Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-03-11
FIRST INSTALMENT
1t was intensely hot.

In the big, somberly furnished con-
sulting room, its blinds drawn closely
against the midday sun which poured
down on Harley Street, there seemed
hardly a breath of air.
A girl sitting at the table, idly turn
ing the pages of an illustrated paper,
pushed her chair back with sudden
impotence.
How much longer is he going to
keep us waiting, l wonder?" It's dis
graceful, asking anyone to wait in a
lethal chamber like this"
The large overdressed woman in the
armchair on the other side of the room
reused herself with a sigh of regret
from a doze which the heat and too
large and too late a breakfast had
brought upon her.
"Im sure it's a very nice room"
she said vaguely.
"Nice!" The girl flashed her a con-
etmptuous look. ANY place is nice
to you as long as you can sleep in
it," she said rudely.
The large woman sighed again; her
only protest against life was a sigh,
and she had long since grown accus-
toned to her niece's disrespect.
1.-THE furniture must be most valu-
able" she said again in the same vague
way.
The girl glanced round the room
with a frown.
Furniture which fools like us have
paid for" she said irritably. II don't
know why we're here at all. There's
nothing in the world the matter with
me-"
Mrs. Gladwyn began tanning her
plump flushed face with daily paper
which had been lying disregarded on
her lap.
Six months ago you weighed nearly
a hundred and twenty-five" she said
without much interest. "Today you
weigh-ninety-eight, is it? At any rate,
you have only to look at yourself in the
glass to see that you're wasting away
to a complete shadow without any
adequate reason for it, unless" she
paused, and a family malicious smile lit
her sleepy eyes unless you re In love
again." she added.
The girl turned another page of
the magazine before her with an angry
little flick.
Il don't believe in love-" she said
sharply.
Diana's further answer was checked
by the opening of the door and the
appearance of a maid.
IF you will please come this wav
Bodily weakness, mental unhappi.
ness, and a ending fear that she
was about to lose the only thing she
had ever really wanted in life.
1t was these things that had KEEP,
her obstinately in London when every.
one else was away at the sea, or on
the moors, Or down in the country.
At twenty-five the only thing in the
world which Diana really desired wa.
another woman's husband.
Diana, a little nervous in spite Of
herself, entered the stop mans" con
sulting room.
He was big and rather clumsy look
ing, with grave steady eyes and a
mouth that looked as if it rarely smiI-
ed.
1t did not smile now, but his eve.
seemed to pierce through all the brav-
cry of her carefully redeemed lips and
makeup, right down through her ar
tlf1clalty to the trembling weakness
of her.
Diana said nothing-she felt as if
an ordinary greeting would be wasted
ON this man. She just stood and look
ed at him with an unconscious appeal
In her eyes, till he said quietly:
Wont you sit down."
lie indicated a chair close to his own
and facing the window, SO that the
light fell full On her face.
Diana obeyed, her hands clasped in
her lap, and her heart beating. in a
queer, frightened manner.
He seemed to realize this, for he
SAID nor gently:
Don't be frightened. I am not 90
ing to eat you"
She flushed scarlet through all her
pallor, and her eyes grew angry.
Speaking to her as if she were a silly
child with a cut thumb.
She gave a little high-pitched laugh.
I'm n really i'll. I feel rather
a humbug coming here at all, but nv
aunt insisted. I've got rather thin, you
see-but then, l was always thin. It's
the hot weather, I think, and l don't
sleep very we'll. London's always rath-
er trying at this time of the year,