The Washington times., 1936-06-30
NOW READ On
Bv MARY CHRISTIE

The someone was mana heavily
set, roughly dressed man-who
halted abruptly at their table, ex-
claiming awkwardly:
"Why, of all things! II never
expected to see you in this part
of the world"
In the living room Of the COM
Portable small house set in the
orange grove that he had pur-
chased on retiring from the Army,
Colonel Mccarthy regarded his
step-daughter, Elizabeth Harmon,
with definite irritation
"You we're out till two o'clock
this morning, Elizabeth. Might I
inquire with whom?"
She flushed, but returned his
gaze steadily. She was essentially
truthful and straightforward. She
would not prevaricate.
IT was with Gerald Bruton. You
know, one of the Bruton family
the brokers. We'd grand time.
We"
How long have you known
him?"
1T met him on the. train coming
down"
without introduction?" The
Colonels eyebrows shot up, giving
him a grotesque resemblance to a
gargoyle.
She said hastily: "On, we hap,
pened to be at the same table for
luncheon. It seemed quite natural
to talk. He was so gentlemanly-
and interesting"
"1ndeed?" Sarcastically. "A
gentleman is someone who picks
a young girl up on a train and
purSueS the acquaintance without
even having the decent manners
to call at her home? How do you
know his name is Bruton? Like as
not he made that up to impress
you"
Elizabeth produced his card.
Her step-father glared at it, and
with an unbelieving "Humph!"
put it in his pocket.
Instead Of running around at
night, it would be much better
and more seemly for you to take
care OF the house. I won't have
you going out with Tom, Dick and
Harry. AS for this man, if he is
one OF the Brutons, it makes it
all the worse, since he must know
what's what and what isn't"
Elizabeth was no coward to be
oroWbeaten. She had never got on
With her Step-father. and now. af-
ter years absence from home,
the breach had widened. With the
membory of last night singing in
her mind, the thought of interfer-
ence was intolerable. Why, Gerald
Bruton had treated her like little
queen! The hours had been golden.
unforgettable. Doubly radiant, too,
because of the months of drabness
and secluSion that had preceded
them.
They had dined and danced at a
country inn, with the scent of
Towering lemon and verbena and
the thousand heady odors of a
Southern spring drifting in at the
open windows. Trembling with the
estasy of a strange, uncharted
feeling she had never known be-
fore, Elizabeth had been wildly
happy.
NoW-this anticlimax!
Her Step-father rose, went to the
door, and put on his hat. "Remem-
Der what I've said, Elizabeth" He
turned sharply. The words came
like little explosions, cracking the
silence that ay between them.
There's to be no going out with
this Gerald Bruton. There's never
been a scandal in our family.
Apart from other considerations,
I owe it to your dead mother to
see there never will be one!"
In desperate Impotence, Eliza.
beth waited for the telephone to
ring. Gerald had promised to call
her between 3 and 4 to make ar
rangements for the evening. The
hands of the grandfather clock
pointed to 10 minutes past 4. At
any moment Colonel Mccarthy
might return. Probably with re
neWed antagonism, because of his
sciatica, due to a dampnesS in the
air today and because of the gulf
that divided 81 from 10.