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Show j ' When Woman Answers I ULLO." I called to Mol-mjtjS Mol-mjtjS "wny aren't you Jk Bffll Rjil "Because my an-jjjjjjl an-jjjjjjl ' kles are too thick," gj lypjp JLy to tell me the rca- can avoid doing so without being either immodest, or or untruthful " For, as I have said, she was swinging in a hammock. Mollie was now smiling; she had been pleased to detect some gleam of humor iu her excuse "I've got the mizzles," she said with touch of pathos J "The ! What did you say?" JL "The mizzles rniserableB, blue6 The m, camellsh growth." "You'll hurt those words in a minute," min-ute," I warned her. ' if you're not careful." "Hugh!" said Mollie. collapsing into the bottom of the hammock. "What's really happened, I suppose." I suggested, "is that you've had your eye wiped." "At tennis'" she cried indignantly raising herself on her elbows "Don't be so infantile," I protested; protest-ed; "as if I meant tennis! ' "O," said Mollie. "you mean "Just that." I assented. Sho struggled into a sitting position. posi-tion. , , . Do vou think there s anybody in this hole who could' Honestly. "I haven't seen all the girls here yet." I said at length. "No " said Mollie scornfully, be-cause'tho be-cause'tho others only come out when it's foggy." "How depressing for them, I murmured mur-mured "Well, if It's not what 1 said, what is It?" ., -It's something quite different "Oho!" I said "Two ID particular" continued Mollie. "Neither of them will leave mo alorre " ... ,tV "With the ether?" I suggested. ' You find It slow, don't vou?" C r O Ant up." said Mollie; "I'm feel ing rotten enough without your beast- . . iy jokes. I wish they'd both leave me alone. I wish everybody would leave me alone. For two pins I d go into a convent. Don't you think lt d b nice in a convent?" "Yes,'' I admitted, "but I don't know that you would I'd try a simpler sim-pler means of getting rid of my admirers. admir-ers. At first, anyhow. Wearing that green frock of vours, for example, or doing your hair over your oars, or " "You needn't be horrid," said Mollie Mol-lie coldly, "I now everything doesn't suit me. And I only did my hair that way once " I said nothing. When one has nothing to say silence is not alv.ayB inadvisable. "Besides," she said, striving to look unconcerned, "it's not that which is worrving me, cither." "No?" "No." She leaned back in the hammock ham-mock and swung herself gently to and fro. It was an even chance that she pitched over on the back of her head I told her so I "You'd have to pick me up if I did " I she said with a smile. "Would you ; mind?" "I should not have warned you otherwise," 1 said "That's very rude and heartless of you," said Mollie with a moue. "And I don't believe it You only wish you had the chance. Only you're too mean to say so " I refrained from comment, and presently she returned to her sheep or lambs is, perhaps, an apter word. "Did you ever read ? I forget the name of the book." I "Who's it by?" "I can't remember that either," she admitted frankly. "I was only a kid , when 1 read it." ' If you knew the color of the cover even,' I murmured "However. I may have read it I can't say deflnlte-1 deflnlte-1 1 haven't, anyhow. Why'" ' Nothing," said Molly; "only . . . I therr v.as a girl in there, you know, who I know you'll laugh, you're so mean Who had two supplicants for hT I favor er?" "Yes. And and they fought tit was quite a kid's book, you know), and she promised the victor, the winner, vou know, her " "Glove," I said hastily, because really some of these court beauties were most indiscreet in selecting tlici r favors. "It was a bunch of ribbons, as a matter of :act," said Mollie with a stare. "It might have been worse." said I Well, w hat's the idea? Do you propose pro-pose that " "They proposed it," interrupted Mollie in a muiiled 'oice. Had I laughed 1 am convinced she would never have forgiven me "An excellent Idea." I said therefore. "As a matter of fact I believe there are some gloves In the house." "Stupid," said Mollie, recovering her composure, "It'll have to be my gloe." "Boxing gloves I mean," 1 said mildl . "As if they'll light that way," said Mollie acornfully. "You bloodthirsty little " 1 began in horror. "Don't be so absurd." sho cried. "I'm going to make them piay tennlo. I I've just made up my inind That s what made me so wretched, worrying ! over what It should be." "Tennis, " I repeated; "and the I winner, er, well, the winner wins, I Buppoae." ' No. ' she corrected, ' the winner i loses " "You see," she explained, "they're ' the two best players here. And i they're about the same class " "So that the loser must try to lose. Is that the idea''" Of course. That'll prove he really means what he says. They're both Jolly conceited about their game, so it will be a sure proof that the loser ' thinks more of me than than of just j winning the game, you know. Eape-1 Eape-1 dally as I shall make them both j promise not to say wby they've lost, j Don't you think I'm clever?" ' Well, you're ingenious, anyhow," i I admitted "And wben is this match coming off?" I "I haven't quite made up my mind ycV; aald. Alollie. "J think the rector's garden party would be a good place, don't you?' "The rector's garden party! When -.s It? I haven't heard about it." "Well, I've said you're going, any-, any-, how So you must. His daughter's ! corning home from France or Bome-wbe Bome-wbe Do "THERE IS ONLY ONE." you think It will be a good place?" "All places." said I. "seem to be equally suitable And the rectors presence will certainly have the additional ad-ditional advantage of enabling the loser to console himself " "Console himself!" cried Mollie. Console himself with the rector?'' "I mean," I explained patiently, "console himself with the reflection" reflec-tion" "I shouldn't go on if I were you." interposed Mollie coldly; "you're rather rude and a little Billy. Bo-sides, Bo-sides, as if I should marry a couple of bos " "1 hope" I Nuld severely , "that you wouldn't marry a couple of anything. One, at a time, is ample." Mollie dropped her eyelids at me diedalnfull and refused to continue the conversation ' By the way," I cried presently struck by a sudden thought, "your acheme won't do at all." "It's jolly well goine; to, anyhow," she said obstinately "Why won't it?" Not If It's Miss Besslngton's home coming,' I said. "She's a great tennis ten-nis player." "How do you know' 0, yes, you met her abroad, didn't you? What's she got to do with it. anyhow'''' "Well," I vontured. "for one "thing they won't like playing badly in front of her; and for another," I hastened to add for my first reason appeared to be lamentably unconvincing "if she knows they're our cracks she won't have much Ideal of our tennis." "To be quite candid," said Mollie 1 find it advisable to avoid riling her further "I haven't considered Miss Beaslngton in relation with my scheme." She jumped out of the hammock and began to walk towards, the house "And I'm not jolly well going to." The rector of Kingsbury had but I recently been appointed to the parish, I and his son and daughter, who had been wandering around the continent for the past year or so, were to make their first bow on the occasion of the garden party. Thej arrived, however, several days before this epoch-making festival, and young Besalngton Inaugurated it was to be hoped a career of public usefulness by pulling Mollie out of a hedge and administering administer-ing first aid to the at that moment more than usually- decrepit motor car which she claims as her own particular par-ticular property. Despite, or it may be owing to, the fact that her car was Incapable of running more than 500 yards without undergoing; lengthy if not exhaustive repair.-', Mollie continued to make use of its servlcos. My friendly inquiries as to the progress her tennb tournament v as making received only vague and impatient im-patient replies. Nevertheless, from the settled look of gloom on the facrs of the two local champions, which I ascribed to Ui lortheuming trlumpii I of love over sport, I concluded that ! she had not seen fit to cancel her ar-1 ar-1 rariKCment Mollie announced her Intention of going in her car to the rectory, and, with a not altogether disinterested kindness, offered to let me drive her. As I was anxious to meet Ml6s Bess-ington Bess-ington once again I firmly, and I 7111 hold politely, declined About an hour after my arrival Miss Bessington informed me that she had certain responsibilities as j hostess, and further that she was 1 anxious to soe the game between our two champions. Whether Mollie s presence would or would not have counteracted the effect ef-fect of Miss Bessington and her tennis ten-nis reputation I am unable to say. As, however, she wandered carelessly away with Bessington almost before , the struggle between her two champ- ions began she missed Bering the hardest fought se-t In the memory of the youngest Inhabitant. She did not appear again on the scene until the conclusion of the match In time to hear Miss Bessington Bess-ington enthusiastically complimenting compliment-ing the players. Despite, the fact that Mollie is my cousin 1 have somehow managed to retain some shreds of admiration for her. On this occasion she merited a whole piece. Except for the sparkle in her eye6 she appeared almost pleased, and the tone iu which she added her congratulations, was, at all eventB, sufficlenth sweet to deceive an Inattentive listener "Well?" I said when I got her alone "Pigs!" she said viciously. "Apparently," I remarked pleasantly, pleasant-ly, "they love honor more." "Honor!" said Mollie scornfully., "They don't know the meaning of the word. They both gave me their word j they'd lose." "Well, one has kept his word " I pointed out "that's a far average, you know He, at any rat-1, Will get i his reward " "Certainly not," asld Mollie sharp-ly; sharp-ly; "not under tne circumstances" "The circumstances are un- ( changed," I aid judicially, "only I If they had both won would they be 1 I changed." "J don't mean those circumstances." she explained, damaging the turf with the point of her sunshade "What others are there?" I asked in surprise "Others'" cried Mollie, indignantly. "There's only one." "Well, what is the circumstance ," i But as Bessington came, up at this moment my question received and required re-quired no answ er. Jingles I Rnles of the House. "What kind of a place are you running run-ning anyhow?' thundered the excited guest, as he slammed down his key ' upon the hotel clerk's desk "The rain leaJted through your rotten old roof last night on my bed and Boaked me from head to foot!" "I am very 60rry, 1 assure you, sir." said the polite clerk, as he made a memorandum, "for now, according to ' the rules of the house, I shall have to charge you for a bath." Tacitly Included. ! "Your list seems to be rather incomplete, in-complete, " said the smart guest at the j summer hotel, as ho looked through the bill of fare. "I see you serve turkey, chicken, lamb, ducks and j quail, but make no mention of hogs " "No," admitted the intelligent col- j lege student waiter, ' there Is no mention men-tion of hogs; but it is tacitly understood under-stood that we serve them, however. What will you have, sir?" 1 Suspicious. Hlremaun You seem to handle the auto pretty well, but before I engage you as my chauffeur I must see a recommendation rec-ommendation from your former employer. em-ployer. Chauffeur Applicant I'm sorry, sir. but I can't get no recommendation till j the end of next week. t Hlremaun Why will it take th;U i Chauffeur Applicant -My old boss, ir, won't be out of the hospital till then. 1 |
