The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-16
CHAPTER 66o

CHAPTER 660 So you've looked me up again now that have money!'' I cried, shocked into bitterness at sight of the sinister little man who claims to be my father and proves to be Dick Vests friend, standing there in Car1otta's home, where somehow he had found lived.
 "Daughter!" he whimpered "Is that the way you greet your poor old dad? My lilly ain't runnin' true to form or behavin' like her blessed mother"
 "BoshI'' began tartly. Then something whipped over me like hot stream. I was ashamed. ''rm sorry to be so horrid. But I'm tired and I haven't had a bite of dinner" Neither have I!' Dad Lee ex- claimed with his usual avidness to get something for nothing, even if he doesn't want 1t.
 Miss SturgeS servants are we'll trained and obliging,'' I explained, to make 1t clear that the house in which he was fairly demanding a meal at this unseemly hour wasn't mine. But I'm not sure they can manage much of dinner now"
 Then leading Dad Lee into the study I went out to ask Bertha for a cold snack"
 Whatever does for you is good enough for me, m'dear," said Dad Lee on my return He spoke with that suggestion of servility which aI- you got a word of greeting for your old dad 9"
 I've pretended often enough to bs glad to see you" said wearily. You've been in town for days now. You went to Mrs. Cordova for req sons of your own. Now you come to me-also for reasons of your own, You can't expect me to be very happpy until I know what those req sons are, can you?''
 Again Dad Lee fell back on the wh1mper1ng tone which has always served to make me regret my own 1nstinctive hardness to him.
 Now you go accusing me of something new I ain't done. Seems like nothing do is ever right, and I'll lay my bets no father ever triad harder to fix his dope sheet so it would have something on it to please his daughter. Amt this Mrs. Cordova a friend of yours?"
 Yes" I said. holding myself to guarded tone in spite of the play on my sympathy I felt Dad Lee was making with equal deliberataon.
 You say she's a. friend of yours luLIOdHGH self to her when I see her trying to get a taxi driver to understand ber funny English ?''
 T haven't heard of your nIsv;,z champion to any other friend nS mine I don't even know how vo,1 were aware of my friendship with Mrs. Cordova,' I replied.
 Maybe l seen you with her. Why do you lay all this weight on nv Knowing nnf r, friend of yours?" demanded Dad Tee
 It appears as if Dad Lee were not only attempting to prove to me that his speaking to Rose meant notfine III particular, but as if at the san,a time he were trying to make it mean somethfng-to net him some gain.
 It was on the tip of my tongue to burst out angrily and demand how he could keep up his pose of injured innocence in face of the fact that T knew he'd intercepted Rosa without cause to demand if she had a nes- sage for him. I remembered her de- scrfptfon of how he shambled ayo,s for a while before he got up courage te speak to her. Rosa had been con vinced that Dad Lee was sent by Dick to spy upon her.
 However much I wanted the satis- faction of telling Dad Lee that was letter perfect in his chat with Rosa. had to deny myself. I don't pro. pose now or at any other time to re- veal to him any more than he knows already So reverted to the unan- swered question which lay between us and answered it in terms of Dad Lee and me, leaving Rosa practically out of the reckoning.
 It seems to me that. my real fa- tner wouldn't want to force himself on any acquaintance of mine. Tse'd wait for me to introduce hfm.s said in hat and unconpronising tone.
 <To Be Continued