Part 31 (1/2)

”It's worse than you think,” Peter co for me Why should she?”

”Why, indeed?”

”It's because she's gone and promised to marry Bayard Shaynon”

P Sybarite looked dazed

”She? Bayard Shaynon? Who's the girl?”

”Marian Blessington Why do you ask? Do you know her?”

There was a pause P Sybarite blinked furiously

”I've heard that nath ”Isn't she old Brian's ward--the girl who disappeared recently?”

”She didn't disappear, really She's been staying with friends--told me so herself That's all the foundation the _Journal_ had for its story”

”Friends?”

”So she said”

”Did she name them?”

”No--”

”Or say where?”

”No; but some place out of town, of course”

”Of course,” P Sybarite repeated ar ”And she told you she meant to marry Bayard Shaynon, did she!”

”She said she'd promised And that,” the boy broke out, ”hat drove me crazy He's--he's--well, you knohat he is”

”His father's son,” said P Sybarite glooht--the old man, too; and after what Marian had told me, I just couldn't trust myself to meet or speak to either of theed from costume to these clothes, and went out to make a besotted ass of myself

Naturally I landed in Dutch House And there--the first thing I noticed when I went in was old Shaynon, sitting at the saine my surprise--I'd left hiining it, Peter Get ahead”