The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-23
By Ann Lisle.

EfN HALL We cut this old
fashioned discussion?" he
demanded. ''It sounds
n1e a bit Of dialogue from a
play Of the vintage Of nineteen
hundred. Irrna is free to choose.
can't force her to marry nee
Il she doesn't want to. You can't
force her not to marry me if she
does want To-"
but need you set out deliber.
atAly to dazzle herr" urged.
my dear lady," smiled Tom,
II you were a drowning man in
sight OF verdant island, with a
soft warm beach and tender foil.
age to invite you, would you let
stormy ocean carry you out of
sight Of that land without making
some effort to reach the haven of
safety-and desire?"
There was no answer to this
specious reasoning. I sat staring
at my folded and useless hands.
realized that there was nothing
they could do to seize and hold
1rma's happiness for her. recog-
nized that Loren Haldane had
given up as hopeless the idea of
trying to protect IrI1a from the
spell Tom Mason was deliberately
weaving for her. And with a
restless feeling Of responsibility
faced the fact that Loren Hal.
dane went away trusting that I
would be able to find some way
Of helping Irma.
You've no answer, have your"
laughed Tom triumphantly. eff
you'll be fair and open.minded,
Donna Anna, I think you'll find
that I'm not such a bad sort-un.
less I'm goaded into taking strong
measures. But If that happens
I'm not sure where I'd stop to
set what I want
us this q declaration of war;"
Z asked with an effort to ease the
tension.
'~That is for you to Decide" he
kaid suaveIy.
Tom Mascn's suave announce
ment that It was for me to choose
whether or. not there should be
war between us. startled me into
IN electric silence. Suddenly I
fell back on the banal, since I
couldn't find anything else to say.
''If you'll excuse me, I'll go
dress for dinner" managed.
But I made up my mind as I
went down the hall that I'd not
take more than five minutes to
get ready. didn't like the idea
Of q tete-a-teto between Tom and
Irma Just at this moment, nor
did I went Peter Stanley to find
himself alone with Tom Mason
when he arrived.
I managed to be ready at the
same time Irma was, and Peter
appeared Just as Irma and I came
down the hall to the living room.
So I took a long, comfortable
breath, feeling that Fate was
playing amiably into my hands.
But as we sat chatting idly
while waiting for dinner to be
served. a sudden thought intruded
on my temporary peace Of mind.
Why hadn't Irma warded of
Peter tonight as she had done
back in my office when I sug-
gested Saturday evening engage.
ment?
Then Trina had announced that
she had an engagement for Sat-
urday evening, but since Tom
was sitting down in the Haldane
car when she and Peter and 1.
were chatting in my office, Irma
knew very well that he'd be with
US this evening also. Why had
she permitted the two men to
meet?
In any other girl I should
have explained the matter as one
Of coquetry, but in Irrna's case,
I couldn't dismiss the situation
with q generality. I wondered
If Irma were weighing the two
il this meeting which she had de-
liberately planned were to enable
her to make a final decision.
I found myself becoming more
ana moro apprehensive. There
seemed no reasonable room for
doubt that Irma felt she was ap-
preaching a fork in the road and
that she meant to determine with