The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-11-16
BY III. L. Gates
CHAPTER XII
Joanna Visits EggIestOn

| y JOANNA, q DlllOW OIL SHOW
white ermine nestled in the
cushions of Brandon's linn
CUISINE, went happily to the place
she had called home. Went to the
rooming house where Mrs. Adams
lost her sleep over flapper dodgers.
She thought it would be for the last
time.
Realization that she was rich,
fabulously, rich like Yvonne
Coutant, like movie star, like Mrs.
Delaney Jordan, with whose son
Bob Joanna once had a date
negotiated over his mother S
shoulder at the silk counter, had
Her fight for understanding Of the
fantastic thing that had happened
: to her was over, soothed away by
the retrospects Of the evening. The
feel of the ermines against her
cheeks and throat and shoulders,
the nearness Of Brandon who wore
his evening clothes so smartly, the
prospects Of the morrow when she
would move into the aura of Yvonne,
symbol Of life, throbbed through her
pulses and suffused her alert body
with a gentle glow.
For the twentieth time she re-
solved to puzzle no more about the
source Of the money, or the reason
Of it. Something would happen to
her, of course. She'd meet it on
tip toes. One thing, though. she
must square up. Brandon, whatever
his part in her affairs, mustn't
think she was-well, the kind of q
bell that is all clapper and no ring.
She asked him suddenly:
"Why didn't you want me to go
to Miss Coutant's tonight? 1t
would have been much easier than
tomorrow"
20 wholly selfish reason" Bran
don informed her. You're an i'm
portant person to some one, you
know, for some reason. Decisions
you make now are of consequence.
I'd rather not have the responsibility
of delivering you into anybody's
guidance. Then you will not be able
to tell me about it later on, If you
feel like it,"
do you think I shall ever be
sorry?"
THAT doesn't follow. Certainly,
though, Yvonne Coutant represents
a distinct theory Of what life owes
its dependents You wouldn't adopt
her as a counselor in the same i'm
pulse that would lead you to go in
for-let us say. upliftr'
''Yet you want me to go to her,
to learn from her what to do with
my money to spend 1t her way, and
to become like her? You knew she
was going to ask me. You ar
ranged It,"
HE saw that she had struck
mi home. For brief moment
~ Brandon was perturbed. Then
he smiled to her. when you be-
gin to accuse me I know I'm getting
on" he murmured.
ooh, I shall let you get on fast
enough, until I know what's what.
Them
"And then what?"
There's no use going to funeral
until somebody's dead, is there? We
won't be downhearted now"
When he stood with her, for part
ing minutes, in the rooming house
reception hall, where a dim light
burned its grim reproach to young
ladies who breezed in from midnight
to four, Brandon suddenly took Jo-
Annals hands in his, and gently drew
her to him until she stood quite
close, so that she had to lift her
chin to look into his face. For a
moment she was panic stricken.
1t was prelude of a kiss, she
thought. She didn't want Brandon
to kiss her. Her lips burned at the
threat OF it. She would not protest,
If he asked her, or If he took his
caress without asking. But lit would
spoil the evening. Still when chaps
were decent and had contributed