I was cold and non-committal, but inwardly I was fit to be tied.
After thinking everything over, I made up my mind to rid Hazel of the kissing William, who I was positive would only make her unhappy. Knowing Hazel's disposition and temperament I realized it would be double useless to attempt to get her to give William the air on my say so, so I determined to bear down on William myself and make him like it.
When I got to our room, Hazel reared up sleepily in bed. "Well," she yawns, "did William talk about me?"
I gave her a queer smile. "I'll say he talked about you!" I says—and nothing more.
The very next morning I sent a long cable to a trustworthy friend in New York asking him to cable back the following to William Richardson Van Cleve II:
Your escapades with women must come to an end. Have stopped your income and you can expect no further financial assistance unless you return home on next boat.
That, I expected, would be the end of Bill as far as me and Hazel were concerned!
A couple of nights later William took us to dinner at
