Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-05-01
CHAPTER 3S

COLONEL. LUTMAN told YOU
he burned the check ?" asked JAG
queline incredulOusly.
Her mother nodded.
"And he said he hoped that I
would honor him by forgetting
that I had ever written it. I shall.
But it's very awkward having
nothing fit to wear when I dine
with him."
Jacqueline was silent for a time,
watching her mother as she picked
up dress after dress, gave it a dis
paraging glance, and tossed it
aside. Then she said:
81 saw Colonel Lutman this
afternoon, mother"
"Yes-so he told me. You had
a cup Of tea together and pleas
ant little chat, he said"
did he tell you anything else 2"
yes, dear. He said that he had
talked it over with you again, and
the affair with Jim Asson was def
nitely off. Jim, he said, was very
cut up about it, but on the whole
it was perhaps just as WELL. Col
onel Lutman has very high opin-
ion of you, Jacque1ine, and thinks
that, after all, you might do very
much better for yourself than jim
ASsOn."
81 could hardly do worse"
Her mother smiled.
GAS matter of fact, my dear,
/ believe the Colonel is actually
glad you've refused to marry Ji1n,"
she confded. "Of course, as an
honorable mainland Jim's trustee,
toO-he couldn't show his feelings
when you were engaged to Jim,
but now that you're unattached"
"Do you mean, mother, that Col
onel Lutman wants to marry me 2"
my dear, if you ask me, that's
the real reason why he's taking me
out to dinner. Tete-a-tete, he said,
and when a man says that there's
always something in the wind. It's
only natural that he should want
ito know what think about it first.
so delicate of him!"
"And what do you think,
mother 2"
II think he's very eligible hus-
band going begging, and it's GER
tainly worth while for any girl to
be sensible about him. After all,
he's quite good-looking- especially
when he doesn't screw up his face
to keep his eyeglass in. But I
don't suppose he sleeps in his eye
glass. It isn't so much what a
man looks like in his lounge suits
that matters, my dear: it's the sort
of creature he turns out to be in
his pajamas. Your father was a
dreadful disappointment when I
first saw him in his pajamas. Blue
and pink stripes, dear-terriblew
"And you really think that Col
onel Lutman would be a suitable
husband for me? You'd really like
me to marry him ?"
I'D like you to marry someone,
Jacqueline. and Colonel Lutman
has a great deal of money"
Are you sure?"
quite sure, my dear. He told
me so himself. And with all that
money, someone ought to marry
him. 1 should do my best to like
him, Jacqueline, if I were you. He
may not be the sort of husband YOU
dream about, but no man is when
you've lived with him a few
months, and you wouldn't have to
lie awake at night worrying about
the gas bill. You'd better lend me
your blue dress, dear: none of these
= is fit to wear"
Jacqueline brought the dress
added it to the collection on the
bed, and turned to go. At the door
she paused.
teDon't write any more checks
mother, will you? Not for Colonel
, .Lutman, anyway"
- "My dear, if he offers -
--''..s"He probably will offer, but ]
want you to promise me that YOU
won't let him cash any more. He
might not burn the next one. viii
you remember ?"
'I'n try, my dear. But the sales
are on, and it won't be easy. ]
badly need a fur Of some sort, anc
if Colonel Lutman wants to give