Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-05-30
CHAPTER Nv
Elutterinns

Flutterinas.
/ INDA was dining with Senator
- Converse.
IL told Henri TO see 10 the duck
ling himself" he grumbled. land see
what he has brought. No wonder
you're not eating. Where Is hef"
He glanced around the room, but
Linda i~nterfered.
There IL nothing wrong. Pray
don't made a scene" she said In her
Icy sweet voice.
She never touched anything when
she dlned with him. To watch him
paving over his food, ordering more
and devouring 1t with his eyes, was
too much. The dinners were al
ways perfect, and she felt Hanri's
eyes, humid with reproach upon her
every moment. But unless she
could have closed her eyes and ear
throughout the meal she could not
conquer the distaste with which
Converse always affected her.
Their meetings. intermittent and
infrequent for two or three years,
had begun 10 occur with some reg
ularity. Linda did not dread see
ing him as she had before Courtney
Roth's time. Something hard and
brittle, like a thin shell, had grown
over her spirit In this time so that
words and looks-even the contact
of his hot hands-could not reach
her. She did not fear him. There
were remote Businesses within her
where she could retreat and where
he could never follow.
The unlucky duckling had gone
its way when the senator. mum
bling behind his napkin, wanted 70
know the reason 10 which he owed
the pleasure OF her society.
she flushed slowly, playing with
her fork.
"why are you so certain that
there is a reasons Perhaps / was
only bored"
He gave her the little glance she
hated. Those small eyes from
their ledge OF flesh seemed to know
everything.
Nonsense. my dear: all women
want something besides food when
they telephone an old mar and ask
him to dinner"
His allusion 10 age was m0ckery.
He was exactly as he had been for
fifteen years-not old, not young.
His ponderous body would not re-
veal the time It had lived. Linda
disliked the smirk with which he
always accompanied these hypO-
critical references to himself.
1T is the penalty you pay for
being my friend" she said in a
light, artificial voice.
The senator received the next
course with a pleased air. He was
prepared TO enjoy anything that
Henri brought, knowing that soon
Linda would be at his mercy. He
| could watch her writhe while she
told her trouble and asked for his
aid.
You've seen a sable coat you
must have?" he bantered, "or this
time Il Is q town car"
She did not trouble 10 reply. She
KNEW nC was hAdgAH~ Will ntA.
They had talked OF sable coats and
town cars long ago. but Linda had
not wanted them badly enough.
She owned very good furs and
she could always purchase a car.
Their interviews always began
with light fencing; with a playful
sarcasm behind which lurked the
deadly barb or reality. If he but
once pierced her shield
Il have not heard from Stevens
about the traction stock" she said
at length. Il wrote TO him in Oc-
tober but he did not reply" stew
ems was the broker who mysteri-
DUSTY turned Jim HaverhilTs fan
tastically colored paper into occa-
sional drafts.
Money! Oh. it's merely a mat
ter OF money" the senator ex-
claimed. with an mir of relief.
MY dear child, you looked ~
gloomy I really feared il was
something serious this time. Money
How much this timer"
: She looked at him levelly, color