The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-11-30
CHAPTER xVII-continued.


you lad any lunch?"
"Long ago." Sophy replied. II have
been finishing your accounts"
Louise made a little grimace.
''Tell me the worst" she begged.
you are overdrawn at your bank,
your bills are heavier than ever this
month, and there are five or six special
accounts-one for some electric fit
tings, another for the hire of motor
car-which ought to be paid"
Louise was looking up at the ceiling.
She sighed.
SIT would be NICE" she said, ''to
have someone to pay ones bills and
look after one, and see that one wasn't
too extravagant."
"Well, you need someone badly" So
ply asserted. Il suppose you mean
to make up your mind to it some day."
81 wonder!" Louise murnured. "Did
you know that that terrible man from
the hills-John Strangewey's brother
has been here this morning? He fright
ened me to DEATH"
"What did he want2" Sophy asked
curiously.
HE was trifle vague" Louise re-
marked 81 gathered that if don't
send John back to Cumberland, he's
going to strangle me-"
Sophy leaned across the table. :.
'Are you going to send him back?'
she asked.
81 am in an uncertain frame of
mind" Louise confessed. IL really
can't decide about anything"
81 want to tell you this, Louise"
Sophy said firmly. John is getting to
know a great many people, and you
know how men Galk at the clubs.
Aren't you sometimes afraid that he
will hear things and misunderstood"
81 am expecting it every day." Lou
Use admitted.
"Then why don't you end it?"
(Which way?"
There was silence between the two |
women. The muffled street noises
from outside became the background |
to a stiffness which grew every mo-
ment more oppressive. Louise returned
to her former attitude. She looked
steadfastly before her, her face sup
ported by her hands.
Sophy grew paler and paler as the
minutes passed. There was something
strange and almost beautiful in Lou
ise's face, something which had come
to her lately, and which shone from
her eyes only at rare intervals.
you care for him, believer" Sophy
cried at last. "Yml care for him."
Louise did not move.
"Why not?" she whispered.
There was ring at the front door.
Louise, from her place, could see the
long, gray bonnet of Johns car. AL
most before she could speak, he was
announced.
"It's an atrocious time to come, l 4.
know" he began apologetically. i
you're in time for some coffee, any I
how" Sophy told him cheerfully. "And |
I know Louise is glad to see you, be-
cause if you hadn't come, l was going
to make her go through some ac- +
"You know I am always glad to see 9
you," Louise murmured, pointing to a :
chair. "Sophy and have been having /
q most interesting discussion, but we r
have come to a cIll de sac" r
II really came" John explained, ito /
ask If you cared to come and see a
collection of pictures. There's an Ital- i.
lana futurist, of course-just un- J.
hacked his little lot and set them up =
over a curiosity shop in Clifford street.
He is sending out cards for next week,
put I could take you today-that is,
f you would care about it. We can q
20 somewhere for some tea afterward." =
Louise made little grimace.
"What bad luck !" she exclaimed.
She stopped short. She felt that by :,
Ter hesitation she had, in sense, COM
nitted herself.
81 have promised to go and have tea ?
With the prince at Seyre House," she :. -
aid. ut is an engagement we made u
asst week."
John set down his empty coffee cup =,
With clatter. An inexplicable but +.
dominating fury seemed to have sud- .,
enly assailed him. He took out :,
igarette and tried to light it. Sophy =,
fter watching him for a moment in ="
slipped out of the room.
.ouise came over to his side. =.
"Are you really SO much disappoint- ~ -
d." she asked. 81 am so sorry! IT as
had known that you were coming for %
lie, would have kept myself free"
"It isn't that exactly" John an
wered. "It's omething I can't alto
ether explain. IL you don't mind,
link I will be going. There is some on
hing / must.put right" IN
He left without another word. She III
'atched him step into his new motor WI
ar and drive away little recklessly, IN
the crowded state Of the
reefs. He drew up, few minutes Sl'
ter, outside the club In Pail Mall, in'
here, us it CHANGED, he had lunched ng
lat day with the prince Of Seyre. st'
He found the prince still sitting In ioe
lie smoking room, reading review,
yer the top of which he glanced up
, John approached, and nodded nom his
lalantly. giT
Z Back agslnf" he murmured.