Show 7 PRINCE S S I W COPYRIGHT bY NEA service e JJ n ann an n e austin aus CHAPTER A slight quiCkly stepping figure ascended the steps O of a house on Park avenue A young oung man who seemed to be the vicinity ot of the Crandall Cran- Cran dall dali home wheeled at the sound of her brisk footsteps footsteps- gave her a long searching look and then as she f fumbled for tor her het latchkey broke i into nto a run x 1 say You arest arent Clan dall dalI ar are y u h he panted snatch snatch- i ing ng his straw hat from his head Im Belden o of the Morning Morning- Arent I n Vee- Vee Vee-Vee Vee Vee smiled demurely demurely de- de with an upward lift lin of h her r enchantingly arched eyebrow w. w then slipped Inside the door and closed it gently but firmly In the astonished face of t tie e reporter She opened her handbag to remove remove re- re move the letter with which Vivian Crandall had armed her After aU th they y could do nothing worse than thim refuse to to accept Vivians Vivian's amazing ll and It if they did that Vivian herself would stand ll behind her her- herShe She was tili reviewing the situation situation situa- situa tion In a panic when a. a atall tall gray gray- haired old mi man verY dignified arid and I stately In his butlers butler's clothes came came m down own the I softly lighted hall hail Something of Vh Vivian ian Crandall's courage and nd poise came then then- to the gir who so ci sely resembled her Ve Vee-Ve Vee V e stepped ste-ped forward r almost non and gre greeted t d with a curt nod Good evening Vivian had attended to that detail too too- Are Arem my and father In The butlers butler's rs r's eyes flew vide i 11 anI of surprise HIs mouth worked so for t then he bowed Good evening lIss diss Crandall I believe they are still In the library l Crandall p Perhaps you had better announce an- an flounce that I am Vee- Vee Vee-Vee Vee Vee smiled her voice as cold cold- and caret care less as she knew Vivians Vivian's have been under the s. s She followed close upon the heels ot of the butler to toa a door f far r down the impressive hall but she waited outside out out- side until behind the closed door door- had made his taking breath announcement She clenched her hands hand tightly over the previous letter letter let let- ter to strengthen her faltering courage cour- cour age I Will wm you come Into the s Mis-s Crandall asked his face inscrutable again as he slipped noiselessly through the door Im glad they did not rush to meet facet me with welcoming arms extend extended ex- ex tend tended d Vee- Vee Vee-Vee Vee Vee reflected as she forced herself herselt to advance toward certain unpleasantness Her Hel first glance gave her a fairly clear picture f the couple Vivians Vivian's mother was a tall handsome almost nJ- nJ most slender woman of 50 50 with copper colored hair only 1 little duller in hi color than her beautiful daughters fa father her was more n formidable tall tail gaunt old aid eagle at least fIfteen years his wife's s 's senior His hall haIr w was s on a buth bushy mane Inane of white his eyebrows In Contrast ont ast ai black as heavy heavy- smudges o ot Ink across hIs hIgI forehead r Yea Yea- Vee-Vee Vee Instantly feared feared- Won Worrell- Crandall and V Celt and felt toward the woman who who- had contributed con con- so generously to Vivians Vivian's beauty ancl aM patrician bel bearing Jut she tad had little to her emotions for tor they were advancing toward her hes' Mr Crandall frowning prodigiously i Mrs with ex- ex tended hands and a b bright ight smite smile of welcome In ller hael eyes eyes and on on her fine lne mouth Wait Vee Vee-Vee spoke breath r I dont don't want to deceive you for tor a moment I am not Vivian I Perhaps it would be kinder to to Mr Ir nd Mrs Irs Rufus Hurus Worrell Cran- Cran I Cran-I dati dalI who wha are after all such Ruch very I important people and so uncompromIsingly I promisingly pp sd to of any sort to draw a kindly curtain 1 over followed Vera Camer Camerons Cameron's s 's s sensational announce announce- merit l Fifteen minutes later something remotely remotely- resembling calm caIrn had been r restored to the rather overpowering beautiful library Which an upstart nobody had had the t temerity to i Invade and disturb Vee-V Vee Vee e had been permitted to teri her her own version version ver- ver sion of the affair at the Minnetonka Minne- Minne tonka a version which h had previously en dl edited by VIvan Vivian Viv- Viv i ian an Crandall who had Insisted upon taking the entire blame for Vee Vee- Vee's unconscious Impersonation After much deliberation on Vivians Vivian's part it had had- been to include the prince and his petty villainy Inthe in inthe the story to be toM told to her I arents As Vivian contended 0 wisely her father and mother wo would ld shudder at toe the possibility that the true story of that indelIcate episode should reach the eyes of an n avid public But the the passing ot of the fifteen minutes found them at a cold and furious deadlock for all the he apparent apparent ap- ap parent calm Mr Crandall had llad had the bad judgment to Insult Vee-Vee Vee by her a substantial bribe for tor exact information as to heir daughters daughter's whereabouts and her reasons for for- her hei- app conduct Vee- Vee Vee-Vee Vee Vee had countered by walking t toward ward the door In fled her whole slender body ody expressing herr ier determination to have nothing more men to do with Mr Lr and MiSs s Worrell Cra Crandall Mr Cra dall had been en forced to b beg g. g her however haughtily he di did j U to return to the conference as to just what hat was t be dope about Crand t. t 7 Then Soam s. s the butler h a ser ant honi the real af Vivian h had d seen leen but once and and Who ho re had no suspicion on that an Imposter had appeared to take her place appeared ap- ap appeared In th the lIbrary door with the apologetic announcement that re- re porters many many reporterS reporters- yere up the acred Cratl- Cratl dalI steps and th which that was moro more the important police pollee were represented in that group in Increasingly formidable numbers They say that Miss Crandall was seen to sir arid and I really cannot disperse them concluded concluded con con- aPologetically but firmly Tell them all that Miss Crandall has not returned Rufus Crandall said sternly but Mrs Crandall laid laida a hand on his arm and looked at him pleadingly Please R Rufus fus dont don't you ou think thin we e may as WEll have them In VIvian Vivian VI- VI vian has not been itt In New York for nearly nearly- two years she added Oh very w well ll ShoW the gentlemen n of the press and the police officers into the library When pad iad closed t the e Ii- Ii br rY do doOr r gently upon his a apologetic apolo- apolo olo- olo g getic tlc preSence presence the the faced eagle old man spoke spoke-o Vee Yee-Vee In a cUpped clipped Stern tern p You K p my d daughter sa say You know her mannerisms how sh she Would conduct herself In such a a- as confronts you ou I I do Vee-Vee Vee red sim- sim 5 ply 1 And d during the n t ten utes Which 11 were all all all' that RUfus Worrell Crandall would allow her heT heTto herto to give to the she ac- ac ac- ac h In the Vivian Crar- Crar dan dalI m Fn r so 10 expertly expertly- that her 1 pseudo parents parent h d occasion t to exchange ex- ex change more than a few lew st startled but satisfied d 0 glances glance My Iy d Rufus Crand n lI explained crisply crisply- Is t thome home home- again 8 as you can see Iee She has suffered no ho serious ill II l from an unpleasant adventure but I she Is too to tired to g give ve an Inter Inter- view and will b be for tor many days day to c coie rife I have o absolutely ly nothing to roy cay In regard to the nit nil of that advent adent re re nor has she I am am- entirely satIsfied with the mann rJ the has been d. d No N ransom was paId I have no in of prosecuting prosecuting pros pros- pros pros- or of giving any Information tion that might lead to the arrest and conviction of her abductors I wish the matter to ie e dropped by the police and by the press And It iwas WM upon that stone wall that a s score of seasoned ed butted their frantic h heads ids The police seemed content to drop t matter as the mighty r. Mr Crand Crandall lI suggested To one Question however how how- ever er Yee-Ye Yee as allowed t 1 reply re- re ply Is It true tru MIss Crandall Cra that you are engaged to 10 be rna married ed to Mr Schuyler Smythe with whom you Were on oi friendly terms at the It IS IS' not true Vee Yee answered answered an- an calmly t and firmly her lovely ely head held high It Is not true then that you ou and fIr Ir Smythe were ere to be mar mar- ned when you were another another an- an other reporter Insisted I f I Vee answered just as calmly an and proudly Will you and Mrs 1 Crandall pose for a news photograph another reporter had the temerity to sug- sug gest gesL Rufus Cr Crandall was about to refuse refuse re- re fuse explosively when Mrs 1 Crandall stepped forward placing her arm affectionately about her daughters daugh ter's shoulders Just one pose gentlemen she said with a charming gracious smile My daughter is really very tired and does riot not look herself at all Cameras w were re hastily forward forward for for- ward and leveled on the touching family group Rufus Crandall unbent un- un be bent to the point of beside beside be- be side Vee- Vee Vee-Vee Vee Vee while Mrs Crandall her arm still affectionately about her shoulders smiled into the cameras cam cam- eras on Vee-Vee's Vee's rIght Vee Vee-Vee could not help admiring the gallantry with which they bowed to a will stronger than their own And she registered a vow as the cameras cameras- clicked to record her proud but gracious smile to protect protect pro pro- the Crandall iame which she had so strangely fallen heir fallen heir to with every ounce of wit and co courage rage that she possessed It If the whole incredible plot was exposed It would not be her fault Here was wasa a very very real thrill at the thought that she would for two o whole months till fill the shoes of Americas America's most st beautiful dollar princess To te continued Vee Vee-Vee Vee Vee continues to play the game but she begins to worry about Jerry Jey Read the next chapter |