Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-04-21
Chapter 2
HIDDEN LAUGHTER

Jenny felt color creeping into her
% face and added goaded by shy
ness:
My name is Jenny Revell."
Jenny Revell."
He repeated it softly. He was per-
fectly grave, not even in his voice
was there n tremor of amusement.
But when he moved to meet George
and Ryder Vale, now within a few
PAGES of them, Jenny was left with
the echo of laughter all about her
and with the sound finer own name
spoken softly, as tho it were a sons
Always prefer a party when the
host is unpunctual," George was an
a few minutes to enjoy themselves. /"
She laughed at the tall man, who
laughed back at her.
Garth Aveney,' said Vale, intro
ducing him. And the four Of them
moved into the restaurant.
Whenever Jenny went out with
George and one or more of her 'stal-
warts" as she called them. she felt
like a little girl included in a grown
up outing. Tonight she was not ac-
tually at the tail of the procession,
for Ryder was at her shoulder, but
she had the sensation of tagging
slowly behind it. Over her head
' dle MAS teasing GeOFBle ABOUT her
~lateness n she, unheeding, was lis
tening to something Garth Aveney
was telling her. Jenny sat rather
bleakly down at the glittering little
table that had Ryder's name on il.
While he became occupied with the
waiter, she looked at the man on
her left.
He was tall and slim and he sat
in the easy pose of tall, slim men,
with a hand on his hip and his long
legs carelessly disposed. He was not
tanned, but he had an out-of-dooI
look n there was a tinge of blue
in his very smooth black hair. Jenny
thot his eyes were blue, too, until he
glanced her way and then she thot
they were gray. She could see thai
George was rather liking the lool
of him.
And he, of course, was liking tbs
look of George; that rich, generous
J splendor, that suggestion of the peony
in flower. Wonderful George, Of
course he wanted to monopolize her
Many men did-it was natural.
beg your pardon" stammeret
Il asked you, Miss Cinderella, >
grinned Ryder, whether your fairy
god mother will let you stay later
than twelve tonight?"
You must ask George" she said
shyly. "She gave me this frock."
People don't have a birthday every
day of their lives" cried George,
breaking off her vivacious chatter
"Twenty-four today is that infant
Ryder, and don't dare to treat hei
like a little girl"
Jenny's cheeks became warmer
She wished to heaven George hadn't
thot it necessary to say that Some
men at the next table, who had al.
ready given her quick, appraisinl
%stares, stared again and harder. Gar
tn Aveney's long body swayed around
on his chair and he met her unhappy
gaze.
MANY happy returns" he said neg
ligently. Again she had the sense
Of his hidden laughter. The lights
dimmed to a soft rose, shone upor
! his eyes and she saw that they Were
not gray or blue, but hazel. They
held hers, searched them: let then
go. She sat back with a pulse pound.
ing in her throat and watched hin
turn back to George. But George
was gaily haranguing Ryder. And
as tho he snatched an opportunity
the stranger leaned again to Jenny
"D'you like this kind of birthday
party?" he asked.
NO" said Jenny.
1t had been jolted out of her anc
when he nodded and once more de-
serted her for George she sat aghast
desperately afraid that Ryder Vale
had heard her. But he had not. He
'looked, as always, self-satisfied; the