Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-05-10
CHAPTER i--continued


shops were his pet abomination
Every girl he knew, he said, soon
er or later engaged In the sale OF
picture frames and crepe-paper fu'
%tilities, and p%olychrome candlesticks
and bridge sets and gilt edged book
lets whose pages stuck together
and not only did they set up these
shops but they expected Geor to
patronfze them l~avishly. And now
1t appeared Cynthia. about whose
name was beginning to cluster ad.
jectfves which did not express a
passionate desire on Geof's part to
meet the daughter of his mothers
friend, herself engaged In this fash
ionable form of piracy. "And I'll
bet she spells 1t with two p's and
an e." he told himself gloomily. He
resolved not only to refuse Mrs.
Aylesbury's invitation to make his
home with them but to select a
boarding house as far away from
the Cary house as possible.
But he reckoned without his hos
tess. Miss Mona took it for granted
that Geoff was to stay with them.
She waved away his protests; she
made light Of his vague murmurs
about uncertain hours; she told
him that he must stay on to din
ner, now that he was here, and aft
erward Cary would drive him down
to his hotel TO pack his bags and
have his luggage sent out.
"You. should have come directly
to u.s." she reproached him. "Eun-
ices son In a hotel It's utterly
out of the question. We have
oceans of room. That's one reason
we were able to take Tenny In with
us. Poor mite. she was In a board
Ing school and she hated it."
II know" Geofr said involun-
tarlly.
"You know what they're like?
And Of course it's worse for q lit
tie girl than for a boy. Anyway
she smiled-'Tenny's father was an
old beau of mine and when his wife
died / wrote and asked him to let
III have Tenny-"
"That al good Of you'll"
"For our own pleasure" she fin
ished. Her father tried the board
Ing school first, then yielded and let
her come to us. And you," she said
with a trace Of coquetry, might as
well yield in the beginning, for |
don't mean to take no for an an
gwer."
He looked embarrassed. "Noth-
Ing would please me more, Mrs.
Aylesbury, if-if you would let me
make some financial arrangement?
I couldn't visit here indefinitely,
You know"
"Why not? 1t was the Captain
who spoke. He had entered from
the hall In time to hear Geoff's pro-
test. I'VE had your mother for
how many years was 1t, Nona?-
and there was M foolish talk about
financial arrangements In connec-
ton with her visits. Also Mona
went to New York and spent a win
ter with the Hamptons and / don't
remember that / offered to pay her
board Come upstairs with me,
young man, and pick out your room.
/ thought-the hunting room?" he
asked his daughter.
Geoff, helpless In these determined
hands, followed meekly. The "hunt-
ing room" opened on one of the
foolish little balconies In the front
and from 1t Geoff had a superb
view of the mountain range.
Cary Aylesbury had arrived when
the two came downstairs again. He
sprang up to meet Geoff, cordial
hand ~outstretched, handsome young
face alight with welcome.
Miss Mona tells me she's DER.
suaded you to cast your lot In with
Us" he began; then as Geofr looked
puzzled at the boys designation of
his mother, be laughed and slung
an arm around her shoulders. 81
ask you: does she look old enough
to be Mothered' by q hulking fell
low like me7 We've called her Miss
Fona-Cynthia and lever since
we were children. Picked 1t up
from the servants, / suppose, In the
beginning. You know Grandfather
brought a lot of his Kaintuck
darkies up with him." He flung a
gay glance at the Captain. 1.-THE
fascinating southern accent has
sort of petered out In this genera
ton, but you notice it's still going
strong in the two preceding u.s."
Gary, you bad boy n Miss Mona
rested her head for a moment
against her sons broad shoulder.
The sight of those two gave Geoff
q little pang. 1t exempiiied so ex-
actly the sort of relationship he had