New Britain herald., 1929-10-14

little movement with her hand to reach across and touch his hair but just then he broke the silence.
 You and Henderson seemed to have a good deal to say to each other tonight. You were out of the room for the greater part ok the evening"
 He was showing me over the house"
 Evidently he didn't think that I would be sufficiently interested or he might have waited until l could have gone along with you"
 His tone rattled her.
 "You cant blame him for that. I mast say your enthusiasm for his place hasn't been particularly mo- ticeable,'
 No But, at least, he might have given me the opportunity. in- stead of taking you off alone. . :"
 "Oh! Ray" she interrupted him. Don't be small and narrow mind- ed"
 A pause.
 T see. I won't trouble you with it again. Good night"
 She waited a moment, a long moment it may have been min- utes, hoping he would say some thing further. But he did not He lay motionlcss on the opposite edge Of the bed. There was noticeable space between them. It hurt Bar bara-that space.
 She sighed once, twice, more audibly the second time Still he made no movement and so present. ly. being tired out, her lids closed over her eyes, leaving a suspicious moistness where her lashes curved onto her cheeks.
 The next day. at the return game, Ray played. if possible, even worse, and this time. when hn rose from the table, he had more than doubled his debt to the major. He gave the older man an I. o. U. payable five days from then, the day they were scheduled to leave.
 During tea Ray seemed preoc- cupied, and Barbara noticed with a certain secret misgiving that the air of restlessness about him had increased.
 Afterwards ne rose abruptly, an- nounced that he intended taking a stroll and left the room. Outside, | he paused only to inquire the way , of the butler before setting out at a quick pace in the direction of the nearest post office, from where he sent off an urgent telegram to London.
 The hunt turned a corner and l swooped down the valley, the | hounds racing ahead, the horses l behind. their glossy bodies taut and quivering as they proudly bore ! the huntsmen. a glimmer of scar ! let, black capped, in the struggling morning sunshine.
 wen have him soon." cried | Major Perkins as he pointed to where. on the next rise, the fox could be seen. a brown streak.
 We should be on him before he i takes cover in the Hammond scrub" cried Larng. young fel- i low who had joined the house party the previous night. "Jove. that Mrs. Lowther is a splendid horse, woman" he exclaimed. as Bar. bara and Henderson shot by them Barbara, stunning in her trin khaki riding kit with a hard fell hat crushed down over her hair that gleamed pure copper in the sunshine, was glorying in the eX- citement of tn chase. She loved riding, especially over the green English fields. but, all the same | she was wishing that it had beer Ray instead of Henderson riding by her side.
 The night before. after their host had spoken of the proposed hunt Ray had remarked.
 ''Damn it all, Barbara, I can'' go. I haven't a riding outfit"
 "You could have ordered one 1T I-olIuoh' HHc PolHtcu ouI- never occurred to me that yol hadn't one"
 "The last riding I did was IT i Canada and the costume I wore then would have hardly suited { turnout like this," and he grinned remembering the muddy corduroy pants and the red woolen sweater that had comprised his costume then.
 Anyhow, I guess Henderson vii take care of you" he remarked presently, not without touch O sarcasm.
 She threw up her head. "Ver. likely he will" But, all the same | her lynnnIv ar+iTiDate5 r,1aa c1ra i,