The Holly chieftain., 1924-03-06
CHAPTER v-continued,

Violet had given him one evidence
OF friendly concern that touched him.
She'd remembered the wish he'd ex-
pressed to meet Hugh Corbett, and had
made, 1t seemed, a special effort to
secure Hugh and his wife today for
the purpose of bringing this meeting
about. (Joe had had a wonderful talk
with Hugh, having found In him one
whose imagination could do Justice to
cellulose fiber-one to whom 1t mightn't
just as well have been putty or prunes.)
The sum Of all thie was that. when
Violet told him to pull that chair
little farther around the corner into
a position more easily overlooked. and
then sat down in 1t with the expressed
hope that they might have few min
utes to themselves, his jungle warlness
was in allegiance. She spoke at once
about Beatrice, in terms, of course. of
praise. Fascinating, she called her,
and a dear. Delightful to look at, too,
clothes and all, and with freshness
about her most engaging. To the IA
theirs charmed ear there was nothing
suggestive Of the cannibal princess In
any of this. He let himself begin to
talk, more freely than he'd ever sup
posed he could talk with woman who
attracted him as this one did, about
the girl, his hope for her, the problems
she presented. And in this connection
he told her how Margaret figured in
the design, and about the contemplated
summer on Cape Cod.
All he perceived, at first, was that
Violet saw some aspect of this plan
that hadn't occurred to tim-and that
she was quietly finding source Of
amusement In it. Yet it wasn't us If
she were laughing at him. There was
gleam Of mischief about her almost
suppressed smile which hlnted that
she'd like to share the joke with him.
If she dared.
He didn't ask her to tell him what
the Joke was. His returning wariness
warned him, indeed, not to let her
guess he saw she had one. What he
did ask was whether she didn't think
an association like that was just what
the girl needed.
"Why, yes, suppose So" Violet as
sented, dubiously, "only I'm not sure
1t isn't little-austere. The place
they're going is awfully quiet; Rose
and Rodney never go there except
when they want to get away from alb
solutely everybody. The only people
there are some professors and writer
or two. And, of course. a complete
rest is what Margaret is supposed to
need. So If the girls been having
well, rather a thin time, this might
strike her as not very jolly. She's
adoring it here today; anyone could
see that"
She went on, with an earnestness he
couldn't account for, to sing Marga-
ret's praises, as II she feared that what
she'd just said might have done her
interfere with any plan of Margarets.
II she wants-Beatrice, to brighten
things bit and-well. be sort of
mother to, hope you'll let her have
her. And. Of course" she concluded,
getting up to receive the farewell of
an approaching guest, 'If you could
manage to run down there for while,
that would be Creator everybody"
"Td thought Of sending Henry" he
began, but IT wasn't until then that he
saw the recurrent CLEAN OF that enig-
matte smile Of hers upon her lips. He
no longer sought to interpret 1t; dis
missed, indeed, the Interpretation that
suggested itself as d-n nonsense But
there came n faint reflection OF the
same smile in his faca. and II occurred
when he told Beatrice she needn't
count on Margaret and Cape Cod for
this summer unless she liked. "Want-
ed to be sort Of mother to her." eh