Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-10-14
CHAPTER IV-Continued

81 don't like the twist you gave
that lady, Jed Stewart. Don't
shake your head at the Jap, Mark.
Why shouldn't I have cup of tea
with you? I'm famished. Place it
here"
The servant looked at Mark Trent
before he pressed the springs which
released the legs of the tray he was
carrying and set it before the wom-
an. He brought in a muffin stand
with sandwiches and cakes.
"You needn't watt" she dis
missed the man as if she were the
mistress of the house. Mark nod
ded confirmation as the Jap's eyes
sought his. Did he know that the
woman so dictatorially giving or
ders had been his wife?
Side by side the two men watched
her, watched her restless hands.
Once she had been told by stag
that her hands were like pale butter
flies, Mark remembered, and they
had fluttered ever since. In the ST.
lence the tick of the clock set the
air vibrating; the fire snapped and
blazed cheerily; the tide against the
lodges doomed dull undertone.
Lola Hunt flung a crumpled dolly
to the table.
"Now cigarette, Mark, and I
shall be ready to proceed with my
story"
Sorry: haven't any,"
She raised brows which had been
plucked to thin arch.
"You do want to get rid of me,
don't you. Well, strive to please"
She rose and crossed to the desk.
With a glance over her shoulder, she
opened box of Chinese lacquer.
"You see I still know my way
around. Oh, by the way, your aunt's
legatee is living at Lookout House,
I hear. Henri wrote me-
''Henri!"
eyes. I always got on with Hen
ri, perhaps because he knew that I
detested your aunt as much as he
did. He wrote that Miss Reyburn
evidently didn't like his wife and
himself, asked if I would give him
a reference in case they lost the
position"
Was that all Henri Jacques had
written, Mark wondered. There was
a hint of mockery in Lola's voice
and eyes. What was behind that
letter? He watched her thoughtfully
as he perched on the corner of the
desk, crossed her knees and lighted
a cigarette. She blew a ring of
smoke toward the two men stand
ing back to the fire.
"Forgot these were in the box,
didn't you, Mark? You really should
do something about your memory;
it's slipping" Her eyes and voice
sharpened. "Well, here's my news.
Bert Hunt-he's my present hus-
band, in case you've forgotten
is planning to go into business in
the residential part of this town,
has gone, in fact. l shall help when
he's rushed or-indisposed When
heard that you'd opened this house,
/ thought perhaps you wouldn't care
to have your former wife working
I've been warned that I've been
taking chances with my heart-that
perhaps you'd like to buy us off.
With $4,000 we could go abroad
and stay for a time Don't stand
there like bronze Nemesis ready
to swoop. Nothing shameful about
any kind of job these days, is
there?"
Mark Trent laughed. 1t was not
an especially merry burst of sound,
but it would serve.
"Do you call extortion a job?
Nothing doing, Lola. Your heart!
You've used your weak heart as an
excuse to get what you wanted for
years. Why should l deprive the
town of Hunts business ability and
SO charming an ASSISTANT"
She slid to her feet. Her face,
which had been blank with amaze
ment at his laugh, went white with
;.pger.
"You mean that you don't mind
nv Working-here?"