The Jasper news., 1920-12-23

he stammered. 'sYou zee, I'm not
that Is, I'm about to retire"
EMO. no, nor the whisper shrilIed IN
protest u must have talk with youl
II You dent let me IN shah scream r
1 "Hot that. not that,v he called back.
wait a moment. III be out at once"
He dlved into the closet to seize
the lCunklns robe. which he slipped on
as he hurried to the door. He slld
back the bolt. Instantly the door was
thrust In against him. Amy popped
through the opening. She closed the
door and spoke to him In tone AZ
matter OF fact as II was affectionate;
The idea Of making such fuss about
letting me In. Now we'll sit down and
have good oldrtime talk while do
my hair"
He stared at her, speechless. She
had on a kimono OF soft pink silk en-
broIdered with gold flowers. 10 6ns
hand she held sliver-backed hnIf-
brush.
where are your manIersf' she NJ
proved, and she went to set two chairs
before the fuIl-length mirror on the
wall opposite the bathroom passage.
Come. I don't want to have to shout
to you over there. Sit down and be
have.p
He started to obey, and biushed az
his stockinged feet appeared from un.
der the edge Of his robe. But she had
perched on one Of the chairs and was
studying herself in the mirror.
He seated himself in the chair close
beside her. She handed him the hair
brush and put up both hands to her
head. The loose sleeves Of her kimo-
no slipped down. barring her dlmpIed
white arms. He-stared, fascinated. at
them and at her shapely fingers, which
were nimbiy drawing the pins from
her hair. Soon the thick coils began
to sag.
She shook her head. All the glossy
brown locks came tumbling down
about her slender shoulders. She
turned sideways. with her back to
him, and, clnsping the haIrpins In her
lap. sat waiting. He gazed In won
dering admiration Mt the wealth Of rip
pling hair and the shapely little head
from which II flowed down.
"Why don't you begin" she lmpa-
tlently demanded. You'll never fin-
lsh unless you start"
"StartT
Brushing, stupidi"
"You-do you mean you wish me to
to brush your hair7"
"oh, no; I'm merely sitting here for
you to look at" she bantered. Don't
be goose"
She caught the brush from him and
made half a dozen vigorous strokes.
each time running her free hand under
the brown maze. He took the brush
from her backward-stretched hand.
ana asked In a deep low tone: "Am
to hold II that way with my hand7"
How else can yor do It rightf" she
replied.
He cautiously took a full stroke
from her forehead back across her
dainty head and down the rippling
mass Of hair. His smile was now that
OF man completely lost In blissfui In
toxicntion.
'"That's better" she said; "only still
harder. Don't be afraid. I'm not
paper doll-There, that's the way.
Now can settle down and talk. First
OF oil, I'm going to tell you the bad
news and get through with It."
"Yesf" he asked. inhallng the dell
cious fragrance of her hair.
"You're not listening, and It's very
important. 1t has made me dreadfully
cross at Charlie.t
He stIffened at the name. instantly
attentive. THAT sellow7 What about
hima Has he-H
"Yes. But that's not the trouble.
the bank has been making a fuss.
1t can walt The horrid thing Is mat
about those bonds you lost. They
claim that you have a lot of money In
Chicago bank"
"Yes. What Of it7"
"That proves what told Charlie.
OF course you don't reallze--you can't
realize"
Realize whatf" he asked. pausing
in the midst OF long brush stroke.
"Why, about the bonds"
"You mean the bonds lost by your
brotherf"
sChsrIie knows some one who has
found out NIL about them. II must
have been a detective. He found the
key Of the safe deposit vault in your