The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-07
(Continued) CHAPTER CXXXIV


 At noon the messenger from the brokers office arrived with Jtm's check. He signed 1t, and after the boy had gone Jim stood with the against the fingers of his left slowly and thoughtfully as if he were weighing 1t and ali it stood for.
 watched 1t in silence as at last Ale ripped 1t open with his forefinger and stood with the bit of yellow paper held taut between his hands. It rat tied crisply. Jtm's eyes burned down at the slip of paper and he kept mois- tening his dry lips and swallowing jerkly:
 Presently he looked up and caught ply eyes. He grinned at me-almost maliciously. Then he crossed to me. dragged him to one side heavily.
 Look at this!' he cried, flourish &ng the check. "Even if I Invest 1t 7 conservauvely it'll bring as much as desk eight hours a day. And I'm pnot saying I'm going to be conserv- Itive."
 Jim. promise me you won't-you won't take any big risks with 1t. Put 31| into something safe. something iegitimate.", I begged.
 Jim stared at me coldly for mo- men and better ns yoise herry was nto things and call a taxi or you'll be late for Virginia's."
 As he spoke, I remembered with start that the evening before Vir- (, esinia had invited me for luncheon. %Until now had forgotten. But Jim was continuing in his curt, imper- sopa1 tone:
 "rm going to rush down to the bank with this certified check. Bet ter let me sign one for you before ] go.. You can fill it in for what you need I may stay down for din- rer with Tom and West. I'll tele- phone message to Nora downstairs if I do. Here's your check. So long" .ooo,,-,-,u ,,u, e,,,,u out. - This was the first fruit of our golden harvest.
 whirled into my clothes and over to virginia's. I didn't dare be late and treated to any more Harrison ici- ness. so I adjusted girdle and veil in the taxi and watched the clock spin around to sixty and seventy while were still blocks away from Virginia s as I had a dollar fifteen in my purse, beside the check Jim had sign ed.g Of course the doorman at Vir- ginia's would pay for my taxi, but l was bitterly tired of these makeshifts and evasions, these narrow squeaks oAt of the troubles into which my lack of ready cash was always get ting me. I got grim joy out of the realization that my money embarrass- nsents were over, even if my love dream was over, too.
 / But the taXimeter registered only "a dollar when I arrived at Virginia apartment. I poured the entire con, tents of my purse into the drivers hand and smiling a little gladly, ] rN went up to my enga cement with Vir- giNia. hadn't a cent. But in my pHfse there was check l could make out for a thousand dollars if l liked l knew very well, though, that I would wrfte it for ten.
 Virginia greeted me, and hurried ma to the dining room. The luncf con table was set for three.
 Phoebe had an engagement. Virginia explained. almost nervously
 "Good old Tony! How absurd fol
 Virginia nodded and crumpled he I asked suddenly. Do you thinl she's trying to make Phoebe-differ ene, woridIy-wise? And is to spit, you or me or Jim-or just becaus' ~ she's jealous of anything as swee and young as Phoebe is? Whateve {, her plan is, why can't we defeat it ?
 Yirginia,s, eyes widened to, an eX .prsssion that was grave and sweet and helpless. All her icy reserv' 7 seemed to melt away and to leave { ~ "Anne, Phoebe :sn't very fond O moe We never got on. She liked vol x at first. but now she seems to wan T. to avoid you. Perhaps, it's just a "'woM she has someone, even if it i,.oniy Evvy Mason. Because other wise she might have taken her littl '. alf fair with Neal too seriously. an, the indifferent way he accepted hi dismissal d shows clearly enough tha would never have done- Phoeb might have been badly hurt
 "Sometimes l wonder if she isn hurt now" I answered, "and avoid ir.g\me just to hide it. Meals prout iJcanie-that may account for his si lleIce.' f5Virginia's eyes flashed when I sai elean.e'' I couldn't tell if they sig b,.lled joy at my use of her pet name Tresentment. Her answer had a Ultimate tone, however, so I prom ised myself to go on saying "Jeanie'