The Dolores star., 1924-02-15
CHAPTER iv-continued.
8

beHlTlte CoNltnleu NeTSell Win
single sip at her glass; then carried 1t
over to her father. 81 ought to have
done this. last time" she admitted.
contidentially, and he squeezed her
arm in approval. But when Margaret
took cigarette she helped herself to
one also. Shed had fortnight OF as
slduOus practice and decided she could
safely venture. He laughed mt this bit
of bravadO. but didn't seem displeased
She felt 1t was a good beginning; her
fathers darling and the complete hos
tess were the two fronts she wished
to PRESENT. double warning to tres
pasSers.
And as the evening advanced she
gained confidence that she was sue
ceeding with both. She sat very
straight. In the hIgh-backed armchair
which fnced her fathers. and felt her
self satisfactorily in the part. (The
movies have their uses. after all. She'd
learned lot from Pauline Frederick
and Elsie FergusOn.) Arson fortified
her somehow: 1t was the first time
shed felt him clearly as an ally. But
the great thing was her fathers look
Something came into 1t, whenever lie
turned it upon her, that quickened her
heartbeat. AS long as he went on
looking at her Ike that she was in no
danger from anybody.
Their hour in the drawing room
after dinner was really rather Jolly,
and one of her few conversational ven
lures, made in the course of 1t. proved
distinct success. Miss Craven had
been admiring the big Sorolla. when
Beatrice asked, Did you ever hear of
painter named Carmichael Blairr.
They'd all heard Of him. 1t seemed.
He'd had show. only few months
earlier. at the Institute But why had
she asked?
Some Of his pictures are n little like
that, I think" she said. "They-sort
of sing. just like that does"
In that moment she decided that.
without reserve, she liked Henry
Craven, just for the way his face light
ed up over that remark. You're per
fectly right" he told her; there's
real resemblance in just that quality"
He added, "Blair lived out in Callfor-
MA Tor WIlie, ulun lie
She nodded "IIe tried to teach me
to paint once. But wasn't much good
at It." She had the satisfaction of
feeling that she'd said that exactly
right.
So the evening summed up to a real
success. Her comments on their
guests, after they'd gone, were en-
sti a
Henry, and so nearly in the same tone
as they concerned Margaret that she
didn't believe her father could tell the
difference.
But the little lunch Margaret had for
her, week later, didn't go Off as well,
and she came home from 1t depressed,
vaguely resentful, and with her first
misgiving of the woman's design Upon
her father wide-awake again.
Margaret's flat had been shock to
her. She'd assumed that these people
were rich. She wondered. uneasily, If
her father had been taken in. Beatrice
was the first of the guests to arrive.
and during those first few minutes
while they were alone she had the un
comfortable sense of being under ex-
animation, on trial-tO have 1t decided
whether she would do, The questions
themselves were friendly enough. How
did she amuse herself during the long
hours her father spent at the Office?
(Margaret knew how long they were.
because of her brother) Had she any
trouble finding her way about? Had
she been shopping2 Margaret would
20 with her II she liked. almost any
day. and show her where-well, the
right sort Of things were to be found.
One could waste lot of time-as
well as lot Of money-in a strange
city making all those discoveries for
oneself No. there was no harm In the
questions-only the girls answers
seemed. always. somehow. to give her
away.
The arrival Of the other guests didn't
Improve matters either. There were
oaiy two Of them (it wasn't party.