"BAB A SUB-DEB" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rinehart Mary Roberts)

"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?"
"Carter" I said franticaly. "I think I'd better tell you.
I----"
"How about calling him Grosvenor?". he babbled on.
"Grosvenor's a good name. Ted Grosvenor--that ought to hit them
between the eyes. It's going to be rather a lark, Miss Bab!"
And of course just then mother came in, and the Brooks
idiot went in and poured her a cup of tea, with his little
finger stuck out at a right angel, and every time he had a
chance he winked at me.
I wanted to die.
When they had all gone home it seemed like a bad dream, the
whole thing. It could not be true. I went upstairs and manacured
my nails, which usually comforts me, and put my hair up like