Bab - A Sub Deb - Page 15/77

"Sure there are, lace paper and Cupids--lots of that sort. But there's

only one Harold Valentine, and now you've got him pinned to the wall!

I'll tell you what I'll do, Barbara. I'm a real friend of yours. Always

have been. Always will be. The chances are against the Familey letting

him get this letter. I'll give it to him."

"GIVE it to him?"

"Why, he's here. You know that, don't you? He's in town over the

holadays."

"Oh, no!" I said in a gasping Voice.

"Sorry," he said. "Probably meant it as a surprize to you. Yes, he's

here, with bells on."

He then put the letter in his pocket before my very eyes, and sat down

on the corner of the writing table!

"You don't know how all this has releived my mind," he said. "The poor

chap's been looking down. Not interested in anything. Of course this

explains it. He' s the sort to take Love hard. At college he took

everything hard--like to have died once with German meazles."

He picked up a book, and the charred picture was underneath. He pounced

on it. "Pounced" is exactly the right word.

"Hello!" he said. "Familey again, I suppose. Yes, it's Hal, all right.

Well, who would have thought it!"

My last hope died. Then and there I had a nervous chill. I was compelled

to prop my chin on my hand to keep my teeth from chattering.

"Tell you what I'll do," he said, in a perfectly cheerfull tone that

made me cold all over. "I'll be the Cupid for your Valentine. See?

Far be it from me to see Love's young dream wiped out by a hardhearted

Familey. I'm going to see this thing through. You count on me, Barbara.

I'll arrange that you get a chance to see each other, Familey or no

Familey. Old Hal has been looking down his nose long enough. When's your

first party?"

"Tomorrow night," I gasped out.

"Very well. Tomorrow night it is. It's the Adams's, isn't it, at the

Club?"

I could only nod. I was beyond speaking. I saw it all clearly. I had

been wicked in decieving my dear Familey and now I was to pay the

Penalty. He would know at once that I had made him up, or rather he did

not know me and therefore could not possibly be in Love with me. And

what then?

"But look here," he said, "if I take him there as Valentine, the Familey

will be on, you know. We'd better call him something else. Got any

choice as to a name?"