“Please don’t hold me responsible. I only owe that title to the fact that my father used to tease and flatter me by allowing me to play I was the little princess of the fairy stories we used to read together. No one has less right to the title!”
Weary of Bettina’s appearing the center of the attention, Julie now made an effort to draw her away.
“You promised to show me more of the gardens, Miss Graham. Please let us walk on toward the Fountain Gardens. Marguerite and Mr. Hale will follow or else we can come back here for them,” she pleaded.
During the remainder of the afternoon Julie managed to remain always with Bettina, keeping her separated from any intimate conversation with David Hale.
CHAPTER XVI
Another Afternoon in Paris
On this same day Sally Ashton and Dan Webster spent the latter part of the afternoon together in the city of Paris.
They had started out with the others, but before they had walked more than a few blocks from the house, Dan joined Sally who was beside her sister and Lieutenant Fleury and deliberately interrupted them.
“I say, Sally, I want you to go into Paris with me for the afternoon. I have an especial reason. Oh yes, I realize it isn’t considered the thing to do in France, but you and I are like brother and sister. Besides I asked permission and Tante wishes you to go.”
Dan’s bluntness, his boyish straight forwardness were a trifle annoying, nevertheless, after a little demurring and a slight shrugging of her shoulders, Sally agreed.
She was looking a good deal better than she had in some time past; there was more than a hint of the former and more familiar Sally in the mischievous gleam in her brown eyes and in the fleeting suggestion of dimples in her more rounded cheeks.