New Britain herald., 1929-01-05
THIS HAS HAPPENED


citing evening with Hollis Hart in q
little house on the top Of a mountain
that towers above tiny island IN
the Caribbean sea. A most romantic
spot.
Ashtoreth Is a stenographer. Mr..
Hart Is her employer. Rich beyond
her widest dreams. and handsome.
Consdera older-but then-a girl
can't have everything.
.Ashtoreth. who has been i'll. is
taking West indies cruise She
meets Hart quite by accident In
Dominica. and proceeds to make the
most OF IT.
Her trip, SO far, has been most
adventurous. Mona de Musset. a
fascinating woman with whom she
roomed. died at sea. Jack Smythe.
an Englishman. made love to her.
And all the women aboard snubbed
her outraeeously.
Ashtoreth caps the climax by pur-
posely missing the boat. and going
with Hollis Hart to his little house
on the mountain.
(NOW GO on WITH THE Story
CHAPTER XNNI
They sat on the gallery and watch
I'd the bougainvillea climbing in the
moonlight. And Hollis brought out
his guitar and sang ballads of break
ing hearts, and lovely ladies, and
summer moons And one about "a
bcgsar with knots in her voice"
That's like Mona said Ashto-
rcth, "she had knots in her voice"
He took her hand and kissed it.
Now don't talk about Mona" he
admonished. II can't have you feel
ing badly, you know. . . Tell me,
Ashtorcth-ar you happy, my
dear"
Happy" she cried. I'm simply
thrilled to death. It's dreadfully ex-
citing, you know-being compromis-
ed by a famous person like you"
II wish YOU wouldn't talk that
way he objected. You know I'm
fcarfuliy concerned about what peo-
pie may say
oh, please" she beSousht. don't
begin your profound and proper Ia
m"ntations again"
He propped his guitar against the
rail and leaned toward her.
Young lady" he warned. I'm a
lour and rogue
She laughed deliehtcdly.
oh, I know" she assured him.
1--WE read Just columns and COL
umn- about you And whole sheets
in the Sunday supplements. =.
That's why it's such fun
Tell mc. really" he urged. and
his voice was lowered confidentialIy
What do You think about mc?''
Well" she said. II think you're
awfully nice and quite handsome,
and terribly clever. And you've the
incest cowliek."
She reached ana touched il CONT
~.
"~ow what DO YOU think about
me" she parried.
u" lit 4 c;yor,t before replying.
''''il he da1ned if know" he al
! GOD.
"No YOU think I'm RICE" el,c
proGded.
ioldcl soleurny. "AnfulIy
nic".'
Aud pretty"
'''cautiful." he corrected
And II. yer"'
Fa laughed.
Nov that's Just it. he pro
nouncoJ. you're 81 her awfulIy
clever. or YOU'RE aNfully dumb. my
dear. rrola bly, your" clever. Most
women ar. I think. I'm a very
STUPID fellow myself"
oh. no you're not" she protest
Ell.
ASK your little friend Sadie" he
suggested.
l;ut Ashtoreth did not want to talk
about Sadie
She's not really my friend" she
explained
But you lived together" he OK
claimed.
That, undoubtedly, required an ey-
PLANTATION. And now, thought Ashto-
reth,wos as good time as any.
Well it was like this" she e1-
planned you see. my father died
when I vas l6. ! was in school a,
the time. Tublic school. of course
but Mr. Hart might think it was
boarding schooI) And poor daddy
didn't leave any money TO speak Of
Just q little insurance. He was q
newspaper mantle most brilian,
person. He wrote editorials, and
guess " he had lived he would have
been very famous" tNo need TO tell
Mr.. Hart what an adorable failure
Daddy was)
But mother and I've dldn',
realize. OF course--but We were au-
fully extravagant and we drove
Daddy almost frantic" MAYBE that
sounded like trips to Europe. and
fur coats. and foreign cars-hoD
silly il would be TO let him know that
Naizie's worst extrayagances were
trashy uhat-nots for their mean 1T.
Vie vat.
He had nervous breakdown
poor dear. And the doctors said il
seemed As if he was simply tired o.
life. II was easier to die than TO ge'
better. So my father just closed hi,
"yos one night and never open.
ed them again"
Ashtorsth dabbed her own eye.
hastily. She had loved her fathc,
whol"h"arte and pasSionately
Infinitely more than she had eve,
loved her dear. foolish mother. There
had been i mental companionshi1
between them that she could neve,
approach with Maize A spritua
and intellectual intimacy.
IN her secret heart Ashtoreth at
'rlbuted her fathers death TO hcl
mothers "astsful expenditures 10.
Ash" was. as she had said. a bril-