton said suddenly.
It'll propose her. and do what I
can! Now. that's understood. and
say no more about IL. Rather than
have Alec's girl stoop to! Leave
II to me!"
TWO MORE CALLS.
Two more calls, these in the
business part of the city. Patricia,
with the new. delicious sense of
being able to AFFORD II. engaged a
cab, and swept downtown in COM
fort. The clocks were striking half
after four as she entered the Of
fees of Forrest & Bruce, and asked
IL Mr.. Joel was in. This was
Cousin Christine's impeccable hus-
band, man of forty-five or six.
handsome, well-groomed and pros
porous.
They shook hands smilinsiy.
They had always liked each other.
I'm here to ask you a favor,
Joel, and l won't keep you more
than two minutes" Patricia said
brightly. She was confident and
prosperous herself now; he knew
that il was not money she wanted.
Some months ago. he remembered,
she had come to him for financial
backing. had wanted to open IA
flower shop. was IL? Anyway, he
had been obliged to refuse her the
three or four hundred, whatever Ii
was.
She remembered that refusal, too,
every humiliatins word of it, and
the memory steeled her now. Il
asked you for money last March,
Joel" the girl went on, and you
told me that IL it came in this year,
] could have all I wanted, do you
remember
He glanced up shrewdly, but did
not speak.
"You wrote me a letter about It,
q few days later. ana that's what
want to speak to you about noY,"
Patricia pursued. You see, Joel.
want you to do me another favor
one In return"
"Shoot,- he said simply, uneasy
eyes fixed upon her. "What favor
can you do me?"
ct can give you back that letter."
she answefIi significantly.
"what's in it?" he asked drily.
ain it," Patricia said. "you t~'l
me that you have gotten too deep
into an oil deal with Jimmy Pell
and the Forests, and that you have
lost money by 1t. and are trying
to get out"
"I wrote you that?- the man
asked after a pause.
"As an excuse for not sending me
the money" she explained, nodding.
"H'mv he commented, and was
IL