Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-30
Continued from Saturday,

She smiled. Il haven't really been
much laid up at all. I've only been
a little overtired. People worry about
me too much, Mr.. Crosby. 1 have a
poor heart, but I'm always pretty
careful of myself; yet neither Mr.. Ta-
Dor nor Lady can seem to let me out of
their sight. I don't like It..
She brushed her hair from her fore
head with a weary little gesture of i'm
patience. She looked very much as a
pretty spoiled child might have. Yet I
felt rather disloyal to the rest of them
in listening. OF course. Mrs. Tabor
meant nothing; she was merely tired
and fretful; but still, 1 did not like
being made the confident of these fam
fly p~etulances. Lady, [ knew, loved
her mother devotedly. and so did Mr..
Tabor-at least, he had given every
evidence of affection.
How would you like it. Mr.. Crosby"
she added, IF you could neve go out
for even a walk all alone? And Ar.
Tabor has been acting so strangely all
this while-as If he n Lady shared
some secret that they were anxious
to keep from me of all people"
l was by now frankly embarrassed
and / must nave shown It. II don't
quite see why I began.
Are you In the secret. too7" she
asked suddenly.
My hair prickled. mo, of course
not" 1 stammered. And l don't real
ly think that there can be any secret.
Mrs. Tabor, or anything they would
keep away from you" Yet I began to
wonder whether she were acting clev
erly in ignorance of how much | really
did know, or were actually guarded
from all knowledge of the admitted
mystery. While I scrambled after a
safe word I heard the crunch of wheels
upon the gravel.
There they are now" 1 said.
Lady and her father came hurrying
into the room with all the air Of hav-
ing come home merely to touch base,
as the children say; as If they but
wished to inform themselves of devel-
opments before starting out upon an
other quest, Lady saw her mother
first.
why, mother dear!" she cried.
We" she stopped.
Mr.. Tabor coughed. Where is Wal
ter?" he asked.
Indeed, I don't know" Mrs. Tabor
answered rather sharply. What on
earth dc you want of him."
Mr.. Tabor smiled slowly and ex-
panslvely. IT don't want him al all,
my dear; but I do very much want
my Dime Do you think 1t is nearly
ready? Lady, suppose you poke things
up in the kitchen a little. If you can.
1 am nearly famished."
well" said I, II had nearly for
gotten about supper, and 1 believe we
are to have wafles at the inn tonight"
and 1 got to my feet.
Mr.. Crosby, waffles or no wafies,
you are not to CO." said Mrs. Tabor.
Here we are just started upon a nice
little visit, and these ravenous people
of mine come bursting in from good
ness knows where or what and begin
clamoring for food Since we must
eat, you are to eat with u.s."
1 said something conventional, with
an apologize glance at Mr.. Tabor. He
was frowning at the ceiling as If he
had not heard.
It was hardly a comfortable meal.
l felt hat l should not be there, and
that the others, though for no personal
fault of mine, were wishing me out
of the way; while Mrs. Tabor
confined her conversation almost en-
tirely to me in a way that made me
obviously a bulwark against them. She
was bright and chatty enough, but I
could plainly fen the %uneasiness under
it; and as the meal progressed she be-
came more uneasy still, now and then
f1srnfnn dfI6dnn1y In haT chair or 10 xyfn-
down her fork with little abrupt de-
cisions that came to nothing, as If she
were hesitating on the brink Of .