The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-10-02
.J BLUE DOOR
II Rachel cMack ll's N=N -----

CONTINUED from page FOUR
pleased. So she cared enough to
! do that! The world was Just about
right today.
breakfast on the diner to save
time" He went out of the house
whistling and crossed the lawn.
When he knocked at the front
door. Bertha admitted him. She
started violently at sight Of him
remembering something which she
had temporarily banished to the
dim recesses of her mind.
John asked. 'is it too early for
me to see Elaine, Bertha?
The old woman stared at hin;
oueerIy. He thought she had not
heard Of repeated the question.
Bertha Gibbs, still silent, turn
cd to look in the direction OF the
upper hall. He followed her gaoe.
4 girl was coming down the stairs
but it was not the girl for whom
ne waited. This one was Diam
GUS stranger. She wore smoke
gray satin lounging paJamas held
at the waist with a heaVy red
sash. The sash swayed about her
l;necs in rhythm with her languld
walk. Her hair was goId-brown.
Her ewes were dark. She was
,arv varr hesutiful and she was
smiling at him.
John McNeillm said the girl,
in a voice that was somehow ten
der in spite of its clipped tones.
DO you remember me-
John said, Elaine Chalmers,
1t was more of statement than
greeting. He continued to stare
at her, trying to think in his clear
deliberate way what her coming
had meant to that other one. Al
most at once he suspected the
thing that had happened.
where is she?' he asked.
<
Elaine felt a stab of irritation.
He had said the word she a.
he would have said my darling"
And he had said it urgently. Pen
ny was not going to speak, that
was certain. She must answer
him herself.
DO you mean the girl who was
using my name?" she asked, look
ing regretful and letting her smile
fade to a sad little ghost Of a
smile.
Yes" replied John Mcneil
sharply.
"She went away yesterday
morning soon after | came,
Elaine said. 1T seemed best. She
flew into quite rage before she
left"
a rage" John repeated blank
" yes" said Elaine, signing.
There was no use trying to rea-
son with her. Girls of that type
girls who live by their wits, you
know-are primitive and sly and
not at all reasonable. They evade
you"
John replied, coldly courteous.
she was not primitive and not
sly. You must be thinking Of some
one else. One of your acquaint-
ances at Graycastle possibly"
Elaine blushed. She was furious.
but she must keep the fact con-
cealed. When she'd whipped this
small town hero into line there'd
be time enough, ways enough, to
punish him then. Her expression
remained persistently sweet and
regreatful. II could have turned
her over to the police, of course,
she reminded him. But | didn't.
even offered her money. She
refused it without even thanking
me. Don't YOU think you're being
a little unfair to blame me for
John? After all, the
girl was an adventures. She was
even walking off in my clothes.
Because she was cold!' John
Mcneil whipped out. a d
weren't they your cast-off cloth
esq"
Elaine shrugged. They were
not hers, at least"
Where did she go?" John de-
handed. How am I to find herr
FLAMES eyebrows shot up. She
mad not expected quite this be-
lavior. She had counted on her
beauty, her personality, the i'm
oortance of her presence here, all
uniting to dazzle John Mcneil. |
She had expected him to inquire
for the girl, of course; his tele- |
gram had shown that he'd had |
quite a little whirl with her. But |
She'd not expected this single |
tracked determination of his to /
find her again. Elaine thought, |
81 haven't reached him. l don't
believe I've really caught his at
.entionw There he stood tower
ing over her, looking at her and |
yet not seeing her. Blaming her. /
Suspecting her. She was more
than angry. She was a little bit
frightened.
"Where did she go?" John de-
manded again. He turned to Ber-
tina Gibbs, so that the question in
Guided her, too. where is she >"
Bertha'S eyes were lowered. She
twisted a corner of her apron said