Evening star., 1926-10-18

- angeiS rear 10 tread, signed
Mrs. Barnes. How die
YOU happen to go I'm there
in the first placer
Betty Barnes, IA, fresh and sweet
as q wild rose, irresponsible as ar
ocean breeze, stood before her mother
holding Taxi, her black and white
kitten, in her arms.
1T was Taxi" she explained. "He
was lost. and / was calling: Here
Taxi. Here, Kitty. kitty" when Mrs
Wylie came to her door and said
I think your kitten is in my apart
ment. Won't YOU come in and get
him?' And so l went in. Was there
anything wrong about that?"
We'll, you see, dear. Mrs. Wyhe
ever since she came here, has showr
a marked disposition to keep to her
self. and. whatever her reasons may
be. it would seem better to respect
her wishes"
How do YOU know it's marked
disposition" demanded Betty. " Maybe
she's Just shy because she doesn
know anybody
"Well. of course. one can never be
sure. However. in Mrs. Wylie's case
no one knows anything about her
Is there Mr.. Wylie?
No" answered Betty promptly
shes Il widow" ! asked junior
his right name is Howard, but they
rau him Junior-when his daddy
was coming to South HarbOr, and he
said:
daddy any more.
But if you ask me, I'll say she
won't be a widow very long You see
had to 20 into her bedroom to get
Taxi. and on her bureau was pic
lure Of the handsomest man ever
hope to see.
II said oh isn't that the best
looking man? | could learn to love
him myself. And what do you thlnk
she said rNother? Isn't this the most
romantic thing? She said: I believe
YOU could, Betty. It's awfully easy
to love him.
AS the Summer progressed Betty
became fast friends with the Nylle
rhildren-HOward, who was D, ana
Ediath, who was 3. She f1oated them
and taught Howard the first swim
ming strokes. She built castles In
the sand, and caught tiny sand crabs
to amuse them. And all the while
the slender girl with the pale gold
hair and the great sorrowful eyes.
who looked absurdy young to be the
children's mother, sat on the beach
with book she never read. and
mourned for q dead husband, said the
practical matronS. For an absent
lover, said romantic Betty.
When Betty returned to philadel-
phia, the interest of her family and
al their immediate circle was cen
tered in the Leighton Country Club.
where a national tennis tournament
was about to take place. Betty spent
Sunday afternoon at the club.
Betty uttered Il sudden eXClama-
tion, left her friends abruptly, and
darted toward a group on the club
house Vcranda that included her
father and two or three strange men.
Her heart beat high with the excite
ment for the man in the gray suit,
standing nearest to Mr.. Barnes. was
the handsome man of the picture on
Mrs. Wyle's bureau. Betty advanced
smiling. and held out her hand.
How do YOU do?" she said in her
hest manner. Il don't know your
name. but [ know you're Il friend of
Mrs. Wylie's."
The deathhke silence That ensued
taught Betty in her innocence moth.
ing She continued to smile and hold
out her hand.
The handsome one recovered him
self at once. How do YOU do?" he
said, gravely. shaking hands. Tn
very glad. indeed. TO meet YOU. Then
turning to Mr.. Barnes. he said: In
troduce me, won't you?"
My daughter. BETTY said Mr.
Earnes. Betty, this is Mr.. Howard
Wylie.'
oh exclaimed Betty. starting ir
amazement. '"Then you're her hus
hand"'
by the way. Mr.. Wylie." said Mr.
Barnes, coming to the rescue. "You
haven't seen our clubhouse yet
We're rather proud of the grillroom
Had 1t redecorated-'
Father" interrupted Betty. "Dc
Jet me show Mr.. Wylie over the club.
house. I'd just love to-"
Mr.. Barnes subsidized. 1t was i'm.
possible, he reflected, to do anything
with Betty. She Was-there was only
one word for it-irrepressible.
Betty was already moving off in
the direction Of the grillroom, fol
lowed by the somewhat dazed Mr.
Wylie. How did you know" he
asked abruptly. that 1 was a friend
Of Mrs. Wylie's?"
II knew you from your picture. -
answered Betty promptly. IT'S ex.
actly like YOU
And where, if you please. did you
see my picture?"
"On Mrs. Wylie's bureau"
'Where?"
"On Mrs, Wylie's bureau. in her
apartment at South Harbor."
South Harbor." he repeated
where's that"
Betty at once perceived that here
was another of those stupid grown
ups with whom one had to be i'm
mensely patient
South I1arbor." she explained. "is
"a summer resort on the Jersey coast
South Jersey. you know-down neal
Cape June
But you said-iid l understand
YOU to say that Mrs. Wylie was living
thcre?"
she had an apartment there fol
the Summer. the same as we did
stayed there all Summer with hel
children"
\ peculiar expression came over tht
face of Mr.. Wylie.
You don't mean to say she haG
tHe children with her" he exclaimed
Yes. ] do mean to say. Why
shouldn't she have them with her?'