The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-11-08
81 MASQUERADE
~ by FAITH BALDWIN
SYNOPSIS

Meredith leaves San Francisco by
airplane to escape arrest in connec-
ton with a murder in which her
sweetheart, Tony, is implicated. She
had not known that he was gun
man. Evelyn Howard, whom Fam
chon had met on voyage from
Hawaii, is aboard. She is enroute
to New York to live with her
wealthy aunt. Mrs. Allison Carstairs.
whom she has never seen. The plane
crashes and all but Fanchon are
killed. Grasping the opportunity to
start life anew, Fanchon goes to the
Carstairs home as Evelyn. Mrs.
Carstairs' affection wins her heart.
At Southampton. awaiting the ar
rival of her son. Collin. Mrs. Car
stairs warns Fanchon not to take
him seriously. He arrives and ac-
cuses Fanchon of being there under
false pretenses. Collin objects to
Evelyn" Fanchon learns that Eve
Ign had indiscreet affairs with a
naval officer and native. Fanchon's
sincerity in explaining that "her"
indiscretion was only folly over
comes Collins antagonism. A warm
comradeship ensues and together
they spend happy summer.
CHAPTER XVI
From cnmity and armed truce she
and Collin Carstairs had grown into
a very fine friendship. She was
grateful to him for taking her at her
word and for never, by word or sign,
referring again to the original clash
of their meeting and its cause. She
and he had mutual bond in their
great love for Jennie Carstairs; they
also liked the same things. laughed
at the same jokes. were responsive
to the same chords of beauty.
They were perfectly mated. And
she knew. lying there, trying to pic
ture a world without him, even with
Jennie. that she had fallen in love
with him. Not suddenly, wildly.
girlishly, as she. had with Tony. Not
unthinkingly, not even romantically.
Not perhaps fallen into love at all.
She had rather grown into love,
through friendship {. all the long
lazy. sunny summer through. And
Il was a mature love which twisted
her with agony upon her bed as she
Law listening to Emma's soft foot.
steps. listening to the sea outside OF
her open windows. to the laughter
of someone on the grounds.
1t was unthinkable.
In the first place she was an inl-
ooster. She was not Evelyn How
ard. And had she been Evelyn How
ard the barrier of blood would have
stood between her and the consum-
nation of her love.
Only by telling him who she was.
only by confessing to him that she
was not Evelyn, could that barrier
be removed. And that step she was
not prepared to take and could not
face taking.
The enormity of her offense came
TO her more and more clearly.
If. she thought. wildly. Collin would
only 70 away as he had said he
would do, and 60 away quickly. she
could perhaps win back to peace
again, with Jennie, with Jennle's
kindness and love to protect her. But
now 6VCIy StCp SHS sSS
charged with peril. at any moment
the ground might open and swallow
her up.
She knew that Collin loved her.
She was a perfectly modern girl:
men had loved her before; she knew
the symptoms. She faced them. She
would not hide behind a pretense OF
not knowing that he cared.
She made it. for the rest OF their
stayeat Southampton as difficult as
possible for him to be alone with
her. There always were others. She
was very popular in the colony with
the girls her own age as well as with
the men. Mrs. Carstairs watched the
evidences Of this popularity with
growing pleasure and pride.
Evelyn could have any man IN
Southampton" Jennie said one day
to her son.
"I suppose so. And no ones good
enough for her." he growled. un'
thinkingly.
His mother smiled. quizzically. He
looked up and caught the expression
"Oh, | know what you're think.
ins," he confessed, smiling wryly it