Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-09-10
CHAPTER VIII.
A HaIrbreadth Escape.


Kirkland had been summoned to the
sanitarium. When Amy came In by
way of the dining room Ellen was
pensively watching her mother play
solitaire. She looked up and, mistak.
ing the cause of the color In Amy's
cheeks, asked delightedly: "Oh. what
Is 1t, dear. Has CHARLIE"
"The sillyl He made me dreadfully
cross" petulantly replied Amy. She
glanced into the parlor, and her vexa.
ton suddenly gave place to alarm.
"Where is WIFI Surely you've not LET
him go Off"
"No, no, my dear, not even with the
DOCTOR" treasured Mrs. Kirkland. "He
has gone up to his ROOM"
A few moments later Clinton
brooding heavily over his pipe, heard
a tap at his door. He frOwned. The
tap became q rap. He called In
brusque tone: swell. what Is it?"
"Mep came back soft whisper.
"What do you want?"
LET me In"
He glanced In CONSERVATION at his
stockinged feet and bare arms.
I'll must beg you to excuse me-"
he stammered. you see, I'm not
that is. I'm about to retire."
mo, no, mol" the whisper shrilled in
protest. 81 must have talk with you
IF you don't let me in shall scream !"
"Not that. not that" he called back.
"Wait moment. III be out at once"
He dived into the closet to seize
the lounging robe, which he slipped on
as he hurried to the door. He slid
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 a tone as
matter of fact as - was affectionate:
"The idea of making such fuss about
letting me In. Now well sit down and
have a good old-time talk while do
my hair"
He stared at her, speechless. She
had on a kimono of soft pink silk en-
broidered with gold flowers. In one
hand she held a silver-backed hair
brush.
"Where are your manners?" she re-
proved, and she went to set two chairs
before the full-length mirror on The
wall opposite the bathroom passage.
Come. don't want to have to shout
to you over there. Sit down and be-
have"
He started to obey, and blushed as
bis stockinged feet appeared from I'M
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 dimpled
white arms. He stared, fascinated, at
them and at her shapely fingers, which
were nimbly 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, clasping the hairpins In her
lap, sat waiting. He gazed In won
dering admiration at the wealth Of rip
pling hair and the shapely little head
from which 1t flowed down.
"Why don't you beginf" she impa-
tiently demanded. you'll never fin
lsh unless you start"
"Startf"
brushing, stupid"
"You-do you mean you wish me to
to brush your hair?"
ooh, 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 dozen vigorous strokes,
each time running her free hand under
the brown maze. He took the brush
from her backward-stretched hand,
and asked in q deep low tone: Am
I to hold 1t that way with my handf
How else can you do 1t right?" she
replied.
He cautiously took q full stroke
from her forehead back across her
dainty head and down the ripping
mass of hair. His smile was now that
of man completely lost In blissful In
tOxication.
THAT'S better" she said "only still
harder. Don't be afraid. I'm not a
paper doll-There, that's the way.
Now can settle down and talk. First
of all, I'm going to tell you the bad
news and get through with It."
"Yes?" he asked, inhaling the dell
cious fragrance of her hair.
you're not listening, and It's very
important. II has made me dreadfully
cross at Charlie"
He stlffened at the name, instantly
attentive. "That fellowi What about
him7 Has he-T
Eyes. But that's not the trouble.
the bank has been making fuss.
II can wait. The horrid thing Is That
about those bonds you lost. They
claim that you have a lot Of money In