Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-16

HJust that" said Carl. "Hasta met
him in the dark about l o'clock on the
staircase. And" he laughed again,
"HaSta says the doctor looked pretty
scared"
His laughter was contagious. Eleanor
smiled, and felt the sting. 1t added
heat to my answer.
st thought I'd explained that to
Hasta last night. heard footsteps
downstairs and went out to investigate"
Marvellous hearing!" returned Carl.
sits long way from your room to hear
soctssspsor did Sd, Rast1 wear 6 6OSts'"
countered sharply.
your word has nothing TO do with It.
was admiring your ears"
The smooth voice was like oil on FIRE.
Still eying him, leaned forward.
Then let 1t be In less offensive
manner, pleaSe!"
don't know, for, at that moment,
Eleanor interviewed sharply.
i don't understand this. expect
little more regard from both Of you
y seems to me you forget am here"
u would be hard to say whether she
prevented an open quarrel: think not,
Tor ] don't believe Carl found 1t con-
venient TO quarrel. At any rate, he
BEnoothed things over.
1.-THE Barbera," he explained ruefully
~and q misplaced sense Of humor My
dear Richard, wander about GreyhouSe
whenever 1t suits you. And certainly
HaSta was mistaken In remarking that
you looked scared. Is that enough.
Eleanor? Can I be more apologize?
Well, well, I drink to you both" And
he emptted his glass.
But his apology was from patron to
inferior, and noticed that he had not
accepted my version Of last nights
encounter. 7 noticed also, on looking
up, the eyes Of Hasta, who stood behind
him, fixed on me In strange appraisal.
But, as 7 locked, they were at once
lowered.
No doubt, Ballion expected me TO
withdraw after dinner. did nothing Of
the kind. I proceeded to sit him out.
rivalry had leaped to q fame, had
spread to . IRE Of dislike, or, more pro-
perry, hatred. But, as II our surround
3ngs imposed their own Suave etiquette,
all this went on behind smiles and
urbanity.
It went on a long time, as Carl was
in no hurry to leave; and confess
have never seen him more engaging. He
discussed the coming elections, where he
was candidate for political once, the
current and tendency Of affairs, the
notable people he had met in one sphere
or another. He had a wide knowledge,
a fund Of anecdote, shrewd critical
talent. With him, talk never became
gossip; but it never became heavy.
at least, But all this was no balm to
jealousy. ! sat with the consciousness
OF acting as foil to his charm. Tired,
at one point, Of remaining In the back
ground, introduced a subject IN nedi-
cine, but he met me easily on my own
deid, managed to draw the topic out
into social aspects, threw light on it
now from one direction, now from an
other, and left me TO my tnSi9nihcance
And It did not ellafe me the less TO
feel, as ] actually did, that here, at
least, he had no purpose to hulniliate
me. The subject interested him, and
his mind probed faster and deeper; that
was al.
OF course, Eleanor must have realized
this disparity between US. I had the
added discomfort Of suspecting that she
felt q little sorry for me, wanted to
draw me out, show me In better light.
Perhaps for that very reason I was
more awkward. Once, recall, her
glance moved from Carl to the stone
falcon In relief above the fireplace, as II
she found In one Q comment on the
other. Then she redeemed when their
Ayes met, and she looked down.
At q late hour he took his leave
STm SofTy about your machine, AInes,"
he said. IAN accident like that stupe-
mes 9 man, suppose. But you
skilled hand nowadays. No tll-will
about our little contretemps hope"
''None In the least" assured him.
We looked at each other cordially, and
I should have liked to throttle him.
Contrary 70 what had feared,
Eleanor went back to her chair, and
settling herself luxlriously, said: Let's
git . while, II you're not sleepy. II
seems an age since We were here TO-
Eether last"
Nov, ct this alfusion to our hurried
oonference On the night Of Celia's death,
enc would have expected some accent,
some trace of feeling, to indicate that
aha remembered. But there was nothing
except what might be understood
literally: that she was glad to be alone
with me again. seated myself near
her before the 1ire.
at was lucky about poor Anna
Eoderick," she said, in a suppressed
voice. i've become used to Greyhouse;
after all, I'm glad Of q pretext to stay.
Besides, it's an excuse for you, Isn't it?
I believe you're coming to enjoy 1t, as
we'll"
was struck once more by an al
that seemed to cross the mind, chilling
and confusing it, like shadow of old
memory, and was gone. And yet what
unhealthy? Why should I not be here
at the side of Eleanor Graham? But
in the short, disturbing space. I re-
called NorSe's warnings and that was
tranSgreSSing them. I was above all to
avoid Eleanor Graham, to keep to my
self, to be on guard. Against what?
Phrases dimly significant stirred IN
thought, Norse'S earneStneSS, the
memory Of her handkerchief blood
stained beside the fatal door.
Gould It be, after all. that she was
TIA one who, he believed, had opened
tte door for Celia's murderer? And
than ! was conscious % Q strange
realisation: namely. that ] siA aet care
difference to me. what guilt eeulA Is.
Sect Aer grace, or tlae eotj0d hlaelaess q
her hair, or eplendog Of the eyes? Whet
relation had moral right ce wrong e
yes" answered, "I have grown u
appreciate Greyhouse."
She extended her hand suddenly
'Why, then it's a bond we have II
common"
AT the touch of her fingers, what
ever computations I had left bantSheo
DO you love Carl Ballion?" I asked
If she answered that she did, II
would make no difference to my suit.
/ should try in some way to Supplant
him. If she answered that she did not,
my course would be easier, my hops
more serene. But what she actually
said came a. . distinct shock; o. par
,haps II was rather her mAnnsT OF ~"
1nG Il.
vsn& ysa. love him IA arwaN 60