Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-07
CHAPTER XXXV.
Something Has HdDDened.'

Ninette made no comment; she sat
down on the side of the bed, her hands
Imply folded in her lap.
SO Peter was engaged to Dorothy! In
spite Of all she had heard aud all she
had seen for herself. he had fallen L
prey once more to the girls beauty.
Mrs. Crawford went on talking. but
Ninette hardly listened. She was glad
when she was alone once more. She got
up slowly and shut and locked the door;
then mechanically she began to undress.
She took off the offending diamonds,
and left them lying in a little glittering
heap on the dressing table. She no long
er valued them; she felt ashamed that
she had known no better than to have
worn them.
Her cheeks burned when she thought
OF that conversation she had overheard.
She was too angry to realize that Peter
had been Innocent of all offense. and
that It was not he who had said the
things about herself.
Presently the tears came slowly 70
Der eyes and splashed down on to her
frock-the too smart frock which now
she hated with all her heart
She took 1t off angrily, and finished
undressing. crying quietly like a child.
The evening had been failure. and
she had almost looked forward TO 1t
when she found that Nothard was to be
one of the party. Augrily as she Ia
repudiated the things she had heard Of
her father, they had left a shadow of
tear I'm her heart.
She knew so little Of him! In spite
Of their relationship. they were almost
strangers. What would become Of her
lf-supposing She dare not follow
that trend Of thought
vrr irh
he'd. lying there in the darkness with
wide, piteous eyes
There was nobody for her 10 turn n,
supposing she never saw her father
again Even Peter was going TO be mar
red
And suddenly she began to sob IN
heartbroken fashion, hiding her face in
the pillow to stihe the sound
Peter was going to be married; Peter
could never be anything to her again
And all AZ once she knew why she
minded so desperately knew why She had
been so unhappy and dissatisfied since
she went TO live with her father. 1t
was because she loved Peter Nothard
with all her heart and soul.
The discovery frightened Ninette. Sup
posing Peter ever knew. Surprising he
suspected. even now. that She had grown
to care for him.
She could not understand how such a
thing had come about. They had never
even been on really friendly terms. They
bad quarreled often. and said bitter.
sneering things to one another. And all
the time it was as II n closed door In
her heart was suddenly thrown wide
showing her many things Of which hither-
to she had been IN ignorance.
She loved him, She loved him with
every sort Of love there was IN the world
in the way she had loved Josh " Wheeler.
and in every way, She felt that she
would gladly have died to save him Il
moments palm or unhappinesS. That
was Ninettes way; she always did
things extravagantly. Her grief when
Josh Wheeler died had been extrHvagant.
and her anger against Arthur Delay. And
now her love for Peter Nothard seemed
like a great wave rising from nowhere,
and threatening to overthrow her. She
never closed her eyes all a ght; her brain
would not rest over and over again she
went back step by step every hour Of
their acquaintance their first meeting In
his office when he had laughed at her !;
their next meeting In his rooms. when
she had tried to steal his watch. She had
never even liked him; she had hated
him. Or was it that all the time she
had unconsclously loved him
And now he was to marry Dorothy
Manners, Nlnette clenched her hands
IN the darkness. to try to still the bitter
feeling OF jealousy that tormented her.
Dorothy cared nothing for him. she was
sure; Dorothy was incapable Of caring
sincerely for anyone. HO unfair life was
She wondered II happiness was ever to
come to her. or If always she would have
to face disappointment and disillusion-
ment.
She made up her mind that when
Cavanagh came In the morning she
would implore him to take her to Amer
lea with him, and not leave her in Lon
don. She felt that she could not pat
enough distance between herself and
Peter now that she knew she loved him
She was in terror that he should find
It out-in terror that by some word or
look she might betray herself In this
new discovery she had forgotten the ap-
palling things she had overheard about
her father
She got up early in the morning, and
was ready long before the hour that
Cavanagh had promised to call for her
But he did not come. She wandered
from window to window in restless mis-
ery. Surprising what Nothard and the
other man had said was true Her
heart seemed to swoon in a panic Of
fear. She went to the telephone and
rang 10 her fathers fat. But she could
get no answer The girl at the ex-
change told her she thought the fat
must be empty. Ninette sought Mrs
Crawford.
Father hasn't come yet, and it's ever
SO much past the time he said be would
be here" Her voice faltered.