Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1917 — OUTWITTING FATHER [ARTICLE]

OUTWITTING FATHER

By LOUIBA LA ROCQUE.

Betty flew to the telephone as soon.’ as she heard her father’s car nxrvai away. “Oh, Jim, I must see you right! away. I’ve something awful to telh you,” she cried to someone who an-« swered her calL “All right. I was just going to ring you up and ask you to go for a ride. It’s a peach of a day, and I can’t settle down to a thing for thinking of you.” “All right, dear. Pd love to go. I’ll' be ready In five minutes. Mind, it's awful news I’ve got to tell you!” "Can’t be worse than mine,” came back gloomily. “Well console each other. That’s something, anyway.” In five minutes Jim Stetson's roadster was at the door of the Kingsland* and Betty got in. “What’s wrong, dear?” The car moved away toward the country, where blossoms and young life were turning the world into fairyland. r “Dad says he won’t have you Ranging round. He called you all sorts of dreadful things—a loafer, and a spendthrift, and—rand , too good-looking for your own or any girl’s happiness—that’s what' he said,” she sobbed intoa soft little handkerchief. "And he said that he had —plans for me. There was someone else he wanted me to marry.” “Well —I’ll be hanged,” exclaimed: Jim, putting an arm around her heaving shoulders. "That’s about the dope I’ve been getting from father, too !• What’s the matter with everybody?” Betty wiped her eyes indignantly. "You don’t mean that your own father Is down on you, too !” “Not me—no, it’s you.’ “What do you mean?” “He said you were extravagant and foolish, and that he wasn’t going to have me making, a goose of myself over a pair of eyes and a pretty face!” “Jim! Why. he doesn’t know what I look like! He never saw me!” “No more did your father ever see me. I’m as freshly hatched out of the college egg as you are.” “It’s queer,” sighed Betty, “and very hard to bear! They can’t make me marry anybody-else, so there. Hl die first. Can you think of anything?" “I’m willing to do anything for you, dear. I’ve always meant to go to work. But father’s so busy with his patients, he doesn’t have time to think of me. I’ve been waiting to have a good talk with him.” “Why don’t you go into a bank?” exclaimed Betty. And then suddenly, “I have the very thing! Father says he’s looking for someone In the bank. I could get Uncle Harvey to recommend you, and you could take another name and make father see how wonderful you are.” ; " ...... ’“That wouldn’i be a bad stunt I w’onder If I can work It I would Hke to show your dad that I’m not altogether a good-for-nothing. I wish father could get to know you better, too. I know what a splendid little person you are! He was singing the praises of his office assistant who just got married, and how she worked and did this and that and the other thing. Betty caught his arm. “Jim! Do you think Pd do?” “You couldn’t stand that kind *of work, It’s very bard —and long hours.’*

“If he doesn’t have to have a regular professional nurse. I believe I' could do it. I’d soon learn, and I wouldn’t mind the long hours, if you think you could get me. the place.” ! “I’ll try, Betty, dear, If -you really want me to.” By pulling certain ropes and wires another week found Jim in Betty’s father’s bank, and Betty in Jim’s father’s office. The days grew hot and air stiffing. There was a general exodus among their friends to seashore and mountains, but they stuck to their posts and worked bravely on. Jim felt once or twice that it was rather an uphill task when things were heaped on him that no one else wanted to do. Betty, too, had days when she was too tired to care what happened. The hottest, busiest ones seemed to be the very time Doctor Stetson thought of restocking drugs or of rearranging instrument cabinets. Lately Doctor Stetson had praised her several times for quick judgment and accuracy as well as courage* "You’ll have to have a vacation soon. Miss Knox,” for such was the name Betty had taken. “You are looking a bit tired. I’m thinking nf closing up the office the last two weeks of July. Think you can last so long?” ...... - “Oh, thank you, yes!» answered Betty gratefully. * ~ Jim took bis vacation then, also. He was going away with his father. Out in a launch on a beautiful Canadian lake one day in the next fortnight the Kingslands passed another boat containing two men. -- ■ “Jim Stetson!” cried Betty. “Doctor Stetson!” corrected her father, “and a young Mr. Stockdale, who is in the bank.” In the other boat Jim had exclaimed involuntarily, “There’s Betty Kingsland !” “Mr. aryl Mrs. Kingsland!” corrected his father?*and a Mias Knox whom I told you about in my office.” An hour later they all met on the piazza of the hotel. There was no use trying to carry the masquerade any further, especially as Uncle Harvey had appeared, and he knew everything. And while they were congratulating each other on the success of some plan or other, Betty and Jim slipped away, down a solitary path by the lake. (Copyright, »n. by the McClure Hnwspa per Syndicate.)