Show The Telegrams Telegram S 'S s Daily Short Story HER LADYSHIP DECIDES DECIDES DECIDES DE DE- DE- DE By ay IZOLA FOR FORRESTER ESTER Copyright 1915 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate She read fead the Invitation over with with a little amused smile utterlY utterly to to Courtney He turned away anc and w walked to the end of the veranda staring out at at the h lino hino of of Incoming waves Just visible above the golden golder golden hummocks of ot sand Its from Pegg Peggy You wont won't go of ot course Some Some- Somehow Somehow how he managed to say Jt t naturally Oh Ob b but t Id I'd love to go Courtney Courtney- just four days down the coast and back S I dont don't want you with that crowd Wanda Sanda You dont don't belong with with them Yan Wanda a laughed softly pinning up ur her fair tair tumbled masses of ot hair fresh from b bathing He stood lookIng look look- Ing Ilg down at her wishing with all his hh heart that he had not come at all an He was sick and tired of forever playing the part of admonisher and dictator to her ladyship It had been beer difficult enough when he had re received received ro- ro the first first letter from her hei brother Halbert was bound for th the trenches and glory gloor It would be dull for Wanda back In London She had worked hard through the winter and needed s a change Wouldn't Courtney and hi his mother keep an eye on her if she ran over for tora for a few weeks weeks' It had hat Sounded sound sound- sounded ed so easy in the asking But Courtney Courtney Courtney Court Court- ney had met Wanda Vanda twice during Visits abroad He knew that of al all aU willful capricious irresistible wards her ladyship would prove the hardest to manage manag Still he had agreed to tc watch over her Ostensibly she camas came cam as the guest of Mrs Towne owne his hh I mother but it was Courtney who shouldered the full responsibility I haven't seen Peggy since she was married She says they are I going to put In at Pinehurst t pier to tomorroW tomorrow tomorrow to- to morrow at 10 and I am to motor over with you She would love to 1 have Mrs Towne and you rou come too Courtney My mother doesn't approve of 4 li Peg No With lifted brows perfectly dear and und now she's married married mar mar- ried ned she's settled down wonderfully I 1 think I 1 shall go Courtney Courtney Coui said nothing He agreed quite pleasantly to drive her over the next morning Mrs Towne was in indisposed indisposed in- in disposed and some way Wanda managed managed managed man man- aged to cOax her Into acquiescence It was a coal co l. l windy morning th the next day wh when n they started for Pinehurst Courtney had chosen his own car a low two-seated two French machine n He seemed rather silent as ns they swung out along the shore hore road It Isn't int far Is it Wanda asked lightly S About eighteen miles mUes Im I'm going to take the short cut cut Once outside the little seaside village vii vil l lage he turned off oft the main r road ad and age ge in in- in took the one one- through the tho pines at him land and Wanda stole a glance again at the clean cut almost stern profile beside her herr and amI then at his hands and the wa way they gripped th the wheel You dont don't reallY mind my going she asked tentatively tenta tent do 10 you Courtney ively Not N t at all aU now nOW l W Court Courtney ey re returned returned re- re turned cordially Halberts very fond of Peggy I 1 think he might have married her himself some day If she hadn't chosen Captain apt tn Minturn ribbon of Courtney smiled at the road unwinding before them His I eyes yes were WE're half halt closed He knew every very inch of ot this road And every mile nile was taking them from Pinehurst and the boa landing Yet he wanted to 0 make malte sure It was at tt the fourteenth fourteenth four four- mile mUe that he slipped a lever wrong and the machine stopped With a quick apology he sprang I out ut and started to tinker away athe at atthe atthe the he car lies Her ladyship chatted for tor afew a L' L few tew minutes waiting expectantly but butas butas as LS the minutes flew by she glanced around curiously at the enfolding hills tills I 1 dont don't see th the ocean Its down at your left Very far Somewhat She hesitated and frowned frowne Courtney are you yop really trying to fix ic the car or or Just just just- He Ha s t up in the road his his cap ap on the he back of his head and smiled at athe he her i Just what 1 Youre not fixing it at all are you ou 1 That's what you you call It il over here isn't it fixing instead of ot re repaIring repairing re- re pairing airing Wont Won't It go at al aU 1 He shook his head contentedly She he stepped from froni the car with dignity dignity dig dig- delightful dignity he tho thought considering I think I 1 shall walk wak until I find some ome sort of a conveyance You cant can't because were we're about seven even miles at least tr from m the the il last house ouse Im I'm going to stay here until I he glan glanced ed at his watch th thought thought- until fully 1030 They will have sailed Bailed by then dont don't you think so Wandas Wanda's s dark eyes oyes were bright with anger I dont don't see how you dare to do this Courtney Towne They are my friends and if it I choose to go with them it is absolutely my own affair Dear you are not quite 19 said Courtney gently Halbert put you In my care and I cant can't conscientiously let you chase down the coast with Peggy and have her marry you off to any other crowd You mean Kent The color rose in her face quickly Courtney nodded I 1 know w the whole thing Wanda Vanda I heard Kent bet that he would marry you before you returned to England You know as well as I do that old Halbert is in debt to him badly It was as part of his game to make him so It gave him a surety of his consent consent consent con con- sent to his winning you ou and I couldn't stand that sort of thing I 1 think perhaps Halbert had It in mind when he placed you In my charge Now do you understand 1 Wanda stood before him white now her hands clenched at her sides It had all been a a lark her wanting her wanting to go with Peg She had not really made mado dc an cared clued but when he had m had amused her to win issue of it it though she the point over him Even she knew Kent Paxton was going had not realized what it might mean You see dear he went on slowlY slowly slow- slow lY ily it isn't just for Halberts Halbert's sake either Its It's for your own own You Wanda I II know know that dont don't you haven't been able to get word out outto outto I to your brother yet but theres there's been een beena a little run of luck for tor him some deal that money out of a Mexican We are both in onIt onIt on onIt has seem seemed d dead our Interest interest last last It and I s sold ld out our week Theres There's enough to pay up Kent You needn't catch the the- boat I She caught the underlying bitterness bitter bitterness bitterness ness ness ness' beneath his words an and J stretched out her hand to him Oh Courtney I do need you you you- to togo togo togo really want Of or course if you the added unsteadily go yet he machine machin isn't really out of commis commis- commis But I there sion I can get you want you to come back with InC me Her hands were laid against his lips firmly Courtney met tier her eT gaze with eyes th that t told all that was in his mind and Wanda la laughed softly her own glance wavering Ive Iye decided to go back back- she said |