Show n The e Fourth Lovely Lady i By r THERESE R SE BENSON te 10 nI I mr r. r tit ij TER ER VIII VIII Continued Continued 9 9 doesn't Uk like Ilk Carola Carols Mason if It the she set gets eta out of going to tosh sh ahe he cant can't expect to have bave every every- ff er own OD way war not Dot ask uk Mrs lira Mason to stay Itar 10 m in Ln Sutton Button place until the thea rt I a schools close closet closer o t you fOU would be with spoke spot a conclusively Catra married I 1 promised myrer my my- ver fer again to shoulder the re re- of a young girl IrL As you rou am aID moat malt be prepared prepare to make concession Send Sen her ber to me if It Jells too ton seriously an and Ill I'll talk to agreeing after several leveral conferences was wal wasill Susan and andi ill Ii arrangement an I i sailed Pam ram and Mrs Mra Mason lIason Into a state of ot armed neutral neutral- tone tow earn Came and went went- saw if t f her sisters excusing herself manly dinners on the score of ot ting in an excuse they thel accepted although hopeless of ot a change better In 10 her appearance As AI a f of ot fact tact she he was losing weight sow DOW and Docton Blanton I to think It advisable to keep a aitch itch over OTer her me e Georgette had bad been obliged i her bet clothes clothel several times time and In 10 her ber looks look was wu at even eYen to herself while woman was wu loud to In n her bee exi ex- ex i of ot admiration as aI she Ibe set let pins cite cats the line she wished i had hid gone back to Virginia ten efort ore and was surprised tow to tow tow w much she missed both him hime it e dogs clop As AI companions thed the nd eI d taken precedence over all reeds and were first among the the she promised herself for tor Lover LoveIng Love- Love Ing r g back at dusk dUlt along the Fifth boundary of ot Central park a ar r down clown the street slipped lIpped a leash lensh o dogs clor came racing toward her ber upon her ber with enthusiasm 7 y knew you before I did Stone ted eel when he came up to her nul nearly polled me off orr my ml feet feeL ju U II If th thu comment was wan forced him m ID Jo Jove you yon are like my ml I 1 Mainly am am agreed 1 think you yon would find yourself elf n lit me grandmother n mother Hows How's Love Love- Love Love-f feet Stone replied replied- Its It neigh neigh- re Its only drawback One of m train my today todar a asked ed Then Theo In 10 tion of an affirmative nod singleness of ot purpose deserves reward eward What brings youe you pe e thing that brought her her to to b Stone assured her Ive hall had inspiration Why dont don't you IOU ind nd n pay pal me a visit You'd Yond like again wouldn't you you 7 my 11 deserves Its Ill name In early to see lee again It p to as if It the muscles of v i Mould G S. S Terrible to Suspect I III She She's he's hes My Own Cousin at t tightened around her heart I ere n the thought but she ahe shook Id 10 the yeth J negative Not yet t was Wal Id Idl J to go back to Virginia I walked Vi on aD for some me moments ode ClU bt be down oa on you fOU bri bright ht and aDd o o atone warned her ker at abel hed have kave been after you it If shed she'd knows bOWD where you JOn UTe UYe her w tell be her your lour name Dame Isn't Int It kites Salton It V t Kid 1114 Its ita none DODe of ot her ber J as 1 long as AI I dont don't know her bu hert t r. J. J dear pm rm afraid you IOU dont don't h y tutu wit wife as Li abruptly abruptly as u if tf the signals were against her bas e yo you tied ed yourself op up with she asked ked tight ot t you fou advise mt me tor tol Stone i 1 ID an n Injured aIr air ever advise anybody f I. I well Stone looked at he her r eo i I evidently misunderstood food i Clu of tt dogs oti s s ss 1 S TilE THE STORY FROM THE OPENING CHAPTER elde Smith Lovely Loftly The Th youngest family and the w h ot of the tha tour four e Lovely Loul lter lIten find ands herself la In d. d de- de live In Chit Chile sir wh estate Loul I. I In I. I owned b dearest m I. I to own tr by brother broth r- r Ie who Salton establishes as a a Little Lovelle It S. S Ia 1 rented to a Mr air Ir Johnstone o N Nesbit Under th the name Madame Madam Sister Siller the th pursuit of in an mn r JL IJ ot of 1 the Rich a consultant She Bhe h. h has ha a client who desires desire to evade Id tout stout Martha wv Washington Mercedes comes Her alor lady 11 whom hom h he b. refer refers to IB as Mercy tt Later r ih the i. i lad lady ir In Question in Mica HI ui story Ia I. advises her to dIet until she aha h. h has reduced that of her sides nen weight weIcht I she h. h has most her lover loyer Johnn Johnny Merc satisfactory Mercy Merc win will follow her example For Fora Mercy that should hould tr try the cure and It if the results art are la is a. a generou fn fee consent Johnn Johnny discovers recognised b by as the tallant Identity and hood In France Franca and England Circumstances ot of LovelI Johnstone Nesbit U. U tells her a a. story of If hl hi child chilli- leely made him the lease of Unused to Virginias VirginIa the wa he h. grandmother anI and tell len conventions nth the and portrait o is I. J. J Condemned 11 I. I that b by H h his n neighbor b a. a not a gentleman lit Its h. h has ha a ai miniature way e of his hi thought great gnat ait Onions he and are cousins V of f Lorraine LoY LoYal Lovely also aho an ancestress of According to Virginia traIn tra tra- In New York Tork HI III real nam name li I. I n Rockwell V but reducing for course give Jy promise of splendid r re result Nesbit take taku nn In apartment ly 1 Stone family reasons reason h he h. took the th name nam of Nesbit Johnston Johnstone 1 familiar familiar- on a trifle Incoherently rm Tea afraid she wouldn't make them happy hapPY Im Im I'm afraid she be doesn't really understand bulldogs When youre you're married you'd bett better tetter r give them to me Stone And how about making me happy Stone demanded I 1 keep asking you rou that Isn't that worthy of consideration considers tl tion nr Of Ot a sudden doubted the au an- of ot his bis news newL I dont don't believe youre you're engaged to Mercy at all she said trying to conceal conceal con con- ceal the relief the thought gave herI her I I dont don't believe you yon have bue the nerve Dene to propose to her When the time Ume comes comel Ill I'll probably have bane to do It for yon You'd be afraid Of course conne rd Id be afraid afraid afraid-afraid afraid shed she'd accept me Looking on OD It as her last lut chance perhaps while youve you've been beating banting she's abel been stuffing her self lilt Indulging In ID ina a perfect orgy of ot otrich rich food tood Walt till you rou see gee her hen berl I Walt Watt till WI she abe sees leea me met l I I prophesy that shell she'll rush to the telephone and make an immediate appointment with Doctor Blanton And when he be has brought her ber back to her former loveliness loveliness love love- liness you'll sing a different tune Indeed Stone stared at her curi curt I rim Im interested to know what makes you yon so 10 certain of that than At her herbest herbest herbest best 1 I wasn't stuck on Mercy Why should you both be so 10 sure lure sure I 1 will wm be benow benow now stared back at him her mouth month slightly open ollen her whole expression that of ot one transfixed by bl amazement Why indeed But Dut you said sales she began weakly I J said Mid I hated bated fat people Well so 10 I do But Im I'm not of ot no so loving a disposition that I love everybody who happens happen to be thin And for tor all of ot me Mercy will die an old maid fat or thin thin- That certainly complicates mat tern admitted She had surprised herself by bf her sudden revulsion of nf feeling at the suggestion sug eug- of hit hta en engagement to Mercy Jerry since It would be so M convenient an arrangement arrangement ar It 11 occurred to her that It was not so 10 much that she objected to the marriage as 81 that lint she objected to his succumbing voluntarily Arrived at the Badminton she sal said good good-by to the dogs while Stone n kt 1 if it he bp could take her out to dinner r somewhere You Tou forget forJet that 1 I no longer eat she raid saki with a smile May fall I come ome to we ice e you rou after dinner then Have nave a heart rye Ive g x t t t t. t In go 0 somewhere to escape caps Mercy Shell be dropping In to see my sweet lull bachelor as 1 sure as 1 fate fat For a m moment ment Come Comp of course coane she ehe said On Only I Doctor Blanton will be here and ADd I dont don't know whether you OU will like hit him l or r not 1101 Doctor Blanton will be tie h here re You mean upstairs In to y mr tr own living room Certainly mU returned stir sur Why not non 1 I prefer t to see Ife my friends friend In my own quarters Unless he comes ss as your doctor I receive eive hits him In dont don't think you OU should ret your four private prInte rooms room stamped her font foot Stone how can you jou be he I so o ridiculous lous Iou Dont Don't I receive you jou OU there Yes Tes Stone admitted with portentous tons tous gravity Yes you do And that thatis thatis is 11 entirely different Plainly t this mans man's In love with you yon while Im I'm on only I your cousin Unable to find words word to fit nt th the ra Cn case e. e i Scott whirled and left lef him turn standing ODthe on OD the pavement C e e e e e e Miss Mercedes paid the second Instalment Instalment In In- of the ten tn thousand dollars dilar s with secret unwillingness and outward alacrity There w. w was no excuse for herto her herto herto r to evade the payment as II she was genuinely gen cen I nicely Impressed with the change In iii a I figure The woman actually ap appeared ared to tobe tobe t o be passably good she lb said laId t to o Stone Probably It was III in Ia contrast contras ts t to her ber previous weight Now It If this s doctor do as al much for me me- me me The e ef the result expected erected expect erect ed evidently baffled description As AI an aD unwilling martyr she abe submitted sub witted to Doctor Blantons Blanton's examination examina lion tion and aDd was WAI aghast at his hll advice and an d prognosis be he being cf ot the opinion that tha t kindness was Wal wasted Waited on women of he her ber r type tWe Certainly I 1 reduced Madame Salton Sal Sat ton tou be said She was waa an aD obedient and uncomplaining patient She 8 ha had hac d the nerve nene to stick sUck to her lIer regime and andaU under e t et aU all temptation You Ton wont won't have hue bu but t yon t M out out and and It If yon U Ue e to me about It Ill ID not net only charge charle charlei e eo you yon double doable but Ill I'll probably refuse t to tol o bother myself any more about you yon I l was wal rood good for tor Ml H Mr- Mr er reds cedes soul She became humble under onder It II and said Bald et everything she could to convince Doctor Blanton of her ber forti fort tude and rectitude was growing crowing more and more discontented with her business She was constantly busy and almost as constantly bored The monetary return re reo return turn was all that she had pictured ItIn It In her most sanguine moments but the human Interest was WIS lacking I 1 might as a well be a trained nurse nune specializing In the care of ot the feebleminded feebleminded feeble feeble- feebleminded minded for all the fun tun I 1 get out of It It she groaned as she went to answer a call on the telephone I cant can't take Imaginary Lila ilia seriously Some time before Pamela Phelps had taken up miniature painting Settled Settled Set Set- at the Manor lIanor for the summer lummer months she Ibe still lUll came tame to town for lea les sons It was wal she now DOW who was Wal on the phone speaking from a distance and In evident agitation Im on my mr way war to town Dont Don't go co out till I 1 get there I must see lee yon yonn Promise me you wont won't go co out And oh oh try to see me at once onre My I nerves are all shot What Is the matter matterT asked sharply Of Ot course Ill I'll see lee you but you but what's wrong The phone was Wal dead Instantly on receiving her promise Pam had hung bung up When hen the girl arrived looking white and strained her hair hale straggling out from beneath her smart bat hat the first tint thing asked was Tell me have me-have have you rou killed anyone No So Pam answered I 1 wish I I had bad I only slapped the fools fool's face Like Ilke an anzel angel give me m. a cigarette while I pull pun myself together Ive I've driven in so 10 fast fut everything's still moving and Its It's one oneat of at the worlds world's wonders wandell why I wasn't given ghen a whole bunch of at tickets Lets have It It Pam I 1 doubt If Its It's as bad as III you OU think It is II Is sug eug suggested rested gently Pam ram drew a deep and audible breath Im being blackmailed the she said suc lue That was something she had not nol ex expected IJ yet let never winced What torn form has hils the hl blackmail taken she Inquired A demand for two hundred thousand thou thou- sand and dollars Pam lam answered Which nf of course e not heinz of age 1 I haven't ent rot cot live me mt all the HIP detail details Pam iam an and 1 il tn In n I loot tu so dt desperate 1 1 feel 11 d dt desperate erate the IIII lie girl sell said 1 with witha a p Infill gulp I 1 feel soiled dolled as u If Id I'd really done bone something disgraceful the Ih niom it tt m my m mother b hack haik k was II turned Hut HIli Ive I've done Itne You Villi dont don't have h to tell II n D. na that replied dont ont I 1 know knoll you yon r At tt 1115 lit the th girl began to 0 cry childish childish child child- ish tears of relaxed tendon Youre H n brick I in might In lit have known n you'd 1111 1 by II are ure al- al w such a II rock to tn lean on 1111 on She he wiped tier her eyes eye determinedly and sat lIat forward In III tier lier hair Vow ow 1 0 listen she said Ill tr try to tell tIll you rou everything every eiery thing exactly as AI It happened and you'll 1111 lie be able to in see If it Im I'm o 0 blame Marue In any 3 1 way Id I'd teen looking around for to do III l' l I 1 can Cnn dr draw w a II little tutu mid Cousin arnin suggested I might be able to In do to miniature miniatures copying from photographs phs you yno under under- stand Mother then remarked that she Willi would III love Une to tn lucre n ft good copy py pyor of or a miniature of one of the ancestors an luther has the nr I Inet Iwas was net feeling pretty II mushy hl abou because t e she had hind consented to II let me ml stay at nt home and I determined to 10 copy It for her and If I didn't t sue Id I'd have hate some one else do It aIa aa as aI asa a surprise understand I wanted to take some lome lessons thinking that a II teacher would be able to correct my 01 drawing keep me up to tile the mark generally and solve the difficulties dim I was hound to have with a medium that flat was new u to me DIe Cousin Carola Carols It turned out out had heard bard of exactly the right person raon This w. w was a Monsieur lIb rose a Belgian Delallo refugee who whit had fro first gone to England with with I bl his old mother When she be died be he became came here and not having the right Introductions Introduction had not been very erl suc Also he bad had married had bad a sweet little wife and three babies These Thele expenses bad made It necessary for him to give live lessons although naturally nat be was 1111 nothing short of a genius and Cousin Carola appeared to fo consider It a s great eat coode condescension on his hll part Cousin Carola Carols seems to play quite a part In to this tale tile remarked dry dryly I Pamela amela colored It would be terrible ter ibis to suspect inspect her ber she Ibe said trem trem- my 18 own cousin Any Any- how low even before father tather and mother sailed flailed 1 I had begun to tako take lessons lelson Monsieur had a little studio In his hll house I never saw law the man work but he be talked largely of at pictures I he h. bad had |