Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-06
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE MOONS INFLUENCE.

Obb1 CksAN5faAW5 dinner We
sllstssins sv, success ss;ss perhaps .n sSs
L. way OF fAvors and exclusive in
the way OF guests that Mrs.
Cranshaw, addicted to lavishment ana
exclusiveness, had attempted that year.
She had intended that the party
should repair to the ball room upstairs
for an a&ter-dinner dance but Bobby
had become involved In promises with
La Petite Theatre du Vieux Care. Per-
haps Il was just as well.
me Easter season was so crowded
with dances that the musicians never
did themselves justice, and she herself
was due at another affair before the
evening was over.
Mrs. Cranshaw looked in on Bobby's
dinner as she went out, sumptuous
figure in white velvet and ern1ine cloak.
Mr.. Cranshaw just behind her. They
came In CDen't rise, my dearsi''I
speaking to the marquesa particularly,
and to Juanita; making little general
greetings.
Pretty girl, the senorita Flores .
maid Mrs. Cranshaw, as they rode away.
Mr.. Cranshaw nodded. But the mar
uuesa," he added, "is . trump" Mar
nuesas can't be frumps," said the lady.
The papers had heralded the Gran
shaw dinner, and Molly had apparently
Gcao btlcans Ava nSW uACeo a"etvSS
.Juanita's return. There was no new
dress for the marquesa, however, and no
time for her to select one.
Kirk had delayed bringing them into
town until almost the last minute.
Juanita had not wavered In her refusal
TO marry him on Thursday, and he felt
more content with her In Biloxi. the
Tijon was In New Orleans, he reminded
himself, and the nnarquesa had an
a~.&A ~ NAfx N
& with Juanita.
mo" said Nelly. your are to go TO
our house when you return. Pompey
and sadie (Sadie was Pompey's wife)
have everything ready for yeu." The
uafQuesa had expected to go there for
the night, but liter
LATER said Nelly, you are to come
back here. How do you expect me to
stay without you?"
you'll be going back yourself, old
dear Kirk said. You're nearly well. !"
Nelly had known nothing Of Kinks
plans for an immediate marriage, nor
Of Juanitas later refusal to marry him
Nelly would have opined that Kirk,
the host, had even less right to insist
on marriage than he had to propose It.
But even Nelly could see that the
snarquesa was determined 70 end her
visit with them In either place.
Jtianita wondered. Was It because the
NnarQuesa had made such o comedy Of
herself the night Of ABRAMS dinner, or
had Divitt ordered her return?
The maruuesa, JuanitA knew, kept In
not infrequent touch with Divitt.
on the evening OF her return from
Caprice she had telephoned him asking
for her lorgnettes, making casual ref
erence to their outing in the yacht to
the presence Of Nine. Fouche and
Adrian. Juanita could hear her
without listening. They could all hear
her. Stngularly enough, the lorgnettes
had never come
Again, the sea wind had blown into
J1aHtta's rooni one night q bit Of paper
and elae had picked Il up and read II.
surprising 1t note for herself
The words had made no sense. Ap-
parently IL was s. mething. In code and
unfinished. But Il was the marquesa,s
writing. and the maruuesa being out.
Juenita had carried It back to the place
from which It had probably blown, the
Maruuesa,s desk.
Next day the rnaruuesa had put the
paper into an envelope and addressed
& to Diyitt.
The incident had troubled Juanita
somewhat. Inevitably she had suspected
that the letter was about herself.
Diyitt was keeping q watch on her
movements through the mafquesa, and
anybody could see what was going on
between herself and Kirk
Divftt did not intend that she should
marry and leave and perhaps betray
him. How easily she could have married