Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-06
CHAPTER XVIII.

lIlB CdlO dlId AOSo 0A@N
the nearest inn was six
~ miles of" said Alison,
"he could hardly take me
there in the middle of the night
without luggage, could he? And l
was far too frightened to want to
stop in the house alone
"Oh. as long as no one saw you
both, don't suppose it matters, does
it," said Mrs. Sumers, lightly, you
didn't get any visitors?"
Hardly, at that hour OF night!
II was thinking of the morning
said Mrs SumerS, patiently. I've
had a woman coming in to clean.
she didn't come that morning,
said Alison, brusquely.
We'll. that's all right! I'm look
ing forward to meeting the knight
Grant BY the way, Bob, If you're
asking him to lunch. could We just
run through our engagements to-
gether? The Harveys have asked me
to dine, and I'm not sure whethe:
I'm free"
Alison stood up.
Il think if you won't mind, III
tust go and take that aspirin" she
said
AS she turned to close the door be-
bind her, she could see her father
move to the arm of Daphne Sumers'
chair Alison shut the door quickly.
Up in her own room, gay With
crisp green chintzes, she sat down
on the wide divan under the window
She could not, did not even want to
cry. She felt as though all feeling
had been drained out of her BODY.
leaving only a cold. blank despair,
Many times on her journey from
Switzerland she had wondered what
her fathers fianCee would be like,
but never. even in the worst mo-
mentS. had she dreamed of anything
as bad as this
But there was nothing to be done.
Impossible to tell her father that the
woman he loved was untruthful, in
sincere. a designing gold-digger
Il don't suppose he'd believe me If
I did" she concluded. After all. I
couldn't explain to him all those lit
tie digs at me. or the way Daphne
kept dragging him IN on her own
side. Well. I'm not going to go on
like that. I'll clear out and find a
job, that's ALL
She remembered with a warm
sense of comfort her lunch with Guy.
Hes done things, real things!" she
decided One can feel that. He
must have had rotten time or some
thing-perhaps its losing his bust
ness-but one can feel that ne
doesn't want life to be padded, that
he lust faces up to things and takes
them as they come.
Presently she slipped quietly from
her room and ran down into the IL
brary. Books had never interested
her much. but there were plenty OF
them on the tall shelves which lined
the walls. Not that her father read
them. works on botany, his hobby,
made up his reading, his library
was inherited.
On a top shelf, Alison found a
yard-square book on architecture,
with plates, which she carried back
to her own room.
In the drawing room which she had
left. Daphne Sumers sat talking, one
long hand with its vivid nails strok-
ing Roberts ear, while she raved
about Alison.
Just sweet! Absolutely unspoiied
darling child l think that she S
the most unsOphisticated creature
that I've ever seen-and so lovely!
! really thought the way IN which
she did not even see the dangers
that she'd run was quite too wonder
full. You know. Bob, most girls now
adays are so hard-boiled. They q
have realized at once that to spend
a night alone with a man like that
was simply-well! But you could see
at once that the idea had never
crossed her mind-dear Innocent"
Allison knows lot for her age,
demurred Robert. More than you d
think. You see, she's always acted as
hostess here since she was quite lit
tie. and met my friends and talked
and read anything she liked, and so
on.
Mrs. Sumers pinched his ear.
II know darling, but you're bit
Of an innocent yourself!"
AN old thing like me?" He was
looking down into her dark eyes,
which. half narrowed, careSsed his.
You're not to call yourself that
To me, at least, you're young-al-
most as young as she is You make
me feel old. Bob Old and World-wis !!
Life hasn't been kind enough to pro-
tect me-"
ITS going to be now, Don't worry"
1T know it is. Y'know. Bob, I don't
only love you, but I feel 500 CRATE
long for letting US meet. I can't bear
the thought of losing you!"
You're never going to" he be-
ran but she cut the end of that SEN
tence with kiss.
Il know. We're really one person,
aren't we That's why I'm going
to say something that perhaps I
shouldn't"
What? I've never seen hair that
grew like yours, Daphne, all those
fascinating little curls,
She laughed softly.
No. You mustn't tangle my hair.
] want to talk to you. Go and sit over
there'
ever since she first enchanted him
six weeks before. when they had met
in the expensive hotel at Nice. where
Mrs. Suners. taking a long planned
holiday had found herself in ter
rible straits, all her savings stolen by
q swindler. a hotel bill owing and
in foreign land.
BY mere chance. Robert, overhear-
ing her distracted explanation to the
manager, came to the rescue; a lucky
chance for him, as he said.
You look awfully solemn" he
twitted.
II am. I'm being serious, It's about
Alison"
What about her?"
The woman by the fire did not miss
that faint stiffening in his voice and
body. as if to defend the girl up
stairs. Her own voice assumed the
low. nasal note which she used when
she wanted the soft pedal. She ap-
preached her point from an angle.
You see, never having had child