The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-07-18

pose."
."There wasn't phone"
s'I am sorry, Kate" John reused
from the trance-like state so alarm
ing to Kate. "You must have been
frantic. I tried to send Gay back.
But you know how she is.''
"Just spoiled brat" Gay glanced
up at him, smiling.
1.-The toast is burning" Kate said.
Heavens, yesl" Gay snatched the
rack up from the stove.
Cant you keep your mind on
your work." John took the rack
from her. Their hands touched. re-
luctantly parted. Gay gave laugh
ing cry.
Cant you? The bacon is burned
to crisp"
Good Lord!" The rueful smile
widened into his engaging grin.
"Wil you cook this breakfast.
Kate?"
"I'n have to, ! suppose" she said
grumpily, IF I'm to have anything
fit to eat" She took the skillet from
Johns unresisting hand and
marched to the sink. "After you've
had breakfast you'd better get some
sleep. We can't start for New York
today"
A sudden hush fell upon the room.
Kate could not see their faces. She
was scraping burned bits of bacon
from the skillet into the sink.
1.-The Northfeld garage couldn't
cope with the generator" she went
on. ST left the car there and that
boy with the teeth brought me back
here last night. They kindly offered
to take the car in to Machias to-
day. That means, suppose, that it
won't be ready before night. I'll
be glad to get back to civilization
again where it doesn't take forever
to get something DONE" She turned.
sWhere's the rest of the bacon or
have you"
Sympathies were treacherous.
They looked at her as though she
had given them reprieve from
death. Seeing the gratitude and af-
lection for her which shone in Gays
face, in Johns, she felt with uncom-
Portable sharpness that unjustified
sense of guilt. She walked to the ice
box, stopped, jerked open the door.
She had been right to call Todd last
night. But knowing that he was
now, at this moment, on his way to
the lake, was no longer the sustain
ing relief it had been. She felt like a
traitor. She felt as though she should
be taken out to the clearing behind
the cabin, stood up against the wood
shed, and shot.
The long low roadster sped down q
hill, across bridge in swampy
hollow, up a gently rising grade.
Todd Janeway, his blond head bare,
his body slumped with fatigue
against the leather upholstery, his
eyes snarting from the sting of the
wind, glanced at the speedometer.
Better take it easy, he thought,
slackening the rushing speed of the
car.
Lucky he'd left word at home
where he was going last night. He'c
expected to hear from her. He
wouldn't have been surprised i
she'd walked in on Tory Wales par
ty. A week, she'd said, and Gay KEEP
her promises. But it had been Kate
who called. She'd said Gay didn'
know she was calling. The tele
phone connection was bad. H,
hadn't been able to hear very well
When he'd learned that Kate wanted
him to come, he'd concentrated OF
getting the directions she gave hin
fairly clear in his mind.
Gay! Steady, Janeway. The
thing to do was to concentrate OF
getting there. He'd know soor
enough what the trouble was. On
maybe there was no trouble. Kate
hadn't made her reason for his com
ing very clear. Maybe Gay wanted
him to drive them back to New
York. The trip up in Kate's coupe
couldn't have been too comforta
BILE. That was something to tie to
But Kate had told him Gay didn'
know she was calling
He was too weary, now, to thinl
clearly. Perhaps she'd just beer
tired, as she said, worn out will
preparations for the wedding, ex
hausted by all the demands upol
her vitality and patience. She't
wanted it, though. He'd been a lit
tie surprised, last June when th'
engagement had been announced
that she had agreed to the hue ant
cry both families raised for wed
ding. She'd told him she wanted
everything to be right and propel