The Dolores star., 1924-03-07

concluded. that we'd come out in
your car, but that l didn't think you'd
mind taking me over there, and. per
haps, take Violet home in my place.
That little roadster of Dodo's would
be tight fit for three. It's taking you
lot out of your way, of course"
The request pleased Joe. 1t WIS of
piece with the more companionable
feeling he'd been aware of between
them all the afternoon. He would be
late for dinner-and he'd been pune
tual as commuter since TriN had
been promoted to the head of his
household-but he'd cOntrive to tele-
phone from somewhere and let her
know what TO expect.
They left Nicholson's at once. but
the stop at Hickory Hill used up
good deal more time than they'd count
ed upon.
II amused Joe to note that there
never was the slightest question in
Johns mind as to how their party of
four should be divided up. John, and
nobody else. was going to drive his
precious Dorothy over those tricky de-
tours. Violet. he believed from n gleam
he caught in her eye. was somewhat
dryly aware OF the same thing.
Joe. with Violet, started out ahead;
but the position was reversed as soon
as it began TO rain. for he pulled out
to the side OF the road at once and
began putting up the storm-curta!ns,
and the others came on by. passing
with a derisiye honk from John and
shouted comment, only half audible
from Dorothy. Her idea seemed to be
that the storm wasn't going to amount
to anything and that the rain felt
good anyway.
They'll 90 on like that till they're
soaked" Violet said. discontentedly,
"and then they'll put up the curtains
to keep the wetness in. I'm like n cat
about getting wet" she added 81
hate it."
Joe's car had right-hand drive, and
his levers. especially with the hand
brake set and the storm-curtalns up,
barred his entrance to the driving
seat. 1t was raining in good earnest
before he'd finished with the curtains,
and, in the light of that last remark
of hers, he hesitated to ask her to get
out so that he could get in.
Il can climb in over you,- he sug-
gested. "if you don't mind being
squeezed a bit"
clambered in. over her knees. Then
he reached across her and buttoned
the last curtain fast.
The state of his mind and feeling
toward her. when they had started out
from Hickory Hill. would nave salts
fed the most exacting husband in the
world. John Williamson, had he pos
sessed the clalrvoyant power to read
it, would probably have smiled over
1t as not quite credibly austere. No
human male of virile years could be
expected TO set out upon a long drive
with as pretty a woman as Violet for
his sole companion without n little
more disposition to improve the shin
ing hour-oh, in perfectly harmless.
decent way, of course-than could be
read in Joe's intentions.
Her sensuous appeal to him was
completely in allegiance. She was John
Wiliamson's wife. and John was, after
all. a thoroughly good fellow She
was also. in way he'd never been
lucky enough to experience before,
willing to make friends with him. He
| wanted her for friend, on Trixs ac-
| count as well as on his own. And
| then, last and first and all the time
| he was that newly discovered being
Triv Cot
the night Of his quarrel with her hadn't
| had time to subside into commonplace
tepidity. The chance that Trix's IA
ther should even glance aside at the
amorous possibilities of another wom-
an would have been unthinkable to
him-when he left Hickory Hill. But
| when he started the car, after that
pause to put the curtains up, there
had been a change.
The subtlety Of the sense percep-
tions, when they are trained and re-
lied upon, as Joe's were, Is beyond Ian
guage altogether. 1t was with perfect
innocence that he suggested 1t mightn't
be necessary for her to get out of the
car in order to let him in, II she didn't
mind being squeezed a bit. But some
quality of her voice when she an
swered. II don't mind" reused him.
She had inflicted It in a thoroughly
matter-of-fact way, too. There was
the same message in the feel Of her
body as he crowded across it, in the
| withdrawal of her breast from
contact with his arm as he buttoned
the curtains, in her discovery of the
wetness of his coat, and in the way
she helped him out Of It. A series of
acts which could have been described
In precisely the same words might
have told him nothing at all. might
have left him as coolly unconscious of
her sex as he'd been when he stopped
the car. There wasn't the faintest
doubt in him Of the authenticity OF the
message. Whether she'd meant to con.
vey 1t, or even was aware she had, he