The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-09-14
Cut-In
90
By RICHARD HILL WILKINSON
(Released by Western Newsnaner rTnion \
Released BY western Newspaper Union.

ers?"
Bert Townshend grinned as he per-
ceived the eagerness on his friends
face.
81 guess can fix you up, Ted.
What particular woman have you
got in mind?"
Ted Harper winked confidentially.
"Good old Bert. Knew could de-
pend on you. First you invite me
down for a weekend, hold dance
IN my honor, and now you agree
to fix it up for me with the best
looking girl in the hail."
"Your description of the girl"
Bert grinned, ''fits only one of my
guests. Her name is Betty Speare.
That's she now"
Bert pointed to a girl who had
just danced by in the arms of a
blond giant. No one would have dis
puted Ted's description that "she
was the best looking girl there"
Ted Harper was conscious of a
feeling of jealousy, even at this ear
ly stage.
''That's the girl" he told Bert.
That's she all right. Think you
can arrange an introduction"
Wont be necessary" Bert point
ed out. "I'll cut in on her, tell her
there's a dashing hero on the side
lines interested in joining the ranks
of suitors now grovellng at her feet.
I'll dance by and give you the high
sign. You can step up and do your
stuff"
Capital" Ted was enthusiastic.
He worked his way to the very
edge of the stag line and watched
Bert Townshend successfully per-
form his cut-in act. He saw him
talking to the girl and nodding
toward the stays. Then other dane
ers shut off his view.
Ted waited expectantIy, watching
for Bert's momentary appearance
out of the maze of dancers. But he
waited in vain. Bert had either for
gotten or was quite satisfied to claim
his partner for the remainder of the
dance.
Dejectedly Ted strolled out on the
veranda and stood leaning against
the railing, his back to the dance
floor.
He heard step from behind and
turned to confront Bert Townshend,
a guilty-looking and forlorn Bert.
"Well?" said Ted, and waited, his
attitude ominous.
Bert seemed little embarrassed.
''I'm sorry, old man." he began,
"but Betty-well, l pointed you out
and she refused to be introduced.
That is, she made me take her out
on the veranda so you wouldn't have
an opportunity to cut in"
"Oh, she did, did she! Well,
what's the matter with me, I'd like
to know? Might think / was hard
to get along with or something. What
excuse did she give for not want
ing to meet me?"
'None. She just said she didn't
like your looks, and if I didn't mind
would l take her out on the ver-
anda for a breath of air. There
was nothing else I could do, was
there?"
Ted paused abruptly. A girl had
suddenly appeared in the doorway
of the ballroom and stood looking
at them. She paused there a mo-
ment, accustoming her eyes to the
darkness. And then as recognition
came, she turned and would have
re-entered the room.
Ted, with an angry gesture, strobe
hurriedly across the veranda and
caught the girl by the arm.
'Look here, Betty. You're going
to listen to me, whether you like it
or not" He pulled her not too gently
out onto the veranda and into cor
ner.
Bert, watching from the railing,
became alarmed. He decided at
length that Ted had had one drink
too many, and that the girl was in
danger.
Bert entered the shadow and found
Ted with his arms about Betty's
waist. She was struggling to get
away.
"Look here, Ted, you can't do this
sort of thing. Not at my home, at
any rate
He reached out and laid hold of
Ted's shoulder. Ted whirled, saw
that Bert was in earnest, and
dropped his arms.
Bert" he said quietly, Betty is
my wife. We were married month
ago, kept it a secret and intended
to announce it tonight at your par
ty. Yesterday we quarreled. I've
been trying to get Betty to talk to
me all evening, and conceived the
idea Of having you introduce me
to her, in the hopes she'd see the
humor of the thing and let me ex-
plain that I was sorry, and ask her
forgiveness"
He looked furtively at Betty. And
Betty suddenly began to laugh. She
was laughing at the bewildered ex-
preston on Bert Townshend's face.
81 can't see anything funny about
it, Betty" Ted was saying. sit
strikes me as being rather a seri-
Gus situation when mans own wife
won't speak to him."
''But don't you see, darling"
Betty dubbed, Bert didn't know