She had told him of Mabel's plight and was
asking him to help her clear up some of the shades and shadows.
"Tell me, Jack," she asked, "what happened the night you followed
Mabel out of the pavilion--the night that man gave her the false
message?" Jack thrust his hands deep into his pockets, and looked
very serious--for him. "To tell the truth, Cora," he began, "I had
to make love to Mabel to get her out of his clutches."
"Make love to her, Jack!"
"Nothing smaller would do but you know, sis, the love was only a
sort of sample, the kind a fellow might safely give away to any
girl."
Cora laughed. "You funny boy," she said, "to flatter a girl to save
her from--flattery."
"But didn't you ask me to? Didn't you say to watch Mabel that time
you whispered as I was leaving? You are the funny one. It was you
that put the wicked plot in my fair young head," and he sighed in
mock sincerity.
"But honestly, did you see that man give her the telegram? It seems
to me you might be a witness should there be trouble."
Jack jumped up. "Oh, no, you don't, sis!" he declared. "You don't
get me in any further mischief. Mabel is too fond of me now."
"Jack, don't be silly! I want you to wire the editor of the Chelton
paper that, owing to the sudden illness of Miss Jeannette Blake, her
niece, Miss Mabel Blake, has been compelled to stop her musical
studies, and postpone her debut as a singer.
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