The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-25


which he filled the bowl, tamped
down the tobacco and applied the
match. No fumbling gestures She
liked that.
He drew on the pipe for a mo.
ment and then: Shoot" C.,
"Shoot?" Daphne had forgotten
what she was going to say.
Questions" ne answered brief
~. Lets have them. Or shall l
START"
Daphne was startled and annoy,
cd. Why should he question her!
did you want to rent to those
people" =,
"Just as I surmised," ne said;
but I don't understand ="
He paid no attention. How
ever, you should have, shouldn't
your" go 80. ,
Daphne swished cold tea around
in her cup before answering. NO
not really" she said and was elab-
orately casual. No need to tell this
stranger her business.
"Goodl / feel better about it
now" He didn't believe her but
Daphne couldn't have guessed
that. Or that he knew that a fra
gile. girl like herself did not in.
dulge in the kind Of work she had
been doing when he had mistaken
her for maid, unless she was
pretty hard up. Nor did the ges-
ture Of serving tea to the Snyders
escape him. -
"You did a very fine job Of
helping me-" she said and Won
dered how she could invite him to
go.
ooh, the Van Dusens-the Vir-
ginia Van Dusens, not the South
Orange Van Dusens, mind you
go about constantly, rescuing Ia
dies in distress with the greatest
of ease 80
Eyes, / noticed that" she said.
al mean the ease. What else do
you do when you just go about'?"
Contemplate the cosmos" he
said pleasantly.
That's approximately what |
thought" she said pleasantly.
Tell me what else you thought"
he encouraged.
Were the scrambled eggs too
the taste of the Van Dusens?" she
asked pointedly. 80
Excellent" he said 'graciously.
"Plentious and, fresh. but, my dear
girl. no WORCESTERSHIRE season.
Tan oversight" Daphne said
with a fine edge of sarcasm. THE
next time you come to lunch, do
let US know beforehand"
81 will" he promised. What
about tomorrow"
Tomorrow" Daphne said cold
ly, 81 am not entertaining. I'm a
working girl. / shall be back in
New York ut my job" The in
formation slipped out. She didn't
want him to know that she would
not be there. II he were a prowler
-. Perhaps he was a gentleman
thief ;. Perhaps he was :. She
stopped thinking and said sternly:
""Much as the. country and the
open road appeal to me, it's lux
ury i can't afford"
81 can't either he said and
sighed. '',;
Daphne's suspicious were i'm.
mediately confirmed in her mind.
81 see." she said, conveying
nothing. s'
81, too, have a job in the city
but / shall forget its confinement
when ! return to this peaceful
lovelines each night"
Daphne sat up very straight.
Oh, why had she told him that she
was not to be here?
That's. our arrangement, isn't
it," he inquired easily.
20 at a hundred and fifty a
month";" Her words had a smart
string . - e.
Certainly. I said ! agreed to
your terms. I'd like to take it over
at once for occupancy until Octo-
Der first"
1t rather took Daphne's breath
away. 1t had possibilities of also
taking away her problem. Again
her better judgment. she threw
discretion to'the winds.
would YOU" she asked leaning
forward so he saw the hope in her
dark eyes, would YOU really like
to rent Brett Hall?"
az thought 1T was all settled"
he answered calmly.
Then then it is"
You'll want references, of
course"
"Of course" she said, wishing
she had thought Of it first.
unfortunately they'll prove
that my name isn't Van Dusen. II
isn't even Derck. It's Smith," he
said, looking at her reproachfully.
"How could you have missed it?"'
Daphne permitted herself a
smile. 1T was too obvious, which
you are not" she said.
ITO be- continued1