The Washington times., 1923-10-16
By Ann Isle.
Copyright, 1923, King Features
Syndicate Inc.l


<kNH. I'm not going to IN
'raae.-I began.
Again that peremptory
look in Rosa's eyes as she cried:
''You shall not go to have the
dinner alone, Anne dear. Ramon
tell her she does not make the
intrude. Ne, I have invite Anne;
she shall have the dinner with
me. And now, just because you
are come, my dove, and the heart
is full, shall we turn then our
Anne into the night to be alone
when we are 50 happy?"
'of course it is with us you
make the dinner" said Ramon
Cordova smoothly.
If he was disappointed, IL he
felt as did that Rosa was using
me as a buffer between them, he
hid it splendidly. But I so. the
impression he could hide any
thing he felt. He was little,
sleek, and gave the impression of
being very compact mentally as
well as physically. Not more.
than two or three inches taller
than Rosa, and slender as a twig,
Ramon Cordova spoke, moved and
gestured with. "a quietness In
great contrast to her colorful
viyacity.
His slanting eyes suggested q
suspicious nature, and his re-
strained manner was an evidence
of great self-control. Unable to
read Ramon Cordova at a glance,
/ wanted to avoid antagonizing,
him, as knew / did Rosa at
j every stage Of the. game.
Tomorrow night I'll dine with
you gladly" I cried. THAT is,
provided the dining Is done at my
home. I know Jim will bse great
ly annoyed at me IL let you per-
suade me now"
For why?" demanded Ramon
Cordova quickly.
well; he'n feel I've stolen
march on him. And he will also
feel / didn't show the proper re-
spect for love reunited" smiled,
gesturing lightly to convey ray
meaning. -
"And what the husband he feels
means then so much to you Of
the North?" asked Ramon, shrug-
ging his shoulders easily. Il
think you must not now displease
my Rosa by leaving US. Tomor-
row night we dine with you and
Jaime. Tonight he is oy lodge
yes? So we take the care OF
his wife. Shall we make now
the decision where we shall go,
Rosa?"
There was something cynical
and suggestive in his tone. But
back of it there was sofneth1n6
more stable. / got the impress
sion that what his Rosa wanted
was law to Ramon, but she was
his queen and could do no wrong,
and that in world where he
had little faith In anything else
he had the completest confidence
in Rosa.
While I was busy with my own
thought Rosa was making quick,
darling exclamations-again in
Spanish-and caressing Ramon
in a. Pickering, coquetish way 10
match. Uneasily I considered how
could get out of what began
to seem a trap. I was sure that
Ramon was as anxious to get
rid of me as Rosa was eager TO
keep me with them.
I felt sure that Rosa wasn't yet
adjusted to her husbands sudden
appearance and wanted to set her
mental house in order before being
alone with him. But for all that
she was capable of never forgiving
me If I did permit myself to be
used and stayed with them.
While they were busy with ex-
Carnations and replies and I was
struggling with conjecture, the
telephone rang shrilly and insist
entity, Rosa darted a startled look
ar me. and said quickly:
THAT is maybe mistake. Fer
haps you answer it for me, Anne.
While you go by the telephone,
my Ramon and me we have the
moment for big kiss"
She laughed provocatively, and
the slight cloud which had come