Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-06-16
GTM VIC
Fourteenth Installment

gu 1OlSSl Sldud AllTeQ, re-
oiled Ainsworth with a smile.
Joyce sisgled at the fiction OF
Claud Alfred. Why had she known
from the first that there was nc
Claud Alfred Tremayne?
She found out, among other
scattered items of information,
that this shack was his real head
quarters, from which he went a.
way every few months and stayed
IN San Francisco, New York, New
Orleans, St. Augustine, Boston or
various middle west cities. He
had now been at the shack for
three months and expected to sray
until he finished his present book,
which would probably be about
TWO more months.
When she reluctantly decided
she must start back to Manzanita,
Ainsworth suggested riding part
of the way with her, to the point
where he would branch off onto
the road to Manana. He saddled
Rosita and his own, a STRONGHOLD
ing dapple gray, who came to his
call from the far end of the corral.
Drawing rein at the parting
place Ainsworth gave her an in
curing look, and Joyce knew that
he va about to ask her if he
might lot 80 to see her.
"Tll-I'll come out again soon,"
she said quickly and spurred her
horse at a galloping start. She
waved her hand without LOOKING
back.
Joyce rode home in a daze. Me-
chanicallv she undressed, bathed,
dressed again, and ate her dinner.
After dinner she retreated to her
room and settled herself luxurious
" on the couch.
She lay in her blissful trance.
She held both of Robert Aims
worth's books, lingering them,
strokins them with worshiping
fingers. opening the covers, glanc-
ing at the first sentences, tasting,
and then putting off the delights
of reading.
She Wondered how the shack
looked at night, what Robert Aims
worth was doing at that moment
while she lay and thought about
him.
Did he sleep on that wide couch
under the window, or out of doors
IN the hammock under the pines
with the multitude of stars gravely
keeping watch overhead in the deep
velvet of the SKY?
As she came to this thought
something seemed to grip her heart
and she clenched her hands sud-
denly.
She was in love with Robert
Ainsworth!
Thank God, Neil was away.
joyce had never valued the luxury
OF privacy and undisturbed quiet
more than on this particular night.
She wanted to forget everything
and everybody except Robert Aims
worth.
During the next day, however,
the inevitable reaction occurred.
Doubts and fears plunged her
down d%lsastrously from the. heights
OF exaltation to frequent moods Of
black uncertainty and hopelessness.
Where could this end, this delight
ful, this miraculous meeting? She
was married to Neil Packard. Yet
W as she forced this undeniable
tact upon her consciousness, there
stole into her mind the disturbing
thought, But that was why l was
holding Neil off all this time . ).
l was waiting for Robert!" How
could she be Neil's wife now?
Every heart beat was lifting her on
an irresistible wave of longing and
sweeping her toward the other
man.
Joyce was in bed before Neil got
nome that night and the next
morning, a little ashamed of her
cowardlce, she remained in her
room until he had left for the day,
pretending to be asleep when he
knocked gently before he finally
departed. She got up as soon as
She heard his car roll out of the.
Drive, dressed in her riding habit,
and ate a hurried breakfast. She
pretended to herself that she was
simply going for a long ride. She
told herself, that it was too soon
to make another call on Ainsworth
and that she had no intention Of
dong anything SO foolish. She
certainly did not want him to-
think she was pursuing him! Yet,
somehow, about noon she found