The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-04-07
CHAPTER CCNyI.

| SC(AAS1
 It was Evvy Mason who leaned
 across Jim'S big dat-topped desk.
 Evvy. alone with Jim in his empty | office
 | For half a second I stood in the l doorway unnoticed.
 I became conscious of a lump Of l lead where my heart ought to be. l Do I intrude?" I asked in a voice | that coutrived to keep level and cold,
 although inlps of jealousy were scar 1 nerves.
 l Evvy's eyes tore themselves from
 Jim's face and found me I had
 brief impression of a smile trembling 1 at the corners of her lips, then there came the quick scrape of JiIn's chair l and he came toward me. His face was very grave. His eyes searched mine.
 You never intrude. Anne," he said quietly.
 1 In that moment I forgot Evvy = dismissed her. This was between Jim 1 and me. Ugly thoughts were in the | ing for admission. Neal had just left l town for home. Jim had made a point of asking me what I'd been doing this afternoon. and had been safely accounted for by my automo- Before those thoughts could for mu1ate themselves, something bigger came to conquer them-to push them out of my mind. It was my love l for Jim and the faith which was growing to be part of that love- In m moment of revelation l knew I be- heved in JiTn's 1oya.Ky-that even If I didn't understand him, I trusted him. However, this situation look ed, I knew it was all right. l knew it
 A customer might have reason to stay with the head of the concern after the office force had left. An old friend might conceivaibly come to consult Jim after business hours. To make it concrete. Evvy Mason oh, Evvy Mason might do anything! But, as far as Jim was concerned, I loved him and believed in him, and I was too moder to see a situa- ton in a harmless visit to a mans office.
 All this flashed through my mind in a brief moment. But I think some of it went into the f1andclasp l gave him before I spoke again.
 'sI was out dor my first road lesson in the car and I stopped by to drive you home. If you and ETTy have hn-
 Jim's eyes warmed me with ap- proval, even as EvVy broke in with a husky little laugh to emphasize her words.
 "Oh, we had finished. It was just a little matter of investments I wanted to consult my oldest friend about: You're sure you don't nfnd' Anne?"
 I think I meant the laugh with which I replied:
 Mind! What mercenary, modern city wife minds having an old friend turn into a new client? You know, | Evvy unfortunately, doctors and lawyers and brokers cant always count on having their friends for GUS toners. There's room for four in the car. So you two come along and take the little rumble seat and finish the | laJrSS TT-HJ Ia iy-fa my attention to giving her gas' and handling the clutch and such like trifies, of which my instructor still knows more than I.'' ed with mental gasp l could almost hear, Do you know Meals gone away for a week?"
 That's right. You'll be lonesome. l us? We might get in a fourth this evening and give you folks the op- portunity of martyrizing yourselves by teaching me bridge
 Are you sure you want me ?'' be- | gan Evvy, with flash of her eyes from me to Jim.
 He still said nothing. I could see that Evvy was recovering, and was beginning to take a Inischievous de- light in what she considered his lack of ease I knew Jim wasn't in the least i'll at ease-knew it with abso- 1 lute certainty. and felt that he was 1 ganantly leaving the situation eff in deed there was 'tsituation'D to me, i and watching me with admiration and | approval. For the first time since I 1 had known her, and learned to fear l her scratches, I was enjoying Evvy's | game-and my part in it.
 ttOf course we want you," I insist l ed, determined that Evvy should see was making nothing of her visit to l Jim. ttWho shall we get for a fourth,