Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-15
CHAPTER VII.
At Thames Head.


IL great and small. That she hal
failed 10 include a supplicatioa
for Quittance of an untidy young
American who spent his work days in
the Office Of pawter's Intensive Pub
Lefty Agency and his Sundays in in
expensive exploration was brought
home TO her with force on that sunny
sabbath that followed her interview
with Or. Latin.
Betty was ON one side Of the Thames
Bill HOlbrook ON the other. and Betty
was surrounded by a large wasp.
Betty hated wasps, and apparently
this particular wasp hated Betty, for
its 'zu-u-u' held a ferocity of purpose
which was terrifying.
''Vespa vulearis!" murmured Bill.
with satisfaction. "A hymenopterous
insect Of the family vespidae"'
1t pleased hum immensely that from
the lumber room of his mind he could
withdraw that stick Of superior nc
menclature.
And then Betty gave a scream. To
her Nespa vulgaris was just plain
wasp, and it had made an angry dart
toward her face She shrank back
one foot went into the water, but by
an effort she recovered her balance.
In another second Bill had leapeG
across the Thames to her side and
with one sweep of his soft hat mad
sent the vulgar vespa to destruction.
Saved, he said. made a false step
and went calf deep into very cold
water.
You might have come before" she
said tartly. You saw the horrid thing
attacking me"
His eyes looked a reproach.
Not every mar would leap across
the Thames-that river which carries
the commerce of the world upon her
broad bosom
Betty Carew was not amused. They
were perched precariously on the
rocky edge Of a little pool that flowed
through a grating to a millpond.
Above the grating a gray-green stone
announced in stately Latin:
Here. Father Thames. are
Thy sercnfold springs.
For this was the source of the his
soric. river and about them were the
rolling hills Of Worcestershire.
Anybody could jump the Thames
here, She said scornfully. A rabbit
could jump it,
Put me down as being no better
than rabbit" he said with quiet dig
nifty. And as TO your ingratitude, we
will overlook that. One doesn't expect
better nowadays. The war has
changed peoples manners and cut
away much of the silk Innings of be-
havior. Fortunately. was here. Peo-
pie have been killed by wasps. /
know man who never passes a wasp
hive. or whatever they live in. without
turning pale. Personally, the wasp
was never Matched that could scare
me. May 1 see you home?"
TQo4FEr Of "a v,,r,,,n,,4 ~-.c.- n-.n..4s.--
the temporary use Of his arm to reach
the edge of the pool.
No, you may not see me home.
don't live hcre-as you we'll know"
she said, little breathlassly Il am
greatly obliged to you. but / don't
think you ran much risk"
He looked down at his soaked trou-
ser leg and lifted his eyebrows signifi-
cantly.
ANY man who saves a popular
actress from the malignant pursuit Of
a wasp deserves well of his country.
Miss Carew," he said, and she went
pink with annoyance. Il should have
recognized you. even if I hadn't met
you last night" said Bill, wagging his
head. There's nobody in the world
with hair like yours. Think better Of
It, Miss CareW. Place yourself i'm the
hands of Pips, or better still. in mine,
and l would make you famous in a
month. I'm the man who put Stop.
Leak Waxoline on the top Of the mar.
Eet. You know Waxoline-the putty
with a punch?'
She had t'isliked him instinetively
hefore-she hated him now. He was
40 young, so horribly self-satisfied and
so terribly common. Nor did his frank
admiration Of her hair soolhe her.
Betty's hair was admittedly wonder
fuL II had the color and bloom Of
sunset corn. a red through which the
gold shone so insistently that the red
ness did not appear until 1t was
caught by a ray Of light And under
the hair were features that could not
be faulted and a skin Of delicate
texture-such skins as that color of
hair so often favor.
j think you should know that ]
can find my way back to the--the car
without assistance" she said coidly.
as, against her win. he helped her up
the steep slope Of the road.
She was q little out Of breath from
the stlf climb, uncomfOrtahly warm
and feeling at a disadvantage.
IN come around and talk this over
with you, Miss Carew," he said grave
ty. "Pips can give you fame. A cor.
poration like ours that make people
look for the label Oh a paint ear
%ouidnt have much trouble i'm placing
your name IN half-watt blinders-and
rps Is reasonable. So far as / am
concerned, il will be a labor Of love
anu Tor fear I raise your hopes. I will
sdd that love is only used i'm a Pick
Wlcklan sense. What / mean is
But she was walking rapidly dowr
the road TO the little village where the
JOY wagons were parked, and her fury
was oniy dlscernIble by the vigor and
length Of her stride.
Stillwells Select Char-a. banc Topr.
had brought her that Sunday the bnr
dred miles which separated the beaf
OF the Thames from The city Of the
IL bridges-Which in London. Thes,
same tours, but q different car. wer.
also responsible for the presence a
Bill dolbrook. They ran from Trafol
gar Square Oh Sunday mornings an,
Tor ridicul0usiy small sum one NIGH
he assured Of a day in the countr,
ana the association of "a superior com
pauy-for theSo were select tours. TIA
employment Of that qualifying adiec
i've suggested that Mr.. Stilhneu spen
his time between tours examining tn
social credentials Of his clients.
lnIortunatelN. Nh StiIlWeU mas
have been I'll during the week proceed
Ing this particular Sunday and handle
over this seiectiYe function to a care
less subordinate, since the people VIII
RODE in Betty's coach We're member
pr no exclusive social set. There wer