The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-06-15
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY

CHAPTER xxx
Monnie, feeling utterly abject
And ashamed, said no. But she
added, I'm leaving for New York
today. If you don't mind I'm TAX
1ng passage on your boat"
He gave joyous shout, triumph
IN his voice.
Monnie, with Miss Anstice's sur
prised gaze upon her, knew what
his thought was: it would be easy
for him to break down her de-
lenses on the trip home.
elegant in his dinner clothes,
lounged against the fireplace in
Sandra Lawrence's home.
i asked you to come in" San
dra said softly, because there
was something special wanted to
talk about. Sit down."
The young man shot her
rapier glance out of keen dark
eyes, then subsidized into deep red
chair. The girl, affecting a demure-
ness and shyness foreign to her.
stared into the flames.
You're going to the party to-
night, l suppose" Charles Ven
tured in the awkward silence.
ooh, yes. That was it," Sandra
said. To Charles puzzled stare
she continued, Someone told me
you were angry at me and I did
so want to get things Strengthened
out before we met when there
were people present. So awk-
ward" her voice trailed off.
Charles grinned. Angry at you?
But that's absurd. Why should I
be?'
II don't know" Sandra gave him
IA, fleeting glance from under long
ashes. at does sound silly doesn't
il, when we know each other really
so little. Only-well fancied per-
haps someone had talked about me,
prejudiced you against me on ac-
count of your friendship for some
one else
This was arrant nonsense and
Charles said so. His agreeable voice
eemed to soften the blow, What.
precisely" he inquired amiably. "do
.-ou mean?"
Sandra laid her cards on the
able. "You do like Monica O'Dare
,wfully, don't your
He stiffened. Eyes, do. Does she
come into this?''
Sandra shrugged, gesture she
had perfected. "A bit. You see, she
Used to want Danny and he's
nine"
"Oh, yes?" Charles seemed faint
bored but any close observer
,ould have noted the sudden CLEAN
II his eyes.
HE always has been, really"
aid Sandra, warming to her topic.
A year or two ago he and Monnie
al re ai,tu di1,,'t
axe 1t seriously but she did. Poor
:irl she hadn't much experience
With beaux and Dan is such a lamb
se didn't know she'd misunder
tand."
Charles stood up. not liking any
this. I'm not at all sure she
d." he interrupted. MY impress
ion always has been that the af-
.lir was about ffty-fifty.'
aren't you quaint" trillsd
,andra. 1T wasn't at all. know
hem both SO have the straight
If it,"
But what" demanded Charles
With some impatience, has all this
% do with me?" He looked rather
ostentatiously at the watch he had
been lingering for a moment.
Il thought I'd like you to know
how matters Stood" the girl told
him glibly. II didn't want you to
believe I'd done any poaching.
Someone told me you'd said" 4
II never talk about women"
Eustace said, a note of harshness
coming into his voice. II leave that
to their own sex. You must excuse
me now. I'm overdue at my
uncle's."
He was tuning as he took his
hat and coat from the maid at the
front door. The girl was a fool.
There were no two ways about it.
What did she expect to gain by
talking about Monnie to him?
Was she really, as Kay believed,
such an enemy to Monnie that she
would deliberately try to UNDER
mine her with Charles after hav-
ing stolen Dan from under her
nose? Or was it a bit more COM
plex--was Sandra such an egoist
that she wished everyone, even
Charles Eustace who knew her so
casually, to think well of her?
However, it was, she was a nasty
little cat and he sincerely disliked
her.
+ He walked off into the autumn
night, frowning. why hadn't he
told her exactly what he thought
of her. he asked himself. She
hated Monnie that much was
plain. How had she dared to speak
of her in that tone to him? Charles
acknowledged, with a pang, that