The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-02

girl who had just been in 1t. Elaine saw that the bed was freshly made with clean linen, that the rumpled bedding was lying in q neat little stack in the hail. Everything in the room was immaculate; q win dow was partly opened, the empty waste basket stood squarely and neatly under the desk, dresser drawers were lined with cleanly folded paper.
 Elaine Chalmers thought, "Shc must have gotten up early to do all this" Her heart smote her, she did not know why.
 In all that orderly room there was but one discordant note. A heap of clothes lay in wild disor- der on a chair where they had the room which had been hers as minutes of tho rooms occupancy.
 Elaine was. thinking, II guess I had no right 70 label her a bad egg. It made her wild And that remark about her father having been killed in the Argonne! l thought she was stealing some more of my stuff. If it's true. it's queer. Both our fathers killed there--"
 Bertha Gibbs was hurrying up the stairs pantingly. She came into the room and looked around. Where is she?' she asked in a whisper.
 "Gone," Elaine told her. Ten minutes ago."
 Bertha repeated. Gone! Did you see herr"
 "Oh, yes." answered Elaine. re- covered from her moment of soft ness. Didn't you hear us exchang- ing farewells in the hall?"
 Nom. said Bertha, "I didn't" As a matter of fact she had been occupying herself in the kitchen while she tried to map out her course of action. The noise of her own dish-clattering had cut off the sound of the girls quiet tense voices. Bertha was both amazed and relieved now to find the crisis over.
 I'm glad she's gone for sure." she told Elaine. Good riddance to bad rubbish! When l tbink of her foolin' me like she did for days and days and maybe laughin' up her sleeve at me" She paused and corrected herself thoughtfully. "No, she wouldn't laugh up her sleeve at anybody. She had a kind heart. that girl. Always wantin' to help"
 Elaine shrugged. Let's get my bags upstairs, Penny. Then see about getting another servant. You won't find me helpful at all"
 Penny protested. Another scrv- ant? Mercy no, Miss Elaine. I'm strong as an OK. 1t would rattle me to have another servant under foot"
 "Oh. we'll" said Elaine grossly, If you won't" They got the bags upstairs and then hung up the dresses and put the lingerie and shoes and hats and innumerable toilet articles into suitable drawers.
 While Penny went about her business in the house (some of it more secret than Elaine dreamed), the girl busied herself in q char acteristic way. She made herself comfortable in negligce and mules, smoked innumerable cigarets and read the new magazines she had brought with her.
 Eventually this palled. She had rejected luncheon for the good of her figure. Her hungry state made her nervous and restless and she began to realize that sitting around waiting for John McNeill to come home from Washington was some thing she could not long endure.
 She dressed and went downstairs to inform Bertha that she was go- ing ito run over to the McNeill place just for something to do."
 "Yes, do. Miss Elaine" Bertha encouraged. You'll find the same servants over there, Susie and Ebe."
 As Elaine left the house she looked back at the great front door and was amused again by its incon- gruous appearance. She recalled now that 1t had been blue even when she was q small child. though not so bright a blue as this. A sky blue. rather. Rain-washed and sun-faded. Hor grandfather had chosen that color becahsc Of villa with a blue door in Italy. high on q mountain side, where he and his wife had spent their honeymoon.
 But why does Penny keep 1t so vivid now?" Elaine asked herself, amused. Heaven knows the rest of the house doesn't get any atten- ton. The glass Is broken in the conservatory. The porch Is sag ging. The yard looks like jungle. Why does she concentrate on the front door?"
 She was mover to know the req son. That secret was, Berthaf own. once she had gone to sec "her boy" in the asylum. It wal only week or two after his con- hnomcnt there and she found him 90 despairink and reb6ilious and sullen that no sensible words came from his twisted lips.
 He had said, I'm going to TUT away from this place, old girl. see if I don't Keep the from ldnor nainfod blue. will you. 60 HI