The Washington times., 1915-12-30

woman fearfully. Somehow. it seems
-, so awful Cor YOU to be laughing Just
! NOW. and thinking you're going TO get
the best of that man. D."
June reached down. grssped her
/ wrinlsied, trembling hands and started
whlrling her about in a mad. merry
cirgTe. I,ueninG at her breaChless ex-
| pos tuiatIOnS the while. ..t
! Suddenly. in their Wild gyrations. her
elbow struck a pedestal in the corner
OF Jhe room. 1t swayed periIously for
n secUnd. then toppied to the ffoor-the
large va@e upon it nniashing to a thou-
sand fra gTleurs.
.tv the tound June stopped so abrupt
ly thTL Mary WAS thrown AGAINST the
wall and caught at the door jam to
keep from falling.
The old woman eyed the shattered
bit2 vita SIpers;itiouI mis2iVin2.
IT'S an omen" she muttered half
to herself. see what you We done
ON, everyrhinE's an omen to Soc.
YOU sweet Old calamity eroaker,
laughed June. IF you spill salt, you
blind people by throwing g over yo'.r
shoulder and missing your aim--y u
look on hand mirror simply AZ
something to I've dropped to bring
seven years diSaster-snd I'll bet
you'd wear your hat inside out IL 4.
were possible to-"
II would not" denied Mary meekiy.
And as I've always said. | think a
pll VI mas kept n
weak soul out of jail. There's som -.
thing about breaking a vase, too. Lor'
can remember my father repeating
1t to us children. He who break !.
vase. they say, lives TO rue the -
Nonsense" ridicuIed Iune. nave
lama clean up this mess-theres a.
dear. And. Mary. peek down throU gn
the hanisters and watch me disarrl
the suspicion of Mr.. Lamar-the great
crime specialist"
I'D Ia. nerl,. In IL.
preston ON the old woman's face the
mischief possessed girl darted down
the stairway and into the library.
Il am so glad you came" she said
simply. as she took Lamar's hand.
when I asked you | was afraid you
never would-you're so busy-and so
important"
Lamar's lips twisted into a quizzicaI
smile
Busy. Miss Travis. Important main
ly to one Max Lanar.'
Now it's In order for me to say,
oh, yes you are. Don't you suppose
| read the papers, And then you II
say. oh. the papers" with scathi1s
infection"
Lamar laughed. but somehow there
was not keen enjoyment in the sound
that came from his lips. He dislih ed
sang-froid In a woman. In a girl he
loathed it, He dubbed it "fIapper flip
pancy"-especially when 1t bordersd
work
II YOU young people will pardon my
leaving you for a moment" Mrs. Travis
Iot up from her chair. "lll go and hold
counsel with my gardener. Yama just
brought me word that the new shrubs
have arrived
Lamar arose and bowed deeply as she
left the room Out on the porch Yama
ranging the low wicker chairs and
strengthening the Indian rugs.
June dropped into the chair her
mother had just vacated and Lamar sat
opposite her.
II. want you to tell me such lots or
things, she began Enthusiastically.
Your profession must bring day after
Gay or thrills. suspense-tragedy. Win
You tell me something of criminals as
YOU know them? I've tried to study
them Just a Little and"
There was smothered exclamation:
II was in another sound that came from
the stairway. June looked up just IN
time 10 gee a portion Of black shirt
move from the hall out on TO the porch
Then followed ow-toned order in
hary's voice--the words broken ana
vase" drifted in through the open win
doW. BY heightened shadow and a
| reflection in the window pane June saw
that the nurse was standing hidden.
just outside the sill.
1t amused the girl. 1t reminded her
OF loness standing over cub when
Lamar was so mild so perfectly harm
less-doubtlcss he was a sleuth OF grea
reputation, but under this roof he was
merely a courteous man OF the world,
who called because he was interested in
| her.
II II raise the ante" Lamar broke in
! on her musings-then caught himself.
Il beg your pardon. Miss Travis
| have no reason to believe that you are
familiar with poker terms. meant
that I'd bid one hundred times the or
| thodox amount of one cent II you'H tell
| me what your thoughts were just then.
Whatever they were, they were indul-
gent, cynical and amusing; because
| your eyes mirrored each one of those
! moods"
| June managed TO mock serious shrud-
der.
J you appall ne. Mr. Lamar" she
| answered laughinSly. II was thinking
: Just then OF the number OF criminals
you must have met"
/ IAN kinds; and many OF each kind. '
; he started gravely. And. II you really
don't m'rI talking OF such things. I'd
/ like TO ask You sumerhing. Before we
met yesterday n the park. Miss Travis
did YOU o" anything % veiled woman