The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-11
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If nothing else, was sufficient to
well, to make matters absolutely
safe?"
"I-I be-believe you, Diana"
gulped Lola grudgingly after long
moment. She spoke the words with
difficulty. "And pow-now I've
I've got TOTO make call. I'll see
you at luncheon"
Diana Brooks was loling indo-
lently in the capacious seat of a
large porch swing. The hot July
noon hour made her lazy and
drowsy. She had been loafing on
the shady porch since breakfast,
lacking even the ambition to read.
ooh, Joel" she called to the old
gardener, you don't have to cut
that grass now in this heat. Get
into tn shade somewhere and rest.
It makes me still warmer to see
you sweltering out there!"
The old man ceased the noisy
operation of his lawn moving and
mopped his sweat-dripping brow.
"Whew!" he breathed explosive
ly. "It is hot, ANTI ti?"
He clattered away and the girl
resettled in the swing, enjoying
the righteousness of having
effected at least some small kind
ness without much exertion. Her
eyes turned aimlessly toward the
honeysuckle vines that climbed a
trellis alongside the porch. Their
scent, mingled with the still hot air
reached her once in awhile. But,
for the most part there was not
even tn suggestion of breeze.
LUNCHEON ban re'ddy, Mees
Brokes."
1t was Gretta with her atrocious
pronunciation. She withdrew silent
ly and Diana rose. She wasn't
hungry. But it wasn't altogether
the heat that caused her lack of
appetite nor was it the cause Of
her listlessness. There was some
thing wrong with the inner woman,
she knew.
Gretta had set q table in the
breakfast room. 1t was shady in
there and breezier than in the din
ing room.
"Salad-sherbet and lemon. Golly!
Just tn kind of a luncheon in this
heat"
Lola was enthusing over the food,
the drinks, as Gretta moved in and
out as daintily as hippopotarnus in
conservatory.
81 don't seem to be able to work
up any ambition about anything
lately" said Diana YEARLY.
"It's tn heat declared Lola
with fine originality, srnacking her
red lips over a heaping dessert
spoonful of raspberry sherbet.
mo, I dent think SO. I'm not
subject to it. That is, can't re-
member ever feeling quite as de-
pressed as this"
How would a nice cold high
ball go-with stiff kick of Scotch
in it?" suggested Lola with a view
to tantalize.
"Ugh! 1 don't think I'll ever
want another alcoholic drink as long
as I live!" replied Diana, wiggling
her shoulders in an imitation Shiver.
Become tee-tote-ler, Dia?"
."O-oh, n-no, 1 wouldn't go so far
as to say that, exactly. But, y
know, came close to hitting tn
other extreme that night of tn
! dance, y remember, an it didn't
pan out so we'll. A surfeit of sweet
things an all that, y know"
ooh, yes-about Walden" Lola's
eyes narrowed. But you can't say
you had any fault to find with tn
way Don treated you afterward, can
you? He cert'nly was-er-wonder-
fully sweet and-so comforting, big
! brotherly!"
Lola drawled out the latter part
of her speech ending up with a
vicious twist of her lip.
Diana flushed.
"'Fess up, Dia. Was that a big
brother kiss he slipped you when
he left you at daybreak at tn front
door?" Therawas a haunting sheer
on Lola's lovely face.
How do-do you know about
that?" asked Diana, startled.
"Oh, just by pure chance, dearie.
1 couldn't sleep and when I heard
a car stop down tn street I looked
out. And I saw you two come up
TIL walk and-then. :. Oh, OH!
But, tell me, Dia, was it just a
friendly caress?" :
Diana rose from the table with
an air of injured dignity she was
far from feeling. But she had to
declare herself.
Don't be vulgar, Lola" she said
coldly.
The other smiled a mirthless
smile, bit her lip and then raised
her shoulders in her best imitation
of a Parsian Shrug. The action
spelled out a whole treatise on
sophistication, all the snake ever
told Eve and what Eve told her
best friend.
I'm going to try an cool off in
a drive" she said rising. I'll take
tn rllnabout. See you at dinner"
ITO BE CONTINUEDl
Is Diana's intuition of disaster
justified: Read the next chapter.