The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-06
CHAPTER 578

Copyright. 1920, King Features Syn
dictate, Inc.
A traffice block delayed me 20
minutes and SO I didn't get home I'M
til after on the evening when Carl
Booth was to dine with CarIotta and
me. Still / thought nothing of it
when I heard voices from the library
as I unlocked the front door of the
house and hurried toward the stairs.
And didn't slacken my pace until
heard Carlotta calling after me:
We'll, Anne! Whittier away so
fast? Have you forgotten that there's
a guest dtping here and that you
weren't home to introduce us prop
erly?"
Carl isn't here yeti" I half ex-
claimed, half queried. He said half
past seven@
I'm afraid, my dear. your NOM
orys none Of the best. The gentle
man appears to think ne was invited
for 8. And like a good. old-fashion-
ed citizen he arrived on time. How
long will you keep us and the baby
lambkin wadting?"
May have 10 minutes" asked.
"Just long enough for some clean
hands and a fresh blouse"
TIL permit you a whole fresh dress
IL you'n permit me to go on being en-
tertained by your nice company" Car
lotta flung after me In a tone cal
culated to reach back to the library
and put Carl at ease or not as the
case might be.
So I helped my self to a generous
10 minutes verging on Is, and came
down again in a semi-refreshed state
which I felt sure a good hot dinner
would turn into a wholly restored one.
Carl and Carlotta were in the midst
80 cd
came into the room. For a moment
neither noticed my approach. So I
had time to make note of Carlotta's
transformed appearance.
She had slipped into one OF her
frockss,of pre-mourning days. It was
a Jade green chiffon built over orchid
color and girdled in orchid. Above 1T
her glorious red hair shone and g1is-
tened like leaping fame. She made
CarIs big. clean blondness seem cool
and colorless. She was leaning to-
ward him with an animation I sud-
denly realized I'd seen her show only
when Pat or Tom or Jim stimulated
her to It. Evidently Carlotta Sturges
is one of those women who are at
their best when spurred and quick
ened by masculine attention.
Hello, people-people, he1lol" I
cried. when I'd been permitted to pro-
gress half way across the room with
out a sign of recognition from any
one.
Carl Ieaped to his feet and came to-
ward me with that boyish eagerness
which is his most charming quality.
Yet he kept 1t from having any sug-
gestion of slight to Carlotra,( as he
said:
Hello, Barbara Annei I've been
finding out why you like staying at
home instead of going out to dinner.
I'll have to do some quick recipro-
eating SO you girls will be sure to in
vite me over soon again."
I'm 50 glad you two got on nice
ly," I laughed in response. TT would
be terrible If Carl and Car1otta didn't
hit It off,"
I've sound like the first chapter in
an old-fashtoned romance, don't we?"
laughed Carlotta. But we hadn't
arrived at the first names stage, so
we didn't know how our names glide
along together like prize waltzers.''
You can't chill my ardor that way,
young woman cried Carl We glide
along like a day in June. Carl and
Carlotta's sounds like one of my third
reader stories. And I'm tick1ed to
pieces in this modern day and gem
GRAFTON that no one tries to make 1t