The Washington times., 1938-01-13


the luxurious room that was to b.
his for the weekend.
Reckon that guy they call {
valet won't be offering to put my
pants on for me, again, in 6
hurry" he muttered. Where il
hell's my bag?"
The discovery that his suitcase
must have been taken to another
room by mistake reduced Tom tc
helpless profanity.
He jerked the closet door oper
and his jaw fell. OF all the nerve
The guy had unpacked his stuff
when he wasn't looking!
His one extra suit and one pai1
of white ducks seemed pathetically
inadequate in the long line OF
empty hangers.
A search Of the bureau drawers
brought to light his other pos,
sessions ranged in neat, if sparse
array.
well, I'll be-" Words failed
him, but his sense Of humor came
to the rescue. This weekend S
goin' to be the worst buckin' bronc
you ever drew, boy" he chuckled,
but you've got to ride EN-! Orders
is orders" >"
Tom had been rather pleased
when his boss had told him that
he was to take a bunch of cattle
East this June, and before he
came back, he wanted him to see
the Abbotts and tell them just
what accommodations they could
have at the ranch this summer.
WEEKEND VISIT
A note to the AbbottS had
brought back word that they we're
at the lake for the week end, and
wanted him to come out and talk
things over there. SO, here he was.
Mrs. Abbott and the two girls
were gay and friendly just the
way they had been as dudes out at
the ranch two years ago.
Ruth was is. now, and Maize
had grown into a beauty. She must
be 18.
If he only had to reckon with
the Abbott family, there'd be
nothing to it. 1t was the bunch
they had with them.
That Sonia, for instance, with
the spun gold hair and violet eyes
that both laughed at you and with
you.
Shed called him Young Loeb
1nvar, out from the West"
Dinner wasn't as bad as Tom
had expected. He sat between
Maize and Sonia, and Maize
joshed him about the way he
lorded it over them all at the
ranch. in his capacity of head
wrangler..
Sonia talked through most of
the dinner with the man on her
right. Once she turned to Tom
and asked if he liked sailing.
Never tried it," Tom admitted.
"There isn't much sailing out in
our part of the Rockies. Reckon
Ill like it all right, though. Ought
to be easy enough to get the hang
Of it,"
About as easy as riding" Sonia
said.
They danced later at the club.
Maize told Tom about Sonia, as
they walked out on the terrace to
look at the moonlight over the
lake.
Her father and mother were
killed in an accident three years
ago. She has oodles of money in
her own right. I'm trying to get
her to come out to the ranch this
summer.
''Everyone's crazy about her; not
only for her money. either" Maize
added loyalty. "She's no end of
fun, even if she is rather spoiled"
.'"I'll say she's spoiled" Tom
said.
PERVERSE PLEASURE
It gave him perverse kind Of
pleasure not to dance with Sonia,
though it was all he could do to
keep from it. He wasn't going
chasing after any heiresses!
Tom was amazed to find how
late it was when the dance finally
broke up. He wasn't admitting
that he'd spent most of the eve.
ming watching Sonia.
Neither was he admitting the
quick jealous stab he'd felt every
time he saw her disappear with a
partner through the long doors
to the terrace.
GOOD night, Young Lochin.
Var!" Sonia leaned, laughing, over
the banister as the girls went up.
stairs. Il know why you didn't
dance with mel"
There was plenty of time the
next morning to look over the
place, before any one appeared.
Not even the servants were
around when Tom turned up for
breakfast at the outrageously late
hour, for him, of 8 o'clock.
He Strolled down to the lake
front and looked back at the
gracious spreading house domi'
mating the terraced lawn.
Cottage! That was the way the
Abbotts had referred to it at the
ranch.
IF that's a cottage" Tom MUIR
INJURED, 81 reckon my place is a
dog house!"
When finally Tom had chance