The Washington times., 1922-04-16
CHAPTER XII. (Continued)

country in the last dozen years,
and I'm fed with 1t. Aren't you"
We'll. there's pros and cons" said
Vera, thinking of something else.
Especially cons. Too slow for
me. England's one-horse show.
We might stay a bit in Paris before
going on to the Riviera. You'll like
It. Never been to Paris, have your"
NO"
Paris was made for you. Might
get you some frocks there. Sort of
frocks that'd set of your beauty.
All beauty and no frock. Only wait
until l pull off bit of business
next week, and then He hest.
tated an impulse to say too much
and ended up vaguely, Then Wen
be up In the flies"
For the first time Vera looked at
him with an air Of interest. This
sort of hint she always understood.
What's happened? Been profiteer-
ing?"
whats that to your"
"oh, / don't care. l don't care IL
1t blows ink"
Meanwhile" went on Caldecot.
extending his programme, I'VE
might go and see that new thing at
the Mercury Theatre - what's II
called? Oh, yes, The Pink Bras
siere' When you feel ready to stir
your vast bulk, Wee, you might go
round and get hold of couple Of
dress circles-no, a couple of stalls"
At that moment Vera stretched
once more and deliberately sat up
in bed. Her plump face set into al.
most rigid lines as she decided TO
make an announcement. Sorry to
disappoint you. old DEAR" she said,
"but l can't do It,"
why not? Got a previous en-
gagement? II It's Schornstein again,
won't have it. II that fellow means
to give you an engagement he's got
to come through now. But l know
those movie men, and so ought you
by now. Good heavens! This1l be
the third time in a fortnight that
Schornstein will have taken you
out, and =.
"It isn't Schornstein."
do you mean to say" asked Cal
decot, that you've got the cheek to
tell me you're dining with a mani"
"You know" said Vera contem-
platively, you do take the bloom
ing Huntley and Parlem, going of
like a bottle of soda water. Who
said l was dining with a man?
And, besides, what II was? You've
got no right over me. We aren't
married. Nor likely to be-"
What the devil do you mean?"
He would certainly not have mar
ried Vera il he had been free, but
the suggestion that she might nor
care to marry him annoyed him. 1
What l say" said Vera.
Don't say that" said Caldecot.
"You know don't like It,"
Il don't care. / don't care IL 1t
blows ink"
"And, damnation, don't say that.
Can't you think OF something new7"
Eyes, l can," said Vera, suddenly
angry. Eyes, | have thought of
something new. Get out; l want to
dress"
Something new" repeated Cal
decot. How? Something new"
We'll, suppose l got to break 1t
to you. Sorry to hurt your feelings,
Geoffrey, but our dream of love is
over"
"This is very sudden" said Cal
decot, but there was tremor in his
voice which contrasted with the
sneer.
"Yes," said Vera, meditatively, at
was very sudden. But it's lovely.
Geoffrey, I'm in love-"
"oh, l thought l was the object
Of
"T never said you weren't, but l
never said you were. oh, got
nothing against you, but I'm in love.
Its divine, it's sublime,
It's lovely to be in love-"
For a moment Caldecot stared
at her. He did not yet take
her quite seriously, but 1t oc-
Cured to him that Vera wouldn't
have invented this sort Of thing.
She wasn't up to 1t. So, rather
roughly, he replied, What's all this
bunkum you're talking"
'Tt isn't bunkum," said Vera in a
dignified tone. "Pve got new boy,
and II only you'll get out and / can
dress I'll pack. Don't look at me
like that. It's love. 1t can't be
helped"
"Do you think I'm going to
stand"-
"Oh, II you want to have a row
wait till the sun shines"
az don't want to have row..
erowled Caldecot. But I'm not
going to take this sort OF sauce
from. you" r -,
you'll have to, old dear, said
Vera defiantly. "You can't stop
me-" -
"And may / ask who is the manE
"Oh. you can ask, all right. AND
don't mind telling you. He's lovely.
SIX foot, with black hair and blue
ewes. He's Just taken his degree at
Oxford"
"And you met this young gentle
man at Oxford" 80