Evening star., 1925-12-03

ginning to be afraid that you would
never decide te accept me- ais ans of
your very necessary evils"
And you think | have made UP nay
mind that you are not to be bafisd.
she challenged him. Perhaps I have.
At any rate I'm not going 10 be afraid
of you. but that doesn't mean that ]
don't know that I ought to be. But
just now I am not thinking OF YOU.
but of Mr.. Eggleston. I want him 10
like me, and ! wonder why he has
asked me to see him"
She was not watching him, but she
sensed a quick glance that took her
in from head te foot. Il rather i'm
agine'' he said, that NEST any one
you want to admire you will. II may
be that even your banker will lose his
heart to you. Have you decided, TOO,
upon that
No" she said, very seriously, as If
she were considering the matter
deeply: II would rather never want
an old man to lose his heart to ms.
The kind who do are always silly and
wicked. And Mr. Eggleston isn't that
sort. I'm dreadfully frightened of
him. Of the thing he knows, who gave
me the money and why, but when !
sit before him | feel as If there was
something between us. something that
isn't money. | don't knew how TO
describe it, but its semething that
makes me want to be liked by him
and trusted. He doesn't seem like a
banker at all. | think all the things
people have always said about him.
his being so hard and cruel and mercl-
less. are unjust"
yet l have knewn him to send
man te suicide by refusing his plea
for a few paltry dollars te save him
from bankruptcy. And I've seen him
torture a woman who came to hln TO
ask a cendescensien from the bank
that would have saved her from tbs
contempt of her husband. I've known
great institutions to fail overnight be-
cause he wouldn't lift his hand TO save
them
YES Joanna agreed He would
do that Just as MFR. Good Morning.
the buver in the store, sent pretty
girl te prison fer stealing a pair of
bahy's silk socks We girls at the
counter took up a collection to pay
her fine when we heard there was
really a baby the socks were intended
for. but when we told Mr.. Good Morn
ing about it he snapped our heads or
and threatened to FIRE every one OF us
il we dared do such thing. But Just
the same her fine was paid and she
n,
when I found out that he paid out of
his own pocket what he wouldn't let
MS nav. and charged himself with
three psirs of baby's socks and
bahy's silk dress besides. Some men
are that way, yeu know.
Brandon laughed, a short, inselent
laugh that made Joanna hate him
ANEW. II weuld advise" he said, that
YOU never let your banker catch you
in hole that you needed getung out
of. Yeu would do better TO depend
unon-shall I saw the obvious thing p
me-"
She turned and looked at him, de-
,ibsrately. "If there was a hole for
me TO stumble inte," she said, you'd
he the very one to push me in. And
YOU would dc the pushing with
kiss" Then she smiled, brightly. at
him. Still. I'm seing to be very nice
TO yeu, you know"
Much of her reliance went out OF
her. hewever, when she stood in the
center of the massive library Of
Epglesten's mansion. She was a very
little thing. and, she realized, very
friveleus thing. silheustted in the
great quiet room that seemed te re-
sent the smartness and the youth of
her. She wanted to talk in whisper
when Brandon came and steed near
her. when her eyes. in furtive sur
vey ef the far eerners of the reeni,
fell upon the face of the girl in the
gold frame over the huge fireplace.
strange sensation stole along her
pulse She wished that she could hide
her swagger stick. Somehow, she
wished that she had left it in the
eabrielet outside
tcopyriEht. 1898. b. L GatesD
Continued In Tonorrow's StF <