The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-17
Copyright, 1920. King Features Syn
dictate, Inc.
CHAPTER 561

seriousness.
But Car1otta refused to drop the
breezy gayety with which she'd risen
to meet the day. She answered me
in the tone she'd adopted early in
the morning.
'tSure-we'u take care of an the
lame ducks. Stafford gets a start real
estating instead of hoteling and Dad
Lee gets another invitation to visit
our little dwelling And after a night
spent in figuring out the why's and
wherefores of ingratttude such as
Dick Vests, I'll bet Daddy won't turn
US down again.
We drove on in silence after that,
each absorbed in her own day dream
ing. Mine, as usual, took the form Of
wondering just what Jim was doing
at that particular moment. When
ever Tn not busy find myself visit
fully wondering about this. And
| sometimes when 1 am busy, thoughts
of Jim come. and crowd out every
| thing eIese. If ever had any illu-
sions about work being enough to fill
! a woman's Hfe-they are destroyed
now.
! Perhaps Car1otta was dreaming of
the man in whose car she was riding.
! [ wasn't thinking of Carlotta until
| the moment when we drew up at the
hotel and I turned to announce husk-
lily.
Were here"-
Then something in the wistfu1
| sweetness Of her face stopped my
thinking of my own love and made
me realize the strength and truth of
the emotions which have caught Car
| lotta in their grip. With a little toss
of her head, CarIotta recovered her
poise and her tone of raillery.
'sShan I come with you, ma'am ?''
asked Lyons in a tone which told me
| that it wouldn't do much good to re-
| fuse his protection.
Come, fellow conspirators!" cried
Carlotta, accepting Lyons for the 10y
| al friend he'd proved himself.
| So we marched into the hotel. IN
disturbed we crossed the lobby, rang
for the elevator and stepped in like
any other passengers No one made a
move to stop US. Indeed. no one paid
our floor and walked down the cor
ridor to the tower room with a GER
tain solemn expectancy which quieted
even CarIotta's flippancy.
! No one answered my knock at the
door. 1t occurred to me that the
nurse might be out and Dad Lee
asleep, so without any particular. be-
lief that I'd find the door open. 1
turned the knob 1t gave under my
|
door open and starting across the
threshold of Dad Lees room.
| The bed was empty. Its white COW
ers were smoothed backimmaculately
The whole room was in perfect order
There wasn't a single token thao Dad
Lee had ever been there. But on bu-
reau and ch;fforobe there were
brushes and trays of ebony with a sill
yer 'R" staring up from the black
background.
This must be the wrong roomI''
[ gasped, starting back over the
threshold Of the empty place IN which
L, had expected to find Dad Lee lying
bandaged and bruised in the bed
where we'd left htm the night before
ITS the right room-all RICHTER
said Carlotto with a, note of cynAcism
Its Rogers little den-just as the
Stafford boy said.''
MAY I go in ahead of you, Mrs
Harrison?'' requested Lyons respect
fully.
At my nod he walked into the room
and I followed as he crossed to the
window. Looking down, he shook
his head, and I started back from the
sheer descent of brick court the win
dow exposed to view. Then he cross
ed and flung open all the doors. The
|
| serge-a young mans wardrobe.
Now what shall we do?" I asked
hopelessly, burning to escape from
Mr.. Rogers room without encounter
ing that gentleman himself
March right down to the desk
urged Carlotto, land ask for Mr.. Lee
Well put up some sort of bluff abou
not knowing which room he's beer
changed to. Perhaps you Nigh
ivy int f,-io
Rogers I'm sure we can carry tfi
off with a high hand"
We've nothing to do but try
said. "And there's no special dan
ger about walking up to thu 1eaH
of a hotel so there's equally no rea
son why you should delay starting of
on your long drive to meet Mr.. Nor.
deys, Lyons. But before you go !
want word with you
Before Mrs. Harrison has that
word. I'd like to shake hands with
you" broke in Carlotta- "And il
ever Mr.. Norreys stops driving a car
and takes to driving his own, I want
you to know that I'd go as far as
buying an automobile just to keep you
in the family
Car1otta crimsoned at her own
words Lyons, no doubt, took them
for a final proof of earnestness.
| knew how her own phrase 'in the
1
family had tantalized her with it's
daring suggestion. AS Lyons put out
his big, 1ong-hngered, sensitive hand
and took the hand Car1ottta was Of
fering him, noticed the almost rev
erent way be bowed his head to ac-
knowledge the honor he felt she was
doing him.
I'D rather see you two ladies
through, If I'm allowed" he said
Mr.. Norreys would excuse me fol-
being half a day late, but he wouldn't
excuse me for letting go of this thing
It'll I've seen how they treat you dowr
| to the desk. And as amt able tc
tell you what it means-you shaking
| hands with me and treating me this
way-I won't try
There was something of stubborn
| ness in his tone-something that told
me he didn't intend to depart until
he'd seen us safely on our way some.
where out Of this very Dick West