The Washington times., 1931-01-08

uI16G61y WAS hS well IkIOu8AG
of as your Mr.. Tracy, for in
stance. It bored me to death. +"
He looked as her challeng-
ingly; before his eyes she was
beautiful and, somehow, SNUG.
So far, she had revealed little
of her real self to him; what
he saw was her provocative
brown eyes with their golden
glintS, her clear, fresh skin
and the cheStnut-auburn sheen
Of her hair. II, within her,
there lurked q crude vitality,
1t was marked by an outer re.
finement Of beauty, a facade
Of cultivated poise.
"You don't approve Of me, of
course, and I don't know but
that my presence here makes
you uncomfortable" he told her,
frankly. II outrage your sense
Of conventions because I am so
different from your friends. A
man with original ideas or
any idea at all-is rather y
bull in a china shop, for most
people. I fancy you are a bit
regretful now that you invited
me to stay over. Even Kitty,
after she begins to take on the
gloss, will probably find me
odd, at least. I won't be at
all offended if it would make
you more comfortable for me
to go right on back to town
without waiting, for dinner.
Now that you know something
as to what kind Of a person I
am, please don't feel obligated
to have me up here. I really
am different, you know"
Her eyes flashed and she
smiled at him a little mock
ingly.
"Also, you're silly. OF course
I want you to stay. You're not
going to corrupt me IN the least.
It does seem strange to me,
though, that a man of your
intelligence should throw in
his lot with-well, Tenth Ave
nue.. You haven't told me why
you did 1t"
His Natural Inclination
II don't know, for. certain,
myself-the natural inclina-
tion, I suppose" he remarked.
"Are you sure you want me
to stay?"
"Oh, positively"
They rose and moved toward
the house and dinner. AS they
walked, he was so close beside
her that she seemed to feel
virile radiations from his body;
she could imagine him charged
with electric energy, the vital
emanation Of a tiger. Yes,
that was what reminded her
Of! A tiger--a tame, civilized
tiger with all of his jungled
energies pent up. There was q
ruthless something about him
mental quality which, in. q
weaker man. might have been
Savagery q.
Haven't you ever felt" she
asked him, slowly, that only q
hairs breadth divided you from
crime? Haven't you ever pic
tured yourself stepping across
the line and doing lot Of
things contrary to all that we
have been taught is right and
just?"
''Who hasn't?" he asked,
cody.
Pleasantly Impressed
Comics mother, at dinner,
was pleasantly impressed by
Duke Carson. For her own part,
Connie was relieved to find that
his underworld had left no Wis
ible social stamp upon her guest.
Not only did he talk like a gen.
tleman, but he achieved the
even more difficult feat Of din
ing like one. Not that she cared
q hoot herSeH-but her mother,
with the lingering formality Of
another generation, was less toll
Grant Of small matters. When
the meal was finished, Comics
mother went upstairs and, for q
few minutes, Connie was with
her. Returning down stairs, she
did not at once see Carson, and
then, looking into the dining
room at random, she saw him
standing by a window in close
conversation with Higgins, the
butler. Higgins glanced up and
saw her; for an instant she
thought he looked startled, and
then he moved rapidly away
about the business Of clearing
the table.
Carson came toward her, half
smiling.
Higgins. tell me-" he said,
quietly, that your mother, very
carelesSly, keeps q rope Of pearls
worth around $40, 900 in her bed
room. Really, Miss Calvert, this
places me in a very difficult po-
sition. Here is Higgins, an old
friend Of mine, and her you are,
also a friend. Poor Higgins
what strain he has been un.
der"
Continued Tomorrow
Copyright. 1891, King Features -