The Delta independent., 1915-10-29


client who's behind him?"
No. He's just the type who would
have rushed in, anyhow. And it'll be
time enough to put Scruton under obli-
cations when I've got him off,"
Blanche looked at the troubled eyes
avoiding hers, and thought that she
had never heard of fine thing being
done so finely. This very shamefaced.
ness appealed to her intensely, and yet
last night Charlie had said that old
Sweep was in such tremendous spirits
about it all! Why was he so down
this morning?
She only knew she could have taken
his hand, but for d very gcod reason
why she could not. She had even to
guard against an eGuivocally sympa-
thetic voice or manner, as she asked
How long did they remand him fcr?"
Eight days"
We'll, then, you'll knew the best or
the worst today week.
"Yes!" he said eagerly. almost him
self again. But, whichever way it
goes, In afraid it means trouble fer
me, Blanche; some time or other I'll
tell you why; but that's why | want
this to be the week of our lives"
Sc he really meant what he had said
before. The phrase had been no care
less misuse of words; but neither
after all. did it necessarily apply to
Mr.. Toye. That was something. 1t
made it easier for Blanche not to ask
questions.
1af ha1 a.
cony; now he called to her; and there
was no taxi. but a smart open car.
waiting in the road, its brasses blazing
in the sun. an immaculate chauffeur
at the wheel
Whose is that, Sweep"
Mine, for the week I'm talking
about! l mean ours, if you'd only
buck up and get ready to come out
A week doesn't last forever, you
know!"
Blanche ran off TO Martha. who
fused and hindered her with the best
intentions. 1t would have been diff
cult to say which was the more ex-
cited of the TWO. But the cid nurse
would waste time in perfectly fatuous
"reminiscences Of the very earliest ex-
petitions in which Mr.. Cazalet had
led and Blanche had followed, and
what a bonny pair they had made
even then, etc. Severely snubbed on
that subject, she took to peering at
her mistress, once her BARN, with fur
tive eagerness and impatience; for
Blanche, on her side, looked as though
she had something on her mind, and.
indeed had made one or two attempts
to get it off. She had to force it even
in the end
There's just one thing l want to
say before ! go. Martha. You know
when Mr.. Toye called yesterday, was
out?"
"Oh. Mr.. Toye; yes. l remember,
Miss Blanche"
We'll, | don't want you to say that
he came in and waited half an hour
in vain: in fact. not that he came
in at all, or that you're even sure you
saw him, unless, Of course. you're
asked"
Who should ask me, wonder?"
We'll, | dent know, but there seems
to be little bad blood between Mr..
Toye and Mr.. Cazalet"
Martha looked for a moment as
though she were about to weep. and
then for another moment as though
she would die of laughing. But a
third moment she celebrated by max
ing an utter fool of herself, as she
would have been told to her face by
anybody but Blanche, whose yellow
hair was being disarranged by the
very hands that had helped to impris
on 1t under that motor hat and veil
"Oh. Blanche, is that all you have
to tell me?" said Martha.
And then the week Of their lives be.
gan.
The weather was true to them, and
this was larger matter than IL might
have been. They were not making
love. They were mot out for that,
as Blanche herself actually told Mar
tina, with annihilating scorn. when
the old dear looked both knowing and
Ionging-to-know at the end of the first
days run. They were out to enjoy
themselves, and that seemed shock
ing to Martha unless something was
coming of it," She had just sense
enough to keep her conditional clause
to herself.
Yet If they were only out to enjoy
themselves, in the way Miss Blanche
vowed and declared (more shame for
herr, they certainly had done wonders
for start. Martha could hardly
credit all they said they had done,
and as an embittered pedestrian there
was nothing that she would put past
one of those nasty motors. 1t said
very little for Mr.. Cazalet. by the way,
in Martha's private opinion, that he
should take her Miss Blanche out in