The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1915-12-30

so awful COZ YOU to- be lRugliintr Just
now. and thinlsiug you're going 10 ret
/, the hest OF that man. ~
June reached down, Eraspsd her
/ wriulCed, trembling hands and stmrted
| whirling her about i'm q mad. merry
| eirgTe laughing 1t her breaohleBs ek-
postuiatIons the while.
\ Suddenly in their wild gyrationgs her
I elbow struck pedestal in the eUurer
= OF che room, II swayed pefiiousiy Tor
| n seTUnd. then tOppled to the hoor-the
/ large vase upon IL nniashtng Co a thor
\ sand fragments.
4 ~ the FOUND Iune stopped so abrupt
\ ly than NHary WAS thraWn against the
| wall @nd caught at the door jam to
l keep from falling.
\ The old woman eyed the shattered
bits with guper5tltlous misgNing.
TITS an omen" she muIteTed half
| to herself. see what you We DONE
oh, eVerythings an omen to E0l.,
| you sweet Old calamity eF0RReT.
/ laughed June. IF you spill salt, ySu
| blind people by throwing Sc over yo'.r
shoulder and missing your aim--ycu
look ON n hand mtrror simply as
| something to he dropped to bring
i seven years dtsasteu-and I'll bet
| you'd wear your hat inside out IL }.
were possible to-
II would not" denied Mary meekIy.
/ And as I've always said, 1 think a
bit Of superstition has kept many a
( weak soul out of Jail. There's som -
thing about breaking a vase, too, Lor'
! 7 can remember my father repeating
| " to US children. He who breaks a
vase, they say, lives to rue the -
| 'NoHseuse!" rfdicuIed June. have
| 1ama clean up this mess-there's q
dear. And. Mary. peek down thTou ga
| the banisteFs and watch me dfsAFEl
| the suspicion Of Mr.. Lamar-the great
| crime speefa1istr'
And laughing at the horFiffed eX-
preston on the old wOman's face the
mischief possessed girl darted down
1 the stairway and into the library.
! Il am so glad you came" she said
\ simply, as she took LamRr'S hand.
| When l asked you 1 was afraid you
never would-you're so busy-aAd 80
/ important"
Lamar's lips twisted into a quizzieaI
| smile.
| Busy. Miss Travis. Important main
| ly to one Max LanGar."
| Now it's in order for me to say,
| oh, yes you are. Don't you suppose
read the papeFsF And then you II
say. oh. the papersr with scathilS
! infection"
Lamar laughed. but somehow there
was not keen enjoyment in the sound
that came from his lips. He dislike
sang-fTOid In n woman. In q girl he
loathed 1t. He dubbed IT 'flappeF flip
pancy"-especially when IL bOFdeFsd
on personal criticism Of himself or his
I work
II you YOUNG peODtG VIII pardon my
leaving you for a moment" Mrs Travis
Got up from her chair, 'Ill go and hold
counsel with my gardener. Yama just
brought me word that the new shrubs
have arrived"
Lamar arose and bowed deepIy as she
left the room. Out on the porch Yama
was moving about quietly, SWiftly-ar-
ranging the low wicker chairs and
STRENGTHENING the indian rugs.
June dropped into the chair heI
mother had just vacated and Lamar sal
opposite her.
Il. want you to tell me such lots oil
things" she began enthusiastically
your profession must bring day after
day Of thrills. suspense-traRedy. viii
you tell me something of criminals a
you know them? I've tried to study
them Just little and"
There was a smothered exclamation
il was in another sound that came from
the stairway. June looked I'D Just iT
time to see a portion Of a black shirI
move from the hall out on to the porch
Then followed a low-toned order IN
vase" drifted In through the open win
dow. BY "A heightened shadow and 1
reflection in the window pane June saw
that the nurse was standing. hidden
=. II amused the girl. 1t reminded he
iof liOness standinR over cub WheI
the hunter drew near. But this maj
Lamar was so mild. so perfectly harm
reputation, but under this roof he wa
merely a courteous man of the world
, who called because he was interested II
Ter.
I'm raise the ante Lamar broke IL
on her musingS-then caught himself
Il beg your pardon. Miss Travis.
have no reason to believe that you ar
familiar with poker terms. l mean
, that I'd bid one hundred times the OF
: thodOx amount of one cent IL yOu'l tel
me what your thoughts were just then
Whatever they were, they were indul
gent, cynical and amusing; becaus
your eyes mirrored each one Of thOs
moods"
June managed to mOck-serious shrud
der.
you appall me. Mr. Lamar" sh
answered laughinSly. IT was thinkin
Just then of the number of criminal
you must have met"
'AII kinds; and many of each kind.
: he started gravely. And. II you reaIl
don't mInd talking Of such things. l.
like to ask you something. Before W
. met yesterday IN the park Miss Travis
, ! did you s-c anything OF a yelled woma
. I in black