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Show "I'll read you Juat a few llttl bite." she said syly. The blood surged Into her prettv face. Juno leaned ljack in a comer and close i her rrTa. 8he held a cigsrette between her lips and puffed at it lastly. There waa a little alienee; then Ksther hald suddenly: "I can't. It makea me feel too self conscious. But he Just aays that he doesn't want me to go Into any berth juat yet. He say that h may be horn very BQfej. now. "Oh:F said June, chagrined. "And then, of course, you'll be married and live happily ever after. . . ." Yea.' said Ksther. "I hop ao." j June opened her .eye. t Charlie, curled up on hla cushion. I started to purr laaily. Rreeentlv June I flopped down on her kneea beside him ! and began atroklng hla head. "You'll let m have Charlie when you'r married, won't your' she said suddenly. "I am sure the phantom lover won't want him." Ksther did not answer; she hated her-sefl her-sefl for remembering that Raymond had one said h loathed cats. CHAPTER XI. Mickey was at June'a when a tetter earns for Esther, ghe read It agerly, and finished Just aa June left th room for a moment. Mickey moved a atep nearer to Ksther. "You hav had good news?' he said. Rhe looked up, a tart led. v Mickey's eyes flamed. That being so. of course It Is useless for me to ask If you have changed your mind yet?" h said again. Ksther gav a stifled cry "Are you trying to Insult me V she aaked under her breath. He half smiled. "1 am if It's an Insult to ask you to marry me." There waa no tlm for more. June ram back. "I must go." h said. He turned to Esther. "Ooodbye, Miss Bhepmone." , "ioodbye." said Rather. Hhe waa glad that he did not offer to shake hands with her; she was glad that June went to see him off. Aa soon as the door had closed on them she took her letter out again; she pressed the paper to her lips. It waa worth waiting for, worth the heartache and disappointment; she closed i No doubt he had seen Ksther. whilst she . . . poor child ! Had she seen him. too? He looked down at her; she was siting up stiffly, her hands clapped in the In of the new frock of which she had been ao innocently proud; her face was as white as the soft tulle of her sleeves, and her eyes were fixed on th box with Its velvet curtains where Mrs.. Ashton sat laughing and chatting with a gTii In a pink frock. They both turned from time to time to someone who stood behind them In the shadow; once the curtains moved j little and a man's hand and arm ahowed distinctly. Mickey could bear It no longer; he touched Esther' clasped hands. "Are you til V Would you like me to take you out?" Kut she shook her head. y "No, no . . . please leave me alnrve." I June had discovered a friend In a seat a row or two ahad, with whom she waa trying to carry on a conversation; she had no eyee for Mickey or Rather. Mlrkey gave a sigh of relief when the lights were lowered again; he could feel all that Father waa suffering; he could put himself In her place so thoroughly. (To be continued.) CHAPTER XII. Mickey had Invited June and Esther to the theatre, and Kther, after aome' thought, had agreed to go. I "I don't aiippoee Raymond" "So It's Raymond Ashton." cried June. 'And you let me run him down." Ksther flushed scarlet. "And he'a not a phantom lover; he's very real," she said. J June patted her hand, but aald nothing. noth-ing. She was deep In thought. Thev met Mickey and dined. Then they went to the theatre. When the light went down again Esther leaned a little closer to him. "Mr. Mellowea " she said. i 'Ves.M Mickey bent his head toward her eagerly. HS could hear her agitated breathing; hear, tod, the little quiver In her voice when she spoke. "Did vou see who was In that box on the right? the lower bo. ... 1 thought it was Mrs. Ash ton. Mickey answered casually that vary Ukely it was. "Odd, eh," ha said, "that ws should dine at the same place aad have tickets for the ame showT" Father said "Yes yes." twice In nerv j ous hurry. There was something strained and un- natural about her, and though Mickey, could not see her face clearly, he knew I that something had happened to distress I her. "Whet -la it?" he naked anxiously. "Is ! anything the matter?" , I 8he shook her head. 1 "No. . . . No.'' Hhe sat very -till till the curtain fell again, but Mickey had the feeling that she wna not pa Ing the least attention lo what was going on on the stags, and he knew that her eyee fumed irun and again to the stage box.- What waa he afraid of? be asked himself In perplexity, per-plexity, Kven If Mrs. Aehton did see her and recognise her, surely then in a flash he knew. . . . The light had been turned up suddenly, and in that moment he had seen the figure of a man move quickly from the front of the box to the screen of the curtains. Mickey gripped the arms of his seat; for the moment he couVd not move. It waa Raymond he knew it aa certainly cer-tainly ae u he had been told. her eves for a moment and thought of Raymond Ash ton. How she must have mle)udged him In the pt! It did not seem true now that they had aver quarreled, or parted In anger; that she had ever been ao unhappy that ahe did not want to live. June came running up the stairs; she was singing cheerily; Ksther smiled as she listened. ... It snoot be wonderful to alwaya be aa happy and light hearted aa June was. "Well, dreamer," said June. Bhe shut the door with a little slam and came over to where her friend aat. "A penny for your thoughta." "he looked at Ksther's flushed face la the firelight. And so everything; Is all right after all. eh?" ahe aked. Esther nodded. "And I'm really not roing to be Mrs. Ash ton after all." she said with a sort of shamefaced delight. "Only didn't want to say so in front of Mr. Metlowee. . . . Oh, arep't you glad?" ahe aaked anxiously. "My dear, of course f am'" said June heart Mr. "But for the life of me I can't understand how tt 4a that this man of yours has got such an influence over you. H s only got to hold up his little finger and you're on your knees. I'm beginning to think he must be a hind of wonder after all." Ksther did not answer for a moment. "No.-' ahe aaid. "Ho Isn't at all wonderful, won-derful, really, except to me, and and I love him, you see. she added shyly. "I suppose every man Is wonderful to tha woman who fovea htm." "Until she's his wife, said June tartly. tart-ly. "And then she thinks he's all aorta of an Id tot. and tells him so." Rut Fiat her waa too happy to take her eertotisly. "I'm never oulte rare whether you're 1 laughing at me or not," she said nervously. nerv-ously. "I know you don't mean to. hut d June laid her hand on Esther's Tap. "I laugh at evwryone and everything. Perhaps I'm a bit Jealous because you love thla phantom Vover an much bolter than you love me.' ahe added. Ksther 4rsw tha tetter Irons Its envelope en-velope . v - . i |