Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-12-10

IN THREE PAklS-PAkI ONE
THE WHITNEY FAMILY had been
at luncheon some ten minutes when
Susan strolled in. She looked as
fresh as q family roSed sea she'll Just
out of water.
Sorry to be late. dearS." said she in
a blithe and unrepentant voice. but I
got engaged last night and l find that
getting engaged is q very wakeful bust
ness. So I oversight. of course
Her mother said calmly, Susan dear.
is this one of your upSetting jokes to
test our reactions?"
Her sister Anne remarked with Ian
guor. We'll. it iSnT the first time you've
been engaged"
Her father asked quickly, Who is he,
Sue?"
She and her father were more than
close f~riends-they were pals. They
understood each other amazingly well
for a girl of 20 and a professor Of as
tronomy past so.
II will answer you. my ducks" she
now announced. in the order Of your
questions. No. mother. I am not joking
and YES. Anne. I have been engaged
before. but those were only trial en-
gagementS. And. Father. she wound
up. "he is Andrew Calhoun. the
painter"
Dear me" murmure6 Mrs. Whitney.
that's the young artist who won the
Darmstetter prize. isn't it?"
Susan nodded. and Anne put in:
People like him just for himself, too,
Mother. Morris Maynard was q great
friend of his-I say was because he
seems to have sheered off from Morris
during the last year or two. Morris
thinks that queer Princess Dagugalia is
at the bottom of IT,"
Who is Princess Daguglia. and why
is she queer?. asked Susan.
Hasn't Andrew Calhoun mentioned
her to you?" said Anne. looking sur
prised. "She is his Egeria, Morris says.
A mysterious sort of person who dab
bles in the occult-in astrology special
". Morris thinks she told Mr.. Calhoun
some yarns about their stars being in
imcal. II seems she persuaded him TO
get Morris birth date for her and cast
his horoscope. That's your fiances
one weak point according to Morris
his absolute belief in astrology, I mean,
Morris saws Andrew Calhoun has really
a blind faith in it and in Princess Dag
uglia."
"You haven't told me who she is
countered Susan.
II don't know a thing about her ex-
cept that she is a widow Of a Sicilian
prince and moves in a small circle OF
Theosophists and Yogis and things"
We'll" Susan said after a thought
full pause, ''since Andrews so bent on
~astrology I think I'm not going in for
it like Princess Daguglia, but in a pure
!, ly scientific spirit of inquiry. You must
all come to the studio tomorrow and
see Andrew and my portrait for your
selves"
i Then she rushed off to her sitting
e for which she was already late.
Andrew was glancing at his watch
for the tenth time when the bell of his
! studio trilled. He reached the door in
a bound that wouldn't have discredit-
: ed a professional jumper.
Susan at last! In one quick gesture
? he swept off her wrap and replaced il
with his arms.
! After some breathless moments she
murmured, This isn't doing the por-
trait much good, is it?'
: And Andrew said, Damn the por-
trait"
Susan, however, insisted that she
/, wasn't going to begin by ~retarding hi:
career and firmly mounted the throne
She was a most delectable person tc
look at. as well as to kiss.
r After a few rebellious moments An
drew became absorbed in his work anc
Susan in watching him. How gorgeous
: to be so young together and so ire
~mendously in love!
He, by now, was wholly lost in hi
. art. 1t was only when the light begar
to fail that Susan descended from hel
throne and went to make the tea.
i Darling" said Susan suddenly, IN.
/. sister Anne was telling me this morn
= ing that you and Morris Maynard have
been pals from your Paris days.
: suppose he'll be your best man, won
! hep"
She felt Andrew stiffen a little. Thcl
q he said, Morris and I don't see quite
e as much of each other as we used to-
' THAT seems a pity" sympathizet
Susan. How did you come to drlf
: apart? What happened?"
Here the studio bell trilled again, {
! long, determined trill.
!. "Damn!" said Susan and Andrew II
the same breath.
He went TO the door muttering cross
t ly. but no sooner had he opened
: than a voice took on the excessive ant
J. guilty warmth of one who seeks to pro
- pitiate over the telephone some import
: ant parsonage whose dinner date on
!, has forgotten.
"Why, Princess!" he exclaimed, "hoy
good of o and how unexpected.
/, thought you were out Of town unit
= Monday
A rich, deeply intense voice replied
2 TO him as the princess entered, M,
= dear boy, l was too agonizingly boret
to remain another instant, so eccom
qua"
Then she caught sight of Susan an
added in a cooler tone, But l am in
= terrupting a sitting. ;"
Not at all, not at all" hurried And
rev. THE sitting is over. Miss Whitne.
and 1 were Just going to have tea. Yo'
must join u.s." He flashed an anxiou
. glance at Susan, who rose at once AM
came forward.