The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-03-22
CAST OF CHARACTERS
BY Gilmore COWAN STONE


CONSTANCE MAlDWELL -
heroine; the stand-in.
DEREK MANTHoN-an artist
who loved money first.
HILDEGARDE THORVALD-
Derek painted her portrait.
DR.. ROGERS-he met his most
difficult case.
Yesterday: Constance accepts
The invitation to ride home with
Doctor Rogers and returning to
her work next morning reels
vaguely uneasy about affairs at
the store.
CHAPTER XI
Elsa O'Dare was sitting at her
desk when Constance went IN.
"You wanted me, Miss o'Dare?"
Constance asked, uneasy without
exactly knowing why.
Elsa O'Dare laid down the pa
pers she was sorting, folded slim,
perfectly groomed hands on the
desk top, and looked up thought
fully.
''i'm given to understand she
said, that you allowed a gentle
man who came here with one OF
our customers to drive you home
"Why. yes" Constance said,
wondering. ayes, ! did. His
mother was kind enough to Sug-
gest it."
81 am not questioning the per-
Sonal prOpriety of your dong so.
There was in Elsa O'Dare's FAINT
smile something puzzling that
Constance was to remember later.
"But there happens to be a rule
in the store that none of our en-
ployes shall accept attention from
the male relatives or-ah,append-
ages-of our customers. 1t is, |
believe, much resented-but there
it is"
81 don't resent it," Constance
said, flushing. 81 simply didn't
know anything about it."
She thought, why didn't Miss
Let's warn me?
"Well-" Elsa O'Dare raised
her shoulders in a little shrug.
"You know now. You have
been duly admOnished. Don't do
it again. That is all, | think"
Pauline was lettering in the
corridor when Constance went
She shot a furtive, probing look
from under her laShes at Con-
stances untroubled face, and as
if dissatisfied with what she saw
there, bit her lip and turned
away.
But Constance was not so I'M
troubled as she seemed. She was
beginning to realize that at least
two of the women here-Pauline
and her ally, Miss LettS-disliked
her enough TO want to see her
Inundated. And Constance had
never before known an open
enemy.
There was another letter from
Derek for her when she went
home that night.
"Miss Thorvald and | went for
a long horseback ride yesterday"
Derek wrote. perhaps | should
tell you that the Baron has placed
a beautiful mount at my disposal.
Miss Thoryald is magnificent on
horSeback-much as poets and
artists like to think Joan of Arc
must have been. She needs only
a battle standard to make a really
heroic figure.
81 think you would like her
tremendously. To appreciate the
unusual quality of her charm, one
nuts see her in her natural en-
vironment, the gorgeous golden
California Out-Of-dOors-or, per-
haps, at the piano. Have |
told you that she has a glorious
cOntraltO voice? She is making a
collection of strange, barbaric
songs that | have never heard be-
fore-wild plaiHtivc airs with
haunting phrases and unusual
Notwithstanding intervals. When
she sings them, they seem the
echo of loves and fears and tri-
jumps and deaths from some far
remote, unknown land.
''In a day or so | hope | shall
feel well enough acquainted with
her TO tell her of our engagement.
! shall have to be careful. She is
so kind that it would make her
frightfully uncomfortable to real
ize what a crimp she put into our
plans"
1t would, Constance had TO adj
nit TO herself. Hildegarde Thor
valid was kind.
But | wonder if it has occur