White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-06-15
Had she any pretensions to distinc

| I1du SIG any pIclcHolouo " uloIiAC
ton in viture of her personal appear
ance?
/ 1t is not easy to answer the ques
ton. The women (let us put the worst
judges firsD had long since dscov.
cred that she wanted that indispens.
able elegance of figure which is de.
rived from slimness of waist and
length of limb. The men (who were
better acquainted with the subject)
, looked at her figure from their point
of view, and finding it essentially en-
braceable, asked for nothing more. 1t
might have been her bright complex
ion, or it might have been the bold
luster of her eyes Gas the women con-
sidered it,, that dazzled the lords of
creation generally, and made them all
alike incompetent to discover her
faults. Still, she had compromising at
fractions which no severity of crit
icism could dispute Her smile, be-
ginning at her lips, flower brightly
and instantly over her whole face. A
delicious atmosphere of health, fresh
ness, and good humor seemed to rad
late from her wherever she went and
whatever she did For the rest, her
brown hair grew low over her broad,
white forehead, and was topped by
a neat little lace cap with ribbons of
violet color A plain collar and plain
cuffs encircled her smooth, round
neck and her plump, dimpled hands.
Her merino dress, covering but not
hiding the charming outline of her
bosom, matched the color of her cap
ribbons, and was frightened by a
white muslin apron coquettishly
trimmed about the pockets, gift from
Lady Lydiard Blushing and smiling,
she let the door fall to behind her,
and shyly approaching the stranger,
said to him, in her small, clear voice,
IF you please, sir, are you Mr.. Har.
dyman?"
The gravity of the great horse
breeder deserted him at her first ques
ton He smiled as he acknowledged
that he was "Mr. Hardyman"-he
smiled as he offered her a chair.
mo, thank you, sir" she said, with
a quantity pretty inclination of her
head. 81 am only sent here to make
her ladyship's apologies. She has put
the poor, dear dog into a warm bath
and she can't leave him And Mr.
Moody can't come instead of me, be-
cause | was too frightened to be OF
any use, and so he had to hold the
dog. That's all We are very anxious
sir, to know il the warm bath is the
right thing. Please come into the room
and tell u.s."
She led the way back to the door
Hardyman, naturally enough, was
slow to follow her. When a man is
fascinated by the charm of youth and
beauty, he is in no hurry to transfer
his attention to a sick animal in q
bath. Hardyman seized on the first
excuse that he could devise for keep
ing Isabel to himself-that is to say
for keeping her in the drawing room
81 think l shall be better able tt
help you he said, IF you will tel
me something about the dog first"
Even his accent in speaking hat
altered to certain degree. The quiet
dreary monotone in which he habit
ually spoke quickened a little under
his present excitement. AS for Isabel
she was too deeply interested il
4 Tommie's welfare to suspect that SHE
was being made the victim of STRAIT
egem. She left the door and turned
to Hardyman with eager eyes. "Wha
can tell you, sir?" she asked limo
Gently
Hardyman pressed his advantage
without mercy.
you can tell me what sort of dos
he is?"
Eyes, sir"
How old he ISL"
yes, sir"
What his name is?-what his tenn
per is?-what his illness is?-what di
sease his father and mother?-what-'
"Isabel's head began to turn giddy
"One thing at a time, sir?" she inter
posed, with a gesture of entreaty
"The dog sleeps on my bed, and
had bad night with him. he disturbed
me. so, and l am afraid / am very
stupid this morning His name i.
Tommie. We are obliged to call hin
by it, because he won't answer to any
other than the name he had wher
my lady bought him. But we spell Il
with an i e. at the end, which makes
il less vulgar than Tommy with 6
" l am very sorry, sir. forget what
else you wanted to know. Please d.
come in here, and my lady will tel
you everything"
(To Be Continued)