The Washington times., 1931-01-22


Thanks, dear" Tracy said to
her, appreciatively. You bet
your life I had a good reason.
And the reason was Carson him.
self. Furthermore, if he stays
in this house tonight stay, too.
Do you think I'd leave you two
girls alone under the same roof
with this fellow? For all you
know, he might loot the place"
Jim! how dare you say such
a thing?" Connie cried.
"Oh, Jim, you're wrong
you're wrong" Kitty added.
Mr.. GarSon's as square as a
die, dear" Connie said.
Carson was silent, his face set.
True, he might have knocked
Jim Tracy down, but that would
have answered nothing No easy
response came to his lips to
deny the sneering accusation.
Yet even Tracy himself, unbal-
anced as he was by liquor,
Sensed he had gone too far.
His Bad Record
I'm not trying to get you,
Carson" he said. his voice half
apologize. For all know, you
might be the best fellow in the
world; but you must admit your
record is against you. I happen
to remember that Connie told
me when you talked to her in
Kitty's behalf your demands
amounted practically to black
mail. Probably you can't under
stand the sort of responsibility
I feel toward Connie and her
mother. They haven't had any
men in the family for the last
couple of years and I've been a
sort of son and brother. That's
all there's to it. You forced me
to tell you why 1 stayed here
and I'm sorry if I have hurt
your feelings. Perhaps it was
a foolish reason, but I did what
I thought was BEST"
TITS too bad your. best wasn't
sufficient to stop the theft of
Mrs. Calvert's pearls" Carson
remarked, icily.
Comics heart went out swift
ly to Duke Carson; now, more
than ever, the man stirred her;
it was cruel, unfair to taunt him
. to bait him
Il don't know that your re-
sponsibility is sufficient to ex-
cuse you for insulting a guest
in my house." Connie told Tracy,
icily. If you feel any respon-
sibility toward me or mother I
tell you it's Cancelled right now"
We'll. of course, I'm sorry,
Connie" Tracy protested.
"Oh, Jim--you have simply
made a terrible mistake" Kitty
told him.. painfully. I've known
Duke for years. could have
told you that he was a wonder
full character. I knew you didn't
understand him, dear, but you
shouldn't have made such an
awful mistake"
If I made a mistake it was
an honest mistake" Trac said
softly. Il only claim credit
for good intentions, even if I
did go too far. If Carson had
let me alone I wouldn't have
said things he forced me to-"
More likely it's the liquor
you've been drinking that put
such stuff into your mind"
Connie told him, severely. you
certainly owe Mr.. Carson an
apology"
Tracy Apologies
IF you say I do, I'll apollo
gize," Tracy told her, a sort
of forced earnestness in his
voice. Carson. I'm sorry for
what I said. You know, Con-
ME, I wouldn't do a thing to
hurt you-or Kitty, for any,
thing on earth. You're both
the dearest girls on earth to
me, and I always felt as vel
come as I would in my own
house; house and I thought
He made a sweeping ges-
ture with his hand and his
voice broke abruptly.
IF I am interrupting that
homelike confidence, perhaps
I mad betteer withdraw from
this place" Carson said, a
trifle stiffly. I'm sure Connie
Miss Calvert-wouldn't want
the bond broken by stranger"
mo, no! This is all so ter
rible. Mr.. Carson, that I don't
know what to say-but I don't
want you to go. Not now.
Jim is an old friend and he
simply forgot himself and
slipped out of bound. He apol-
ogized, and I apologize, too.
for him. You have been per-
fectly wonderful to me and
to Kitty, and I know that we'd
both be perfectly miserable if
you went away now in anger"
Before she realized it she
was standing before Kitty and
Jim-so close to Carson that
his arm was on her shoulder
protecting her. Suddenly, tears
came in a flood to her eyes
and she rested her head on his
shoulder.