The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-08-20
CHAPTER TX

Vicky made a point of calling
upon her neighbors day or two
later, to invite them to dinner.
Feeling oddly formal in her silk
gown, with calling cards in her
purse and white gloves carried as
a final touch, Vicky sat in the patio
of the Morrison house with the in
jured man and his lovely wife, and
talked somewhat stiltedly and con-
STRANGELY. She and DR.. Hardisty
lived very quietly, she explained:
''as indeed doctor has to do when
he is building up his practice, and
has six small children!" Vicky end
ed, with little laugh.
"Oh, yes, you poor thing!" Sc
rena said so heartily that Spencer
Morrison laughed his sinister laugh,
and Vicky hated her.
ST didn't know whether coming to
dine with us would give Mr.. Nor
rison any pleasure or not" Vicky
said later, when she was walking
home, and Serena had volunteered
to accompany her.
81 beg pardon?"
81 was wondering if Mr.. Morri-
son would think it more bother than
it was WORTH"
ooh, he can walk that far" Sc
rena said vaguely.
Victoria did not pursue the SUBJ
ject. They were in the little lane
that separated the two properties
now, and suddenly she stopped and
picked up small bright object. And
as she did so she felt her heart be-
gin to beat faster, and the blood
in her face.
"Quentin's cigarette lighter!" she
said. Hes been looking for it ev-
erywhere.
Imagine" Serena commented,
undisturbed.
'He probably dropped it," Vicky
said, suddenly trembling, when
you and he were talking here in
the lane last Sunday"
Half an hour later Quentin came
upstairs to find Vicky changing her
gown for dinner.
81 met Mrs. Morrison-Lord, she
is a lovely creatureP Quentin OBJ
served, plunging at once into his
additions. "She'd started to walk
to the village, it was too much for
her, and she asked me to telephone
for taxi to pick her up. But in
stead I ran her downtown-it seems
he wanted the mail, I guess he gets
his own way pretty well!-and then
took her home. It only took me
ten minutes. She tells me-" he
looked out Of a towel, his hair in
wild wet confusion to say in salts
faction "she tells me you called
there today, Vic. I'm glad. She's
a lovely woman, and she'll be great
company for you"
Victoria, at her dressing table,
continued to brush her hair. Once
she looked steadily at Quentin, in
the mirror, but he did not see her.
81 told you they could come
Thursday night?" she asked.
"Yep. Who else are you going
to have?"
"Gita and Gwen and ourselves
and Mother"
Quentin turned, his face color
ing with amazement.
''Why, my dear, you can't do
that!" he said quickly.
"Do what?"
"Why, have those people, the first
time, and not make an occasion of
itl'
Vicky was genuinely astonished.
''How d'you mean, Quentin"
"Well, I mean that they're i'm
portant people; his father is Sir
Percival Morrison. l do think that
if ever-if ever we're going to
spread ourselves, this is the time!"
"But he's an invalid, Quent!"
"Tie is and he isn't. He's lost an
eye, of course, but he's an English
man, and you'll find them regular
sticklers for formality. Oh, no, we'll
have to make it a formal affair.
I'd ask the Rays and the Sinclairs
and DR.. Austreicher."
81 see!" Vic murmured as he
paused Her heart was lead.
"Why do you say 4 seer" QUEEN
tin demanded suspiciously.