The Washington times., 1930-09-04
CHAPTER XVIII.

home his headquarters on TINS
trip.
Thanks a lot. but i've made
All the arrangements at the hoi
tel. Sent my stuff there and
everything" he said.
"Then we'll see you often for
dinner" Farnsworth compro-
missed. -
"Oh, I'll be around under
foot a lott"
He did come to the house
often, and after the first try
ing uncomfortable meeting,
with Chester and Enid there
too, and not a chance to see
him alone, it seemed natural
and right to see him sitting
in the library. in the evenings
with Farnsworth. He had lit
tie to say to her, or she to
him, but sometimes he would
forget to listen to what his
host was saying, and his eyes
would rest on Cathie I" =" oh, he
still loved her =" she knew!
Too Self Conscious
The surety Of it made her
bold. "Need we be so distant
with each other?" she asked.
q little wistfully one evening
when he was going. I'VE were
such good friends when you
were here before"
IT know" He looked down at
his shoes. I'm so damn self-con-
scious!" he burst out boyishly.
But that's wrong" she said
gently. Besides if there's any
thing that will make people
think think -" what
you're afraid of-it'S that.
couldn't we be-sort Of pals
like we were before?"
"You darling" he said slowly.
He smiled, and reached out a
long, brown hand, deliberately
ruffling her neatly coiffed hair.
She laughed. too, and he awk-
wardness that had been between
them was gone. never to come
back again. They talked and
laughed as they used to do.
They had delicious, foolish
pokeS, and hot arguments over
things they really cared nothing
about. They sat side by side. on
the huge, down-filled cushions
of the davenport, looking at
each other, finding excuses for
their hands to touch, content
just to be together.
Frequent Visitor
Chester was there most of the
time, and always Farnsworth.
Chester had taken to dropping
in for tea "' well, what of
1t? It was all open and above
board, wasn't it? What could
Chester say? Besides it made
FarnSworth happy to see him,
a frequent visitor and Cathie
had fallen again into that
beatific state that had been
hers in the mountains. She
loved everyone and everything
in the world. She wanted ev-
eryone to be happy. She kissed
the primroSes and tulips Che
ong brought to her to arrange
in the flower bowls. She over
looked the most flagrant lazi-
ness and unexplained absences
on the part of the half-crazy
maid, Marguerite.
That the girl was really men,
tally unbalanced Cathie was
sure of at last. How else to
explain her mournful head
shaking, long rattling sighs,
and cryptic warnings about un-
seen, narneless enemies whom
she claimed were plotting Cath
les end? A few months ago
Cathie would have been fright
ened, would have carried the
tales to her husband. but it all
seemed absurd now, and she
was so used to the woman's
white strained face and burn
ing eyes that they no longer
seemed sinister and tragic
it was just poor Marguerite.
Worried by Maid
The girl shouldn't be allowed
to go out so much at night
Cathie knew that, but she put
off speaking of it, Besides,
she had grown used to the
creaks and taps and sighs that
she heard in the old house at
night. All old houses are
spooky, and that monotonous
wailing of a far-away flute
wasn't anything to be afraid
Of probably one Of the
Cinnamon playing on some flute
IKE instrument in one Of the
honey-comb Of basement rooms
1t terrified her once
threatening, trying, to tell her Of
dark things it knew. Well, Cathie
wasn't going to be afraid OF
that old house any more. 1t
couldn't scare her. 1t couldn't
sigh and whisper to her of
anything that mattered : for
what can touch you when
you're loved?
Still : - Marguerite ought to
come in earlier.
Marguerite. is that you?"
she called. waking in the
small hours. hearing stealthy
footsteps on the third floor
akens