Evening star., 1927-05-23

II despise you, and you cannot in
jure me-" she would say. 1t left them
uncomfortable and thwarted.
She had, as she grew up, no world
| outside of the schoolroom and the
quiet house where now her mother and
Margaret lived and slowly "rotted," as
Margaret put it. Once a year the
Parker car stopped at the door, and
! Sally Parker, Mrs. Bayne's cousin, got
out and came in. Sam, her husband.
| was making them a small allowance
and had secured them the house. Occa-
sionally, too, the chauffeur would leave
box, and, for a while, Mrs. Bayne
or Margaret or Holly. as the case
might be. would blossom out in fresh
garments and maybe go to church.
Mrs. McCook, who kept boarders
across the street, was not blind to
these condolences.
"I haven't seen that before, Clara" +"
she would say to her maid of all work
Come here and look. Did you notice
that car here last week."
And Clara would answer yes or no,
as the case might be.
1t was, as a matter of fact, due to
one of Sally Parker'S madeover velvet
suits that Holly had met Furness
Brooks again. She had gone to st.
Andrews, sitting well to the back, for
the one-time despised mayor had taken
the Bayne pew and become a vestry-
man. And Furness had seen her and
! asked who she was.
Holly Bayner' he said. "Why,
used to know her at dancing schoolp'
He had spoken to her afterward.
and walked home with her. perhaps,
to that list of names which were to
alter Howard Warrington's life and
nearly wreck it, 1t would be well to
add Sally Parker's)
A certain amount of all this went
| through Holly's head that afternoon.
| The room was ready; it was swept
and secured and busted. The big chair
| which had been moved up there when
her father went away was by the
| hearth, although just why was prob
| lematical. They had not arranged to
| supply the roomer with a fire, so she
| had not laid one.
IF he wants a fire, he will have to
pay EXTRA" Mrs. Bayne had replied
sharply to her suggestion. when it's
cold enough. We'll light the furnace" :"
II thought just as a sort of well
come
"If you start it, you'll have to keep
| it up. And what do you mean by vel
come? He's not entering the family!'
NO" said Holly. II suppose not.
Still. he's to be in our house. He'll be
part of us, whether we like it or
not"
why? He's not getting his food
here. He'll be in and out, that's all,
and mostly out"
Margaret-this was in the drawing
room at tea; they mostly had tea there
and then no supper, or some bread
and jam before going to bed-Mar-
garet had smiled family over her sew
ing. But Mrs. Bayne had not noticed
her: she seldom did.
The result of all this was that Holly
was puzzled. as she surveyed the
room.
She had never seen this young
stranger. but soon he would be there.
How did one treat people like that,
who were in ones house but not of it?
She was still uncertain when she
went downstairs to dress for Furness
Brooks afternoon call, and later on
that gentleman found her detached
and unapproachable, and 1t rather
famed the ardor of his new flame.
Seems to me somebody's very quiet
today" he remarked. with an attempt
at joviality.
II feel quiet" she said.
MTS. bdyne, VINO was eXpdnSlVely
present, looked at her with a certain
irritation. If. as she frequently told
Margaret. Holly was going to be silly
about Furness. she was through. Sim
ply through. 1t was the chance of
lifetime. So she might have said
something sharp. but fortunately the
bell rang just then. and she smiled
sweetly instead.
You go. darling" she said to Holly
Il dare say Hilda is busy"
Yes, she had invented a Hilda by
that time, poor lady. for Furness
Brooks benefit. The first time she
said it Holly had given her a hard,
swift look, but after that she had let
it go. 1t was so characteristic. and
somehow so pitiful.
So Holly went. and the total result
of Hilda, plus uncertainty, was that
Warrington. landing bag and baggage
on the doorstep, met with a reception
rather different from@ what he had