Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-08-16

in the silvered surface, noting the
flaming color flushing her usually
pale cheeks and more than ever mar
veled at the strange brightness in her
deep blue eyes. Where had she seen
such light before? Somewhere
abroad-Budapest! Who was it?
Horrors! In the eyes of Manciz Ky
ralyi. the famous titian-haired adven-
turesS.
"Heavens! No wonder Pm as red
as a beet" she murmured. "What
must Peter be thinking! But I don't
care!" this a little defiantly. "Peter!
Peter" unconscious of any histrionic
she watched herself in the glass-"1
love you, always have loved you, dear,
and always will. Hope you'll I'M
derstand. It's terrible chance I'm
taking-for your happiness, dearest"
Abandoning the mirror and leaving
the wrap where it had fallen she cross
ed the hall to little library which,
together with four or five other rooms,
had been opened after her precipitate
return from abroad. Sinking into a
chair before an exquisite Queen Anne
desk, she slowly pulled open drawer
and, venting a sigh faint as the whls-
per of birds wing in flight, drew
forth a sheaf Of papers. Over this
she bent, her smooth white forehead
falling into perplexed wrinkles.
'Iet's see now. The house took
care of the Andrews account with
nothing over, but I'll get five thous-
and for the automobiles, three thou
sand for Bellarion and Mizpah." Her
lips suddenly wreathed inward be-
tween her teeth. 81 hope Stockton
treats them kindly. Oh, my beauti-
full Bellarion. No more gallops-"
Her soft, vivid mouth frightened into
hard lines as she ran on through that
sinister group of communications
which informed her that the millions
Oliver Merwin had bequeathed her
were as irrevocably vanished as the
| SHOWS OIL yeSCeryedrS.
"Then by selling that public utility
stock" she added, biting her pen tip,
81 could just scrape up the twenty
thousand. But how in the world can
I keep up pretenses until Peter has ac-
copied the money!"
The slender fingers gripping her
pen frightened little. "That is, if he
accepts. Oh-if he doesn't? What
shall 1 do?"
! A long moment she sat staring at
her page of calculations with unsee-
ing eyes. eff only men weren't
brought up to think it's utter damn
alton to accept loan from the OPP
posite sex! Well, Helena, you little
fool, you've just time to get up stairs
and make yourself dangerously beauti
full before-before he arrives"
Retrieving the lustrous sable, she
cast it over her arm and set her tiny
slippered feet to the stairs-her high
heels sending soft tap-tap through
the great empty house.
The hall clock was just Ginning
three-thirty when the lights of Peter
Houghton's car flashed up the drive
way at furious speed momentarily to
illuminate those smooth, white pillars
forming the portico. Then the brakes
squealed and he sprang out.
"Poor kid-all upset over some
thing" he was saying for the fiftieth
time, "what the devil can be wrong
with Helena? Why should she call on
me,-of all people?"
He was too spent, too crushed by
the series of catastrophies which had
befallen him further to conjecture
about the late hour and the circum-
stances of his visit. Hollow-eyed and
yet wearing his pink dress coat be-
meath well-worn topcoat he crossed
the porch to find light was burning
by the door and illumining an exquis-
tie antique brass knocker. AS his
hand reached for it he was startled
to have the door swing in. His anx-
ious greeting died unspoken and his
breath stopped with click, for there,
radiantly lovely, smiling and holding
out her hand, stood Helena. He SIM
ply gasped. The sheer perfection of
her, the sinuous and infinite grace Of
her figure, held him spellbound. New
er had he found Helena so unutter-
ably delicate and appealing. Clad in
filmy negligee of beige lace that
seemed to envelop her in gossamer
cloud she stood just inside the door.
On her tiny feet were smart little
high-heeled slippers of jade green,
grit with glittering diamond buckles.