The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-12-22
CONTINUED

gloves, she was sui wearing al even
ing cloak of lace and fur.
That she was Chilcote's wife Loder
instinctively realized the moment she
entered the room. But disconcerting
confusion of ideas was oil that fol-
lowed the knowledge. He stood by the
desk, silent and awkward, trying to fit
his expectations to his knowledge.
Then, faced by the hopelessness of the
task. he turned abruptly and looked at
her again.
She had taken off her cloak and was
standing by the fire. The compulslon
of moving through life alone had set
its seal upon her in certain self pos
session, q certain confidence of pose,
yet her figure as Loder then saw it,
backgrounded by the dark books and
gowned in pale blue, had a suggestion
Of youthfulness that seemed a contra
diction. The remembrance of Chill
cote's epithets cold" and 'unsympa-
thetic" came back to him with some
thing like establishment He felt no
uncertainty, no dread of discovery and
humiliation in her presence as he had
felt in the maids, yet there was some
thing IN her face that made him inf
nitely more uncomfortable, a look he
could find no name for, a frIendliness
that studiously covered another feel
Ing, whether question, distrust or &C
tual dislike he could not say. With a
strange sensation of awkwardness he
sorted Chilcote's letters, waiting for
her to speak.
AS If divlning his thought she turn
ed toward him. I'm afraid rather
intrude," she said. eff you are busy
His sense of courtesy was touched.
He had begun life with high opinion
of women, and the words shook up an
echo of the old sentiment
Don't think that" he said hastily.
II was only looking through-my let
tiers. You mustn't rate yourself below
letters" He was conscious that his
tone was hurried, that his words were
q little jagged, but Eve did not appear
to notice. Unlike Greening, she took
the new manner without surprise. She
had known Chilcote for six years.
81 dined with the Fraides tonight"
she said. "Afr. Fraide sent you a mes
sage" %
Unconsciously Loder smiled. There
was humor in the thought of a mes
sage to him from the great Fraide. To
hide his amusement he wheeled one of
the big lounge chairs forward
Indeed" he said. Wont you sit
DOWN."
They were near together now, and
he saw her face more fully. Again he
of her as successful and intelligent,
but never as beautiful Yet her beauty
was a rare and uncommon fact. Her
hair was black-not glossy black, but
the dusky black that is softer than any
brown-her eyes were large and of a
peculiarly pure blue, and her eyelashes
were black, beautifully curved and of
remarkable thickness.
Wont you sit DOWN. he said again,
cutting short his thoughts with some
confusion.
THANK you" She gravely accepted
the profered chair. But he saw that
without any ostentation she drew her
skirts aside as she passed him. The
action displeased him unaccountably.
'Well," he said shortly, what had
Fraide to say?" He walked to the
mantelpiece with his customary move
ment and stood watching her. The in
stinct toward hiding his face had left
him. Her instant and uninterested ac-
ceptance Of him almost nettled him.
His own half contemptuous impression
of Chilcote came to him unpleasantly
and with 1t the first desire to assert his
own individuality. Stung by the con-
flicting emotions, he felt in Chilcote's
pockets for something to smoke.
Eve saw and interpreted the action.
''Are these your cigarettes?" She lean
ed toward a small table and took up
box made Of lizard skin
Thanks" He took the box from
her, and as it passed from one to the
other he saw her glance at his rings.
The glance was momentary. Her lips
parted to express question or surprise,
then closed again without comment
More than any spoken words the Incl
dent showed him the gulf that sepa-
rated husband and wife.
Well" he said again, what about
Fraide?
At his words she sat straighter and
looked at him more directly, as If brac-
ing herself to a task.
Mr.. Fraide isis as interested as
ever in you" she began.
"Or in you?" Loder made the inter
ruption precisely as he felt Chilcote
would have made it Then instantly he
wished the words back
Ewes warm skin colored more deep
". For a second the inserutable IN
DERIVING expression that puzzled him
showed IN her eyes, then she sank
back into a corner Of the chair
why do you make such a point of
sneering at my friends?" she asked
quietly. Il overlook it when you are
nervous" She halted slightly on the
word But you are not nervous to-