Show AM am 0 14 L by H 71 4 AA A A B BENSON E AN S 3 N U service 0 tb the bobb bobbe merrill company SYNOPSIS r following the wedding of her niece cintra which she has financed matilda smith lovely sniff by her own in el stence youngest ana and physically the weightiest of the four lovely bisters sisters in alla Is herself in decidedly straitened circumstances bat but has her own plans for the future which she refuses to d bulge to her sisters prominent fig tires in new york society the historic I 1 lovely onely estate Love lylea in virginia Is owned by a brother bill lee me wl 0 lives in chile s dearest wish la Is to own Love lylea it Is rented to a I 1 r johnstone nesbit under the name madam salton emif establishes her telf self as a little sister ot of the rich a 4 consultant the business promises t to be b remunerative but the other lovely sisters are horrified at her be coming what they term in an adaven hureas CHAPTER IV continued A 4 then sniff recalled that charles had warned her to be on her guard against inch such an occasion this man was a reporter a subtle and insinuating in ter viewer who had got wind of her unusual occupation and she was aas not inclined to be interviewed in an instant she was on her feet the door Is just behind you she told him he cast a deliberate glance toward it well it isn t going to run off be rejoined I 1 fancy I 1 can always inake my getaway and there are some things that I 1 want to know that rm going to ask you I 1 came here for or that then I 1 lost my nerve now ive it ve got it back again you certainly have emif a agreed 0 reed fervently all the nerve in the world despite his remark about a getaway which she recognized as in character tor for a gunman she had definitely abandoned that theory this was a new genus to her but he was wals not a desperado are you a reporter she inquired now considering the alternative theory I 1 no said the man then v why hy should you wish to ques tion me isn t it your job to answer ques I 1 you mean that you want to consult me professionally in that case go back to the waiting room and III send tor for you when I 1 im in ready 1 I I 1 id d really like to oblige the man hesitated but I 1 don t see how I 1 could even if there was any sense in it I 1 d be taking a risk of losing my nerve again and running away and I 1 only actually need your advice on one point buttons appeared bearing a tray on which were a glass of water an apple and the sandwiches emif eyed the food lovingly as did the man jove I 1 im in starving he said cant be lie buy me some like those I 1 could cat eat one of yours while he hes s gone catch 1 he flipped a number of coins in quick succession at buttons who caught them cleverly and with a grin on his freckled face made off oil without waiting for orders feeling that the situation had now gone quite beyond her control mutely held out the plate her self invited guest helped himself and took a large bite before speaking swell sandwiches he mumbled you live high don dont t you in her interest in this new sped men of ku humanity manity emif forgot her hun ger and watched her visitor help him self to another sandwich the first hav hay ing disappeared as she declared after ward 1 l ike ke a conjurers rabbit do have a sandwich he invited her lier hospitably seizing the fast empty ing plate from her hands and offering it to her I 1 can recommend them and it its s a mystery to me how some women get along eating nothing the way they seem to while there are others who never stop eating he added as an afterthought what did one do to put in his place an utter stranger who invaded one ones s office and wolfed one ones s lunch acknowledged that she did not know and accepting his invitation to have one of her own sandwiches munched companionably regarding him ap pral singly the while aside from the pin his attire was conventional A little on the loud side perhaps but well cut and becoming his shoes excellent his ills hands by which she was given to judging char acter were lean nervous strong well proportioned too the fingers neither long nor short the nails well cared for but not polished the hands of a man of taste she decided and then smiled broadly as he continued to eat her sandwiches with relish the word struck her as peculiarly ampro in the circumstances her gaze then traveled to his face ace any prejudice she the might have had was rapidly melting away and she found it an interesting study yon you can have that sandwich she volunteered weakly giving way to the instinct annat in every woman from the time eve shared her only apple with adam to feed the male of the species buttons will be b hire soon with more sure you don dont t want it I 1 he in quiren as nursery manners dictated and nd took it eagerly while she went on XU her mental unexpectedly his voice broke in on her thoughts well vt hats your decision I 1 hope to the lord I 1 don t look such a fool as I 1 am he ile was not unobservant then per haps even he had affected his intense interest in the sandwiches to give her the opportunity to study him buttons arriving with unusual ex lon relle relieved ed her of the necessity of replying cream and olive all out cream and walnut too he explained breath lessly I 1 tools took what they had ready swiss cheese on rye lettuce on whole wheat and two club they 11 do excellently well so long iong as there are enough of them th the stranger averred eyeing the p ie e hun even as he waved aside some change that was offered him are you a man or an ostrich sniff demanded Cem speaking king as if they were childhood friends who had meled amicably for years I 1 warn you right now that I 1 in going to have one of the club sandwiches if you ex pire ot of starvation before my eyes the man too forgot the professional position fair enough but you don t have to get in a pet about it I 1 offered you that last sandwich you know all hon lion arable and aboveboard even though it tore my heart to do it sniff took a club sandwich why were you so famished she inquired casually interrupted at breakfast this morn ing haven t had any appetite for days before he replied mental strain you know too worried to eat and that A a fact 1 I in a bit easier in my mind now that I 1 know you you re the sort to pull a chap out of a scrapes 1 im I 1 dead sure of it so you re in a scrape he ile nodded his head his eyes on her face killed rifled somebody I 1 not yet I 1 bun run away with all the available as sets of a bank no not tempted poverty s not my affliction sniff finished her club sandwich in silence in silence watched him eat until he was satisfied then she rang for buttons to remove what was left and now she said when they had both lighted cigarettes this is not a game of twenty Quest questions lom I 1 expect another client shortly we must get down to business what Is your trouble the man assumed a hang dog air hatchl watching him intently emif decided he alg might t be as much as forty years old although she had previously judged him much younger his expression being singularly ingenuous the trouble Is I 1 can cant t bear fat women he averred no woman of her proportions un der such circumstances could have failed to remember the last time she had stood on her bathroom scales A in an instant she was on her feet the door Is just behind you s sense of the ridiculous warning her against a personal application of the remark she laughed assuring her self that she was not interested in his liles likes or dislikes has your wife put on thirty pounds it its s not so bad as that he said simply I 1 im in not married yet he paused and looked up at the ceiling then with an effort brought his eyes to meet hers please try to believe that I 1 im in not an utter fool when I 1 tell you there s a woman who means to marry me and I 1 in shaking in my shoes for fear some time shell she 11 corner me staff took a deep breath you proposed to her when I 1 mean how long ago I 1 never proposed to her what kind of ass do you think I 1 am then in the name of all that A reasonable it if you re not engaged why should you assume that she wants to marry you D n it all because she does I 1 he said obstinately four years ago she bought a place in the country next to mine since then I 1 cant can t call my soul my own I 1 come to new york the first person I 1 run into in the lobby of my hotel Is mercy so surprised to see me why hadn haan t 11 I 1 said I 1 was corn com ing we might have traveled together such old and dear friends no one could take tale exception to it and gig agles giggles like a school girl comes to my table at breakfast time and says it all over again just as if I 1 didn dian t know her cook Is own sister to mine and that I 1 cant can t wink without the r whole household hearing of it that s now I 1 in speaking of Is it s not the first time it s happened sniff emitted an unladylike whistle my young friend she said I 1 think a retreat is in order travel for a time the chances are that the lady will console herself while you are away and if she doesn doean t when you return you can keep things on a footing of ind fforence from the beginning I 1 ive ve thought of that he returned it its S impossible for me to go away absolutely impossible for purely per bonal reasons yet so long as I 1 stay home I 1 can cant t avoid her she Is ny try n y nearest and only intimate neighbor and when it comes to finding necessity for my advice her fertility of invention Is staggering have to keep on dodging unless you can discover some escape and sooner or later I 1 know hurt her feelings she 11 weep on my shoulder and find myself hooked well then if it Us s inevitable why don dont t you march up to the altar like a man you are very tender of her feelings perhaps you are fonder of her than you think I 1 covertly watched him to see how he took this suggestion his face did not change in a way I 1 am fond of her ohp has been a good friend to me only d n it all she ashes s fat I 1 I 1 wish yo yoi I 1 could see her then you d understand why no man could fancy himself in love with her he made a helpless gesture I 1 will give your case serious thought now you must go sniff rang a bell buttons appeared and at once opened the door into the elevator lobby your fee and when shall I 1 cone con e again you can pay me when I 1 ive ve solved your difficulty come day after tomor row at ile had picked up his hat and coat now he paused on the threshold to in before sniff hid had named an hour ill come to lunch the same time and added with an impish gleam in his eyes I 1 love your lunches the door closed behind him and sniff found herself thinking with sym pathy not strangely enough of her client but of poor mercy who was too fat tor for love I 1 she had a minute or two to recover from her late visitor visitors s audacity before her next client pamela phelps en the girl had written that she would call at two and hoped emif would be able to see her alone you re a dear to find time for me sniff para pam bent and bestowed a kiss on cheek although I 1 ve really come as a customer client what do you call em Non nonsense 1 said its worth money to the whole family when I 1 iron charles out for your mother ill not tale take pay for talking to you you re no problem pam was a tall and solid looking young woman large boned flat faced with nothing to boast of in the way of looks except a clear skin an expires slon of frank good humor and a way of wearing her clothes darling I 1 am about to become a problem she announced as she threw off her furs and sank into a chair that s why I 1 wrote instead of phon ing I 1 was afraid some one would overhear emif raised her brows I 1 im in aware that it lends excitement to youthful life but is it absolutely necessary for your peace of mind to be a nuisance naturally temperament Is a tempha tion yet you ve been rather satis fac tory as you are hot not too terribly pam mother ought to have had a cintra in fact ambition Is seething in tt maternal breast adorned with three ostrich feathers and a of ot tuia I 1 i I 1 am to be offered up on the altar of british respectability I 1 know you re to be presented emif nodded what A the objection I 1 hate the english I 1 loathe social functions I 1 wont won t marry a foreigner and anyway I 1 want to go to wyoming and where do I 1 come in you re to be an angel and per suade your susan to give up the idea not so easy emif the point you see its it s natural she should be ambitious for you pam and it will be a terrible disappointment if you let her down now there theres s bound to be a disappoint ment some time the girls manner left no room for doubt that her mind was made up it had better come sooner than later in her heart she wants me to marry a title just as in tra did she d never understand that it was seeing cintra so perfectly satis fled to give up her own country and be lady leister that convinced me I 1 t be I 1 not even it if I 1 had the luck to find some one as nice as lets leis ter who d like me the british are so consciously superior to all other na eions that I 1 hate them more than I 1 do all the rest put together I 1 won t put myself in a posit position ion where they are justified in classing me as one more american trying to push into euro society I 1 refuse to be humiliated in just that way 1 im in perfectly satis fled at home any other reason pam ram A counter attraction in wyoming by chance sniff looked at her keenly but the girl was patently honest when she shook her head in the negative I 1 was out there summer before last with mr moffatt and peg she was a foxcroft girl too I 1 liked it I 1 want to go there again you say that I 1 ve not been a problem so far well really emif because ive ex a lot of self control life that s just one party after another is intoner ably dull dancing all night and mak ing sprightly conversation to amuse men who don dont t amuse you in the least yet you had a good time cintra told me that you are popular pan ram shrugged heavily I 1 in a phelps and mother gives aw fully good parties that A not doing yourself justice pam you re likable even if you aren t a beauty emif spoke quickly it was growing increasingly clear to her that the girl had had some experience that rankled there had been bitter ness in that mother gives awfully good parties pam said nothing m the girl had a gift of silence it flashed across smite sniff s mind that there would be something ponderous in her resistance it if she were in opposition to you and she went on her words carefully cal take the english crowd that I 1 elster brought over I 1 should say that you were more popular with them than any of the bridesmaids et ex capt possibly eve goodhue and eve Is always hors concouris con cours she has had a wonderful life pam said I 1 don t know a girl I 1 envy more I 1 don t mean her looks I 1 mean the fact that eve comes to all things with a real gusto IN we e poor rich kids were given sports as tasks IN we e were taught to skate we were taught to dive were taught to play golf and tennis we had professional instruct ors in everything we americans are h I 1 on education she ended with a sincere heartiness that would have amazed her mother and nd now she went vent on im expected to go to england and be taught how to manage my court train how to curtsy to royalty how to get out of a room backward backard how to address the nobility and gentry I 1 simply won t do it I 1 won t be accused of chasing after a title no one would ac yes they would she cau caught ht the worda words out of sniffs s mouth impatient ly once I 1 went over it could couldn t be escaped if I 1 married there they d say I 1 d made my catch it if I 1 didn dian t they d make fun of me because I 1 d tried and failed either way it would be abominable I 1 in not a lion hunter the most authentic british lion is safe from pursuit by me I 1 ive ve at least made up my mind to that much and if you 11 break the fact to mother it will be a help regarded the girl contemplo con for a |