Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-09

all. and Joan was the more afraid be-
cause the reason for her fear was un-
known to her.
| Her sleepincss was gone. She stoOu
beside the window. looking out into
! the darkness A whippoorwill was
calling monotonously among the
pines: here and there among the niifs
a solitary light was twlnkling. Tnc
| air was cool and balsam scented. 1t
| was like the dearly remembered days
at home. But In the heart of that
| peace was apprehension.
Looking back now. Joan thot that
she had undertaken a rash and extra
| ordinary adventure in coming so far
I from Avonmouth alone and NJ tnv
proposal of a man whose reputation
was an evil one. She would go home
on the morrow.
| Something was wrong and In spite
OF his apparent Kindness an inner
prompting warned her to beware OF
/. Lancaster. He was at the heart OF all
this and had enmeshed her In some
scheme for his own purposes. She
! locked her door and went to bed, to
sleep restlessly
! When she awakened 1t was morn
| ing. The sun was streaming brightly
| into the room. Thru the window Joan
saw scene of exquisite beauty In the
I rOlllnC NILS, tUe Wlnulnk tilt
/ forest glades. Underneath the chick
/ ems were scrambling for corn which
the matron was flinging to them. A
! thousand birds were calling, the uni
versal robin and the bluebird of her
beloved home. The dew lay heavy on
! the leaves and grass. Joan felt a
sudden ecstacy This was her own
| country and she had come back to It.
Her fears were dissipated with the
/ night shadows.
She would remain. She decided that
while she was dressing. And yet n
doubt was In her heart. And with 1t
| came the remembrance OF, sometninS
that had disturbed her during the
night. Filterlng into her conscious
ness came the recollection OF an au-
tomobile rolling up to the door, anu
of mems voices conversing In low
/ tones under her window Then the
machine had rolled away. 1t must
I have been about In the morning.
! Perhaps a patient had been brousnt
| to the institute thot the girl. as she
went downstairs Mrs, .Fraser's door
was closed. and the only person astir
seemed to be the colored maid. who
nodded and smiled as she looked up
/ from her sweeping. Joan began 10
pace the long veranda in front OF the
! building, looking out across the niIis
and thinking over her situation. Per-
haps IL was only morbidness. or
mental fatigue. that had made her
read things in the faces OF Myers anu
Mrs. Fraser which did not exist there
Perhaps the day would disclose ner
position more definitely.
She was walking past the open door
! OF the building when she saw a man
/ leaving the doctors room. II was
Myers the secretary. He saw Joan
and came briskly out upon the ve-
randa.
/ Good morning. Miss Wentworth" ."
he said. In his rasping tones. Pleas
/ ant weather. isn't it? Much better
here than in the heat OF Avon
MOUTH"
How do you do. Mr.. Myers?" said
Joan. trying to overcome her instinc-
tive disgust OF the man. You have
a new patient here. haven't your"
! He looked At her with sort or
/ auiyzical shrewdness. What makes
/ you think that. Miss Wentworth he
inquired.
! Il thot I heard an auto drive up to
| the institute last night"
Myers looked at her in the same
| manner. The doctor came back last
night Unexpectedly" he said.
But thot Doctor jenkins lived az
Millville?"
Not jenkins. Miss Wentworth.
| Doctor Lancaster. ~
"Why." stammered the girl. 81
must have misunderstood. then. thot
! YOU were working in cooperation
with Doctor jenkins. | hope Doctor
/ Lancaster Is not i'll. He was looking
unwell when l saw him the day before
yesterday"
That's just what you might have
\ told me when l asked you about him,
said Myers triumphantly. Wen. MISS
Wentworth. IL you are going TO ASK
me questions l suppose ! can ask you
I tquestioHs
If I can answer them"
Precisely" said the other. Il want
10 know IL YOU can answer them. Now
! let's be frank. what do you know
about all this7"
II beg your pardon?" Joan in
ouired. declining his invitation 10 seat
herself beside him.
About All this?" repeated Myers.
| Come, now. you know what ! mean
as we'll as l do, How did Doctor Lam
caster come TO engage you
II you have really right 10 know
Mr.. Myers" said Joan. you had bet
ter ask Doctor Lancaster himself.
20, all right" said Myers huinly,
"Only ;he time Will come when you IL
wish you'd been frank with me "a
we put all our cards on the table We
can have a frank look into the sit
uauou."
Really. Mr. Myers, had no idea
that had come To a-sameling house
said Joan, more nettied by the fam...
larity OF his tone than by the words
II have no cards 81 all. as you term
Il. am simply an empioye OF Doctor
lancaster. and IL that is not sausfac-
tory To you must refer ycu TO him.
Myers grew red. His short stocAy
figure with the wide shoulder looked
lahominally mean as ne planted him
) self upon the porch and surveyed
| Joan with furtive. sneerins express
sion. lie was not in any sense gen
tleman. Just low class Of bully, as
Joan could plainly see from his ges-
lures, even II his next words had not
made this plain. s
$50 that's your attitude. Is it," ne
said, Jerking out the words between
his teeth. "Aii riSht Miss Wentworan.
you and will play our hands seps-
! rately. Don't come to me afterward.
tho. and say didn't warn you. And
! II You don't like my ways and speech,
and think I'm too ordinary for your
taste-here comes the doctor! &C
! and make a complaint about me-"
Joan. turning from the man IN dis
: g1ist. saw Doctor Lancaster stanoins
-