The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-11-11
CHAPTER XXI


. - 49,
- tude gave Nancy the idea that he
wished to speak 10 her, but evidently
Miss Henderson also suspected this
fact, for. as the doctor was about to
leave the room, she prepared to fol-
low him down.
"She doesn't trust me- thought
Nancy to herself "She thinks I'll tell
the doctor about her brother, and she
isn't going to give me the opportun-
ity." And inasmuch as Miss Hender-
son and the doctor went out together,
Nancy, who had no intention of leav.
ing Trix alone even for a minute, re-
mained in the room.
AT 6 o'clock Miss Henderson knock
ed at the door and at Nancy's Come
in" entered, insisting that the giIl go
downstairs for dinner.
I'm sit here with Trix and you be
sure to go for run on the beach be-
fore you return. You haven't left the
house all day"
Nancy ate a solitary meal. Some
the entire house that evening. Not
that Rock Haven was ever very cheer
ful. but tonight it seemed doubly mys-
terious. with shadows lurking in the
corners and hints of a storm in the
air Afterward, when wrapped in her
dark cape. she essayed to open the
big front door. an icy wind from with.
out struck her full in the face. She
hesitated wondering whether she
ought to go out on such a wild night
when a voice spoke to her out OF the
gloom. frightening her so that she
went cold to her fingertips.
ITS only Ellen Miss Hathaway.
Mr.. Bruce would like you to come to
his room a moment before you go up.
stairs
Instantly Nancy was hot with anger
How dared he send for her as though
she were a servant, and how could he
suppose for a minute that anything he
might say would have any weight with
her particularly after what had hap.
pened today
She drew herself up haugh(Iy. Some.
how she had never liked Ellen. who
crept about the house so silently that
one never knew of her presence unless
she spoke. Nancy generally sensed her
presence and looked up from whatever
she was doing to discover that she was
in the room, but she more than half
suspected that Ellen was fond OF
Bruce, and that her sympathies We're
with him. Nancy couldn't have told
why she believed this, butl she did.
Perhaps it was nothing more than
"hunch.'
'Will you tell Mr.. Henderson for me
that it will be impossible for me to
come TO his ROOM she said coldly.
And she fancied that in the gloom
Of the hall lighted only by It's one dim
light, Ellen's face twisted into a pecu.
liar smile. But she said nothing. simp.
ly stepped back, and Nancy, who up 10
that moment had been undecided about
venturing out, suddenly took her cour.
age in her hands and stepped out, clos.
ing the door behind her She needed
the air and exercise. Anything was
better than staying in the house an.
other moment. .G,1l
Outside the sea was making a terri.
fic racket. The breakers pounded on
The beach with a resounding roar and
the wind was terrific. 1t fairly caught
Nancy's breath as she struggled along,
but she reveled in it, and even when
a gust Of rain struck her fun in the
face, she gloried in the wildness of the
elements.
When she finally regained the house
her hair was shining with powdery
randrops and she was cut of breath.
She stumbled up on the veranda and
was just about to ring the bell when
a tall, dark figure stepped out of the
shadows and barred her way. She
stepped back with half muffled