Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-02-26
CHAPTER XLIII

means!" was the answer she made
TO his question, her eyes looking
again into his. Suddenly a quick
red stained her brow and neck. as if
she had inadvertently given him a
flash of her naked soul. He turned
h%urriedly and began to build the
cocktails. She watched him for a
moment in silence. Then she moved
toward the door.
Bring 'em in the other room,
Jack" she said softly. Well make
a little ceremony Of drinking to the
health, the wealth and the happiness
of each otherl"
Two minutes later, and just as he
was placing the drinks on the tiny
silver tray he had found. the tink-
ling melody OF a harp struck on his
ear from the adjoining room. Then
came the sohbing notes Of violins
and a cello and the deep diapason
of a bass-viol, all blending with the
voices Of singers.
He carried in the tray and placed
il on the table in the rooms center.
Nita sat in A heavy leather chair
nearby. The music seemed TO come
from the very center Of the room,
u JAIN NOulu sec uN HnUOE IdIt.
The air was that of the beautiful,
I'm the Valley Of the Moon" He
looked at the woman in the chair.
She was s~miling-as a woman smiles
who has just acquired the key TO a
mystifying crossword puzzle.
where IL it?r he asked his curl
osity intrigued by the righteousness
Of the thing. She glanced at the
table on which sat the tray Of cock
tails.
whats the idea?" she countered,
smiling still, her gaze fastened on
the glasses. Are they just for dec
Grafton, or do you expect me TO do
the serving?"
He stared at her. puzzled at her
answer to his tentative query. She
smiled again at him. Then, as her
glance turned again to the tray, he
caught the drift, as he thought. of
her meaning. They were to drink
first, before she told him how she
had discovered the secret of the
music.
He smiled with a whimsical toler-
ance and, picking up a glass by its
slender stem, he presented IL to her.
Then he took up his own glass.
GIVE me a toast, Jack" she said,
softly. holding her glass poised,
something %impromptu and fitting
something of your own"
He smiled down into the upturned
eyes. The harp thrummed, the
cello moaned. as the voices sang
the refrain, I'm the Valley OF the
Moon" Then he began the toast:
You may drink to the harp and the
'%cellos;
To the music that drives away
While I drink to the health, to the
glory and wealth
Of Juanita, her eyes and her
hair!"
"Waw-neeta!" enunciated Jack.
placing his empty glass on the table.
You asked for something improptu
something fitting the moment. It's
awful bunk. of course, and terribly
punk, but it's the best ! could do on
short notice. Anyhow, it mentions
THE music?" repeated Nita, look
ing puzzled. "What music?"
As she put the question the sing
ers in the song began again the last
line of the refrain. In the Valley
Of the Moon"
Jack stared at her.
"W-what music? Say, what th-f"
he suffered. explosively. Then the
sobbing v%iolins, the moaning 'cellos.
and the deep-toned viol. took up
once more the plaintive, throbbing
melody.
Jack laughed. glanced all around
the room, and then back at the wo-
man, sitting in the big leather
chair, the glass from which she had
just drunk held suspended, bottom
upward. between her fingers.
whats tn matter with you,
Nita?" he asked, good naturally.
Trying to make me think Tn hear
ing things nobody else hearst"
She rose deliberately and placed
her glass on the tray. Simultaneous
with her movement the music stop
ped. She looked at him, and her
smile seemed like a thing come to
stay.
What are you hearing now,
Jack?" she asked. softly.
Then their chances met again, and
held for an instant. Suddenly both
burst into laughter.
"Clever. isn't it," she queried,
her black eyes glistening. "But-
what a scare the thing gave me
when i dropped down in that chair.
and harps fiddles and things began
to play right under mel Then, as
it stopped, / knew, Of course, where
the music came from. and sat down
again. Then | thought I'd have
some fun with you, but"
Even as she was reciting this care
fully plotted incident, Nita Ravelle's
sub-conscious self was reviewing
her purchase in Pittsburgh, several
days before, Of this musical chair.
bought expressly for this planned
occasion. The psychology Of the
thing-the opening it gave her to
work up a possible scene" with
Jack-had appealed to Nita's schem-
ing brain.
He stepped across and seated him
self in the chair. instantly the
music started. But another record
had taken the place Of The VAL