The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-08
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Oq MABEL MCELLIOTT

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I the dining room, where she made a
brave show Of laSt-minute con-
sultation with the waitress.
When Give came in five minutes
later he found a composed and quiet
trio before the fire. Van, hands In
pocket, lounged carelessly and at
ease. Mrs. Cleespaugh was busy
with her petit point.
Give glanced keenly at the
young girl who sat half in shadow.
When dinner was announced Van
offered his arm tremendously to
the old lady who approved of for
mality.
Lame followed with Give. She
felt grateful to him for his mere
presence. AS If he sensed the strain
she was under he exerted himself
to be entertaining.
He asked Van a thousand ques-
tons about his ponies and the Bur-
lingame team. Even Gives maIes-
tic mother found herself talked
down for once in her lifetime.
r lane sat, pale and smiling,
IL scarcely touching her food. She
glanced, now and again, at the
dark man across the way, so hand
some and sinister looking in his
poster black and white.
Give seemed astonishingly young
compared to Robard, although there
probably was not ten years differ
ence in their ages.
when do you leave for the east?"
Van asked him presently.
Give flashed quick, annoyed
glance at his mother, who bridled
and answered for him.
Such nonsense I think it isl" she
said briskly, why can't Give pot
ter around here? There's plenty to
do on the estate. But, no, he must
dash off to this tea-planting place,
or rubber, or whatever it may be.
II should like to see him in Wall
Street as his father was before him."
she finished with majesty; "but he
doesn't see things my wayI"
tits Surabaya to be exact and
the business is rubber" Give re-
turned affably to Robard. He ig-
nored his mothers protest.
'McAlister, who was at school
with me, has a place there. He's a
Britisher, you know. Very good
fellow, very enthusiastic. I'd like
to try it, anyhow. Sounds inter
esting.
Van nodded. ST hate finance"
Give grumbled, helping himself to
a delicious looking souffle. eff this
place weren't such dude ranch in
the middle of suburbia, I might
have some fun right here with the
land.
But mother wants it all park,
like her English friends. Shed have
fits if tried alfalfa in one or two
of her broad acres"
Where you get this passion for
the land I'm sure Idont' know"
said Mrs. Cleespaugh irritably.
Give shrugged his shoulders and |
skilfully changed the subject. But |
the little discussion had shaken |
Lame out of her own depression.
She thought she understood why |
the young man wished to put sew
eral oceans between himself and +!
his dominating parent. When he
couldn't even attend to a sick horse
without feminine supervision, he
would naturally want to try out |
some experiments far from home. |
She threw him a guardedly sympa- |
thetic glance. Nice boy! He
sounded real, alive.
He didn't want any one to run
him and he wasn't satisfied to play
at business like so many rich mems
sons. He wanted to do something
on his own account. She liked him
for it.
Van inquired with suavity, "You
aren't going to Paris this winter,
Eva?"
mo, I'm not. love this place
in the fall. And 1 think I'm get
ting old. The thought of travelling
wears OH me CfllS year.
Perhaps I shall be dull, but I
think I shall stay here until Christ
mas at least. This good child" she
smiled at Lame, ''haS done much
to make life pleasant here"
I'm staying in New York for a
month or two" Van informed them,
not so much as glancing at Lame.
She felt her heart pound suffocat-
ingly in her breast. 1--WE some
important things to attend to-
II
WHY, thought the girl rebel
w iously, must he always be so
mysterious? There was a subtle I'M
dercurrent in everything he said.
She at once loved and hated it. It
attracted and repealed her. 1t was
part of the charm he held for her,
his sinister, mysterious quality.
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