The Bismarck tribune., 1929-04-16

Stephen defends her and Pamela
Is furious. She cables her father
and has Mildred discharged.
Harold stands by her and sends
| another message to his father
asking him to reinstate the girl,
but to no avail. He offers to help
her and Mildred accepts on con-
dition that he will tell her why
he fears Huck.
| i = =
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XIX
| Mildred made her condition to
Harold with purposeful unexpected
ness. She wanted to take him off
his guard, to catch him unaWareS. It
was more or less a guess that he was
In fear of Huck Connor. but she
hoped to surprise the truth from him.
| And she very nearly succeeded.
Harold sat back in his chair as though
he had been forcibly pushed there.
His lips went white and his eyes took
on an expression that almost made
Mildred regret her words.
But she did not try to retract them.
She was certain of her Surmise now.
It was Huck Connor who was at the
bottom of the pitiable change that
had come over Harold in the past few
weeks.
He leaned over and picked up a
glass of water. A few drops spilled
on the tablecloth as he lifted it. Mil
dred waited for him to speak.
~ l>a
putting the glass away from his lips.
mo-" Mildred said quickly, softly.
II guess I've been terribly stupid try
ing to pry into your affairs like this,
Harold. But can't see you going on
looking worse and worse, probably
getting deeper into something that's
running you. without saying a word
You know 1t isn't idle curiosity. I
want to help YOU"
Harold nodded. Eyes, know that"
he said. "but wish you would forget
about it. It can't do any good for
you to know what's happened. 1t
will come out all right. No need to
worry"
Mildred knew that he was talking
to bolster up his own courage. She
sighed deeply. Her courage needed
bolstering, too. So much that in the
days that followed she came near
forgetting Harolds mysterious troub-
les. She had pursued one will the
Wisp position after another without
getting any, until she began seriously
to worry.
And back of the fatigue of daily
battle with subway crowds, elevator
jams, long waits on hard office chairs
and disheartening requests to leave
her name and address, was the dull
ache of longing for sight Of a certain
beloved face.
The merry brown eyes and CHEEKY
smile that belonged to Stephen Armi-
tage haunted her. She told herself
she was a fool for giving him q
thought, but it didn't matter what
she told herself. She was in love with
him. /
Mildred had not wasted her emo
tions in trivial affairs. Her whole
heart belonged to Stephen and life
was just an empty void without him,
but void filled with vagrant, un-
welcome thoughts that turned sharp
knives in her heart and dulled her
eyes.
Stephen had not called since Mil
dred lost her position az the Judson.
That week Of memories, when she
had been at home with her mother,
began to seem to Mildred like a
dream. It had promised SO much
~. and come to nothing.
Stephen thought Of it, too. at times.
and wondered how a girl who was as
lovely as Mildred could be such q
scheming, cold -blooded little crea-
ture. It was hard to believe, but why
he asked himself did she want to en-
courage q kid like Harold II she
wasn't after his money?
Pamela had put the question to.llim
| when she told him why Mildred had
been fired, and Stephen had tried un-
successfully to answer It with credit
to Mildred. Since then It had lodged
In his mind and grown into all accu-
sation, still unanswered.
II suppose Mr.. Da1el cabled dad
about 1t" Pamela had said to Ste
phen. 1T was common talk around
the hotel"
II can't believe IT," Stephen said
then. Mildred isn't . fortune
hunter" .s-s
Pamela shrugged. "well, I happen
to know that she called Harold up
to take her out that afternoon you
were supposed to 60 picnicking with
her, and couldn't. by the way. you
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