Evening star., 1925-11-26
Continued from Yesterdays Star)
CHAPTER XII.
Joanna Visits EgRleston.

So Joanna, a billow of snow white
ermine, nestled in the cushions of
Brandon's limousine, went happily to
the place she had called home. Went
to the rooming house where Mrs.
Adams lost her sleep over iapper
lodgers. She thought 1t would be for
the last time.
Realization that she was rich. fabu.
lously rich, like Yvonne Coutant, like a
movie star. like Mrs. Delaney Jordan,
with whose son Bob Joanna once had
a date negotiated over his mother 8
shoulder at the silk counter, had set
tied at last In her cropping brain. Her
fight for understanding Of the fantas-
tic 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 Bran
don. 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 gentle glow.
For the twentieth time she resolved
to puzzle no more about the source OF
the money. or the reason Of jt. Some.
thing would happen to her. OF course
She'd meet 1t on tip toes. One thing
though, she must square up Brandon
whatever his part In her analrs
mustn't think she was-well. the kind
Of 81 bell that is all clapper and nc
ring: She taxed him suddenly:
why didn't you want me to go &c
Miss Coutant's tonight? 1t would have
been much easier than tomorrow"
"A wholly selfish reason" Brandon
informed her. You're an important
person to some one, you know. for
some reason. Decisions you make nov
are OF consequence. I'd rather not
have the responsibility Of delivering
you into anybody's guidance. Their
you will not be able to tell me abou,
it later on. if you feel like 1t"
DO you think l shall ever be
Sorry"
THAT doesn't follow. Certainly
though, Yvonne Coutant represents q
dependents. You wouldn't adopt he,
as a counselor in the same impulse
that would lead you to go in for-le1
us say, uplift"'
yet you want me to go to her, tt
learn from her what TO do with my
money. to spend it her way, and Il
become like her? You knew she wa:
going to ask me. You arranged It.
She saw that she had struck home
L or Drfe1 moment BTanOon was per
turbed. Then he smiled to her
when you begin to accuse me l know
I'm getting on he murmured.
ooh, / shall let you get on fas
enough, until l know what's what
Then"
And then what?'
There's no use going to a funera
until somebody's dead. is there? W.
won't be downhearted now
When he stood with her, for part
ing minutes, in the rooming hous,
reception hall. where a dim light burn
ed its grim reproach to young ladies
| who breezed IN from midnight to four
Brandon suddenly took Joanna's hands
in his, and gently drew her to hin
until, she stood quite close, so thai
she had to lift her chin to look into
his face. For a moment she was
panic c-stricken. It was the 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. II he asked her, or IL he
took his caress without asking. But
it would spoil the evening. Still wher
chaps were decent and had contrib
uted what might be called gooC