Evening star., 1927-05-24

Run and bring the toast, will you,
darling?" she said. And to Furness:
REALLY, this servant question:"
Its the same everywhere" he
agreed. 1.-THE Barrs-the J. L. Barrs,
you know-took a butler and two foot
men to Florida, and when the parlor
maid left they struck. Absolutely
struck"
Holly had said nothing when she
came in, and now she went out again,
still silent. For a moment he had
thought she was going to say some
thing, and he wondered il Mrs. Bayne
had sent her out so she would not.
Drat the woman, anyhow; she was
always hanging around.
But Mrs. Bayne was speaking:
'Have you ever considered-is 1t
one lump or two? / used always to
remember. but nowadays / so sell
dom" She sighed. "HaVe you
ever considered. Furness, how alone
we are here? Just three women. and
no man in the house?"
Mr.. Brooks felt sudden cold dew
on his forehead, and very nearly
dropped the teacup.
aft must be lonely" he managed.
SIT is worse than that; it is hardly
safe. There have been nights when
I have not been able to sleep"
"You might get a dog" He bright
ened at the thought. az might be
able to get you a dog"
She hardly heard that, so concen-
trated was she on her explanation.
"Well, I am happy to say that l
have just changed all that. A very
charming man, a broker, I believe.
is to make his home with us from
now on. "A paying guest"
"Now, I call that DOWNRIGHT sensible
of YOU" said Brooks, greatly relieved.
"He's lucky chap" .,
"I'm so very glad you approve"
said Mrs. Bayne.
And then Holly had brought in the
toast. to find Mr.. Warrington an &C.
cepted fact in the drawing room, and
Furness Brooks prominent blue eyes
fixed on her with new speculation
in them. vron
"I can hardly tell you. He's that
sort. Not of our world, Of course,
hut what does that matter? We shall
hardly see him."
brooks opinion, however, both OF
Mrs. Bavne's sensibility and her pow
ers of observation, fell considerably
within a day or two, when ne pehe!d
the paying guest on the doorstep. he
was certainly young, ana ne was lai
that he produced a key and ADMITTED
Hollv's suitor gave that gentleman
an attack Of inferiority complex that
was as unusual as It was surprising.
"Coming in?" Warrington said, hold
ing the door open.
Mr.. Brooks passed him. eying him
as he did so.
Thanks" he said. "Thanks very
much"
There was a certain aggression in
the wav he laid his hat and gloves
on the table, and nothing particularly
pleasant in his prominent pale eyes
as he watched the newcomer go up
the stairs.
II seems probable that, up TO that
time, he had been merely playing with
the thought Of Holly. His visits there
satisfied his vanity, and the older
women fattered him. Out Of his
largess of news and gossip he fed
them, and he bridged the gulf be-
tween their lost world and them
selves.
But. shortly after this incident. he
dropped in TO tea at the Willoughby-
Jones and casually mentioned the
Baynes. He was, so to speak, testing
the fee.
'Bayne?" said that important lady.
'You don't mean Tom Bayne's fam
ily? Don't tell me you're going
there"
The ice. he saw, was very thick.
at drop in once in a while. They're
pretty lonely"
''Well. they should be-" Mrs. VIII.
loughby-Jones had snapped "If
hadn't happened to have overdrawn
my account Just then I'd have lost
. lot. And most people did. Where
1s the money? Have they got it?"
''If they have, they're not spending
e." said Mr.. Brooks. And the girls
rather nice. you know"