The Washington times., 1930-08-22
y CHAPTER il

The woman was sitting up ~
bed, q great. walnut fotlrpostsr
that had probably been moved
upy to the third story. when
newer styles crowded 1t out O
rooms below.
Her beautiful dark red hair
streamed over her shoulders
and her angry eyes were fixed
on Chester Farnsworth, who
was leaning against the foot
OF the bed, wiping his forehead
with q blue bordered handker-
chief.
"Oh, it's you'll" Marguerite
muttered s1llenly, when she
saw Cathie's frightened face IN
the doorway.
Chester Farnsworth turned
and greeted her with an un-
wholesome smile. The fair
Catherine. First /, then you.
next father and Enid, ]. sup
pose" he said. THE whole
family seems in upheaval over
the delicate Marguerite. And.
oh. how that retiring, tinld
creature hates to be the center
Of INTEREST,"
Marguerite slumped down In
bed. pulled the covers over her
head, and lay there like, . log.
Family Scandal"
There was notfling to do but
leave. Cathie went first. and
Chester at her heels. AS she
neared the door to her own
room on the second floor ne
stopped her.
Il suppose you know all about
Marguerite. My father PROB
ably told YOU, he said, In what
Cathie secretly thought Of as
his most .Oily'' manner.
Eyes, he told me something
about her. Cathie admitted.
'The family scandal?V
'.I wouldn't call il that.
"No. Then he didn't tell you.
You want to hear it. It's our
best family yarn:
He followed her into the
room, and made himself corn.
Portable on the silver brocade
chaise-lounge. ''This. Is good.
really. Our dear little Mar
puerite is more than an old
family servant. She's an heir
loom, that's what she is. That's
not bad heirloom, hat He.
laughed uupleasantly at his
own wit.
@Your father told me that
her mother used to be house
keeper here" Cathie said
coldly.
"Yeh? Well, she was house.
keeper all right" He watched
Cathie to see how she was tax
ing 1t, and his little brown
eyes behind the thick glasses
glittered, when he saw that he
was making her uncomfortab
Details Told
what else she was we don't
know. Grandpa with his
whiskers was an elder in the
church, and maybe the buxon1
Maggie didn't appeal to him
after all"
.'Need we go into that?"
Whats the matter? Aren't
you a married woman? What
do you mean, blushing like q
schoolgirl? Where was I? The
scandal Our Marguerite put in
an appearance anyway, and the
red-headed butler got fired.
Maybe grandpa was jealous, and
maybe he was just being right
eous. Anyway, out went Maggie
and her che-ild. and ever since
we've paid and paid. Mother
started it-took pity on the girl
after old Maggie passed on.
But pSflaw! what can you do for
anyone like that?"
what were you trying to do?"
Cathie asked. It was a stupid
question. It just slipped out be-
cause she was tired, and iii at
ease. It had no meaning. and
no malicious intent, but it had q
sudden, very frightening effect
on Chester. He sprang up and
glared at her, his sallow face dis
torted with anger. "You mind
your own damn businessl"
Cathie gasped. Why, Ches.
ter! ii didn't mean 1872
IA BTackmaiIer
'tCut that. / know what you
meant. And you mind your own
business. Do you understand? ?
You lay off of me, and I'll lay
off OF you! Go sticking your
nose into my affairs and
sBIt Chester, l."
Don't Chester me. I'm onto
you. I saw through you from
the first. But I've no intention
of making trouble II you don't"
Please I wasn't trying to
make trouble. Oh, please
listen. Listen-it doesn't mat
ter about us. But we've got
{ to- be friends. for your fathers
sake 1t would hurt him so.
Please She held out her
hand.
"Oh, we'll" he said. rngra.
ciously. Then he held cut his
hand, too, and smiled. "All
right. And don't get this
wrong. Marguerite is a black
mailer. I'VE been paying her
for years. Just to keep her off