Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-09
CHAPTER III
Tex Hunter

! harrington tIEdllctlIl nav
christened it Brightwaters, for on
| one side of the large rambling
/ house the smooth lawns sloped
| down to the sparkling sound. Every
window was ablaze with light that
evening when Lyra was whizzed Up
| the driveway in the large gray ma
chine, and as she got out OF the
car she asked Bently, the chaut-
/ feur. if Mr.. Hunter had arrived.
Eyes, Miss Graham, Mr.. Hunters
train came in at 4 o'clock. Your
| father met him at the station, and
| they drove down together"
| Lyra nodded, and FASTENED into
the house. 1t would take her an
/ hour or so to get ready for dinner,
/ and she was rather curious to see
! this man who, for so many years,
/ had been her fathers friend. He
was quite young, not yet forty, and
according to Harrington Graham
was one of natures noblemen.
Lyra's mouth had curved in a
smile half amused and half scorn-
! full when her father had told her
/ this She had not suspected this
/ streak Of sentiment in her father S
nature and she wondered if per
haps Thomas Hunter might not
turn out to be more of a rough
diamond than her father imagined.
! She could not bear that. She de
! spised lack OF savoir faire in man,
/ that was why the thought of Peter
was so comforting There was notn-
ing about the social graces that
Peter did not know, and for that
reason one could always be sure OF
him
But if this man, Tex Hunter,
as her father called him, should
/ prove to be a boor. it would not be
at all comfortable. In fact, he might
spoil things But then, thought
/ Lyra, Struggling the idea away, she
need not to be more than civil to
/ him, and her father would take most
of the burden of entertaining him
off her hands.
Upstairs in her own room, she be-
gan to divest herself of her things.
1t was a delectabIe room, the kind
of room that suited Lyra as an eX-
quisite setting enhances the beauty
, of a jewel On one side the room
Widened into an alcOve, and here
her low white bed had been placed,
The windows were hung with pale
mauve chiffon, and the dressing
table with its triple mirrors was
streWn with expensive toilet articles
in mauve enamel.
Lyra hummed as she went about
the business Of dressing. She loved
| adjoining herself, making herself as
! beautiful as she could, and tonight
she had perVerse desire to shock
Tex Hunter with her beauty. He
had HVed for years on a ranch, he
was doubtless uuaccustOmed %
women Of her kind. She wanted to
appear sophisticated. worldly wise.
she wanted TO dazzle him, and it was
Tor this reason that she chose a
! straight sheathlike dress of silver
cloth, and dressed her fair hair
hIgh, catching it with a comb of
sparkling blue stones. Beneath the
starry grayness of her eyes, the
scarlet of her lips trembled into a
smile as she finally viewed herself
IN the mirror
Yes, she looked very well, the dress
undoubtedly suited her. Lucette was
certainly wonder and thew had
CHOSEN wisely in getting her to take
| CndfSe OF he trousseau These were
L%ra thoughts as she Stared at her.
| self for long time in the mirror,
out there was no girlish softness in
those starry gray eyes, and her
mouth, with its satisfied little smile.
looked very proud and cold.
AS she turned away, knock
/ sounded at the door, and the next
moment d girl came dashing in.
Hello. Lyra, still primpinc? T
lhought d rush up and tell YOU the
news MI. lex Hunter is riot, my
/ GEAR a regular type, diamond in the
rough, and all that, YOU know. I
j don know what you'll think of hin,
/ but believe me, my dear. Won can.t
! heIp admirinS his looks. He's prob.
/ ably the best-looking thing I've ever
! seen.
1 AS cynthia Weston finished speak.
/ ing, Lyra was again smiling thar
! careful, cultivated little smile of
| hefs. a moment later she wouId
! he going downstairs and enterin .
! the crowded living room. If wouId
/ De like walking out on a stage and
S 81, would be the featured PLAYER.
Inc ldea was pleasing to her.
CHAPTER "
The Heroine Enters
/ So NILS is my daughter Lyra.
Tex, old man" There was
proud thrill in Harrington
I Graham s voice as he spoke. He wa
! prouder of being the father of this
/ exquisite, cultured young thing thar
+ ne was of anything he had accom-.
! pushed during his lifetime. and in his
eyes she could do no wrong. IT
+ think she was four or five when Won
saw her last. wasn't she?" he Went
/ ON easily, with a laugh.
Lyra found herself looking up into
incredibly blue eyes. Their color was
enhanced because his skin was
bronzed With sun and wind. and his
halr was dark, almost black. Yes
ne was Sood looking, ran the eirI's
thoughts, and so tall. WHY he nous+
De at least six feet three. But his
dress suit was terrible. and ne seem.
/ ed awkward and embarrassed as he
stood looking down at her. She hat.
ed that,
As for Tex Hunter. he saw = tsu
i sim girl in silver gown. Above
! the starry gray of her ewes har
blonde hair shone like pale silver
+ 1t was caught with a comb of blue
! stones that flashed blindingIv as
/ she turned her head. and her lips
/ smiled at him in way he did not
/ like, although he could not have told
/ why
How DO YOU do. she said evenly.
and turned almost Immediately away.
| But she left him vaguely uncom-
Portable, he sensed a feeling Of