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"Delightful!" said Ruth pleasantly "Do I know the lady?"

"Indeed you do," he said watching her with satisfaction "You've known, for several years that you were the only one for me, and I've co I mean business now!"

He crossed his fat leather puttees creakily and swelled out, trying to look firm He had decided that he must impress her with the seriousness of the occasion

But Ruth only laughed ot out of short trousers, and she had always laughed him out of it The first time she told him that she was only a kid and he wasn't much more himself, and she didn't want to hear any rown less troublesohborly playreatly disturbed by the turn of the conversation In fact, she was too much upset and annoyed by the sudden departure of Caht's voice

"Ihis double chin and rolling out his fat lips ier"

Ruth's face sobered: "I certainly never had an idea of playing with you, Harry I think I've always been quite frank with you"

Wainwright felt that he wasn't getting on quite as well as he had planned He frowned and sat up: "Now see here, Ruth! Let's talk this thing over!" he said, drawing the big leather chair in which he was sitting nearer to hers

But Ruth's glance had wandered out of the"Why, there coerly and slipped out of her chair to the door just as one of Wainwright's smooth fat hands reached out to take hold of the arm of her rocker "I'll open the door for hiht away"

There was nothing for Wainwright to do but reeted Wetherill with no very good grace, and his large lips pouted out sulkily as he relaxed into his chair again to await the departure of the intruder

Lieutenant Wetherill was quite overwhel he received from Ruth and settled down to enjoy it while it lasted With a wicked glance of triumph at his rival he laid hi as possible He produced a gorgeous box of bonbons and arranged hirew darker and his lips pouted out farther and farther under his petted little reat bore to Ruth just noith her mind full of the annoyance about Cameron At least she would have preferred to have had her talk with hirave;-tête with Wainwright just now; so she ate bonbons and asked questions, and kept the conversation going, ignoring Wainwright's increasing grouch