Evening star., 1926-10-18
THE EVENING STORY

He smiled then, a queer, twisted
sort of smile.
And Mrs. Wylie 's-ah-friend-
| Mr.. Ransford. l suppose you met
him.
There wasn't any Mr.. Ransford
said Betty bluntly. "She didn't nave
any company the whole summer
She just stayed with the children
from morning 1ill night and sat on
the beach andNlooked as if she had
| some secret SOrr0W--
Here Betty paused. Some instinct
told her not to say too much. Whlch
may have indicated that Betty was
growing up.
Then suddenly Mr. Wylie seized
her arm in a grip that hurt, swung
her around so he could see her face,
and demanded savagely:
"Are you telling me the truth?'
Certainly, I'm telling you the
truth" flashed Betty Indignantly,
wrenching her arm free. Il don't
tell lies to anybody"
Il beg your pardon" he said. then
made an unseeing inspection of the
grillrOom and followed Betty to the
/ terrace.
| do YOU mind telling me-" he
asked. "how Mrs. Wylie came to show
you my picture?"
! She didn't exactly show it to me.
I saw it when l went in her apart
ment after Taxi-that's my black
and-white kitten-and said
Here Betty stopped, self-conscious for
probably the first time in her life.
''Yes?" prompted Mr.. Wylie. go
on. What did you say?"
Il said: oh, Isn't he handsome
well, you are, you know-and then
l said: I could learn to love him my
self"
Thanks" he said. smiling grimly,
"And what did Mrs. Wylie say to
that"
"Why. she said--' Betty began
dOubtfully perhaps | ought not to
| tell YOU"
''Go on. for Gods sake"
| "She said: Il think YOU could. Bet
! ty. It's awfully easy tG love him. :"
81 see' he said thoughtfully.
! And this place-South Harbor, do
| you call it? Is Mrs. Wylie still there?"
| 'Of course not. No one stays there
/ in September. She said she was 60
| ing to live in New York.
You don't happen to know her
address,"
Yes, 1 do know It," replied Betty,
| feeling like conspirator. TITS 2
West Seventy-Second street."
Mr.. Wylie looked at his watch and
| held out his hand.
Thanks very much, Miss Betty"
he said, 'for showing me the grill
room and-everything. I've got to
run now, but I hope to meet you
again some time. Good-by."
| That was Sunday On Monday
night at dinner Mr.. Barnes was Wis
IDLY disturbed about something. A
few tactful inquiries from Mrs.
Barnes soon brought 1t out.
| do you remember my telling you
Elizabeth. about that young fellow.
Howard Wylie, who joined the East
lawn Club early in the Summer?
He's been playing rather brilliant
tennis. He was entered in the tour.
nament Of course. and while we didn't
exactly expect he'd live till the finals
We've rather counted on him to raise
! the average of the Philadelphia asso-
! citation.
We'll he dropped out last night
without warning. Simply withdrew
his name and beat it. said he found
himself obliged unexpectedly to go
| to New York at once"
On Tuesday "a huge and perfectly
gorgeous box of chocolates" to quote
Bettys own description of it. arrived
| for her by parcel post.
Young lady" asked her father,
sternly, who sent you that candy?"
"A friend of mine in New York"
answered Betty, airly. And if you
want to look him up when you're
over there, l think you'll find him
with his wife at West Seventy-Sec-
ond street"
THE END.
Copyright 19"6o