The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXI
 Wesley York, deeply hurt, told himself all at once that he was tired of endless worrying.
 Ronica had seemed so fine, so utterly fair with him and charm- ing withal, that he just couldn't envision her being in love with a man like Andre Girardeau Andre plainly was a playboy of a type all too common; Yves could hardly feel that Ronnie had been taken in by him.
 T shall demand the truth my- self" Wesley suddenly avowed after supper this evening. Where fore, in characteristic action, he drove immediately out of town in his old sedan. His car, incidentally, was in much better shape than it had been on his original trip in this direction; its rattles were gone, its motor tuned carfeully, and its body really attractive under new paint. He hoped Ronica would notice it.
 Another car was parked at the Rocking R ranch home when he got there, so Wes knew instantly that he wouldn't be able to ask Ronnie his point-blank question. His idea had been to demand of her if she really did love Andre Girardeau, and to beg of her to- lowell, he hadn't planned quite that far, but he did hope to inter- fere with her engagement" as nounced by the New York col- unnist. He wished he might tell Bonnie of Andres meetings with Lona Montoya, but that wouldn't seem diplomatic. He'd have to think of something else.
 The Rocking R living room - a large hall beautifully done in log beams and Indian rugs and vest ern furniture = was gay with music and laughter. Shyness halted Wes for a moment at the threshold, but both MT. Bailey and Ronnie saw him. A moment later he was in the midst of seven Pueblo U. co-eds, lovely girls all, who were bantering him as the only eligible male present to dance with them. Six guests had driven out to visit Ronnie, with no dates tonight be- cause of school ruling.
 The talk was too rapid for Wes. Temporarily he slipped back into his old defensive quite so," and "Ye3, indeed" and such poor con- versational phrases until Teeny Travers, cute bit from Detroit, grabbed him and literally forced him into jitterbugging. Good sport at heart, Wes tried 1t. Moreover, he showed some talent - if jitter- bug steps can be called such-and presently was actually enjoying himself. No normal man can long remain unhappy and seven viva Cious girls. Finally Ronnie Bailey herself interrupted Teeny and others who had -emtped Wes I
 Goodness, you girls are ter- riblel" she declared. brightly. "Dr. York came to see me--not you"
 That merely intensified the riv- airy. And built up Wesley's spirits even more. The strange, delightful stimulant of feminine attention and approval was overwhelming to him and before 9:30 he found himself doing and saving things he would never have dreamed himself cap- able of. Just for plain old fun they created new dance steps. They chimed in with radio music and chorused the songs, stopping to im- provise new words when they cared to. They cracked jokes and laughed iiiordinately. They even revived the old game of handles" whereby you do cute limitations with fingers and hands, and Wes himself proved the cleverest of all.
 Tn short, an outsider looking in would surely have taken Dr. Woodrow Wesley York, Ph.D., not for dignified instructor in archae- ology but as some lively member of the junior or senior class, a young collegian very popular with the co-eds.
 Harmless and impromptu as it was, this hour represented the highest good time Wesley York had ever known. At about 10 Mir.
  Bailey himself came through, smiled benignly and talked a bit before climbing to his upstairs room and going dutifully to bed. ! Youth, said Mir. Bailey, is for pleasure. but an older fellow touched with indigestion must have his rest.
 Hilarity inside the Rocking R ranch mansion fitted the plans of another individual perfectly.
 This individual, women dressed in mans clothes, drove out toward the ranch with man about 10 o'clock. Car lights were turned off and their car parked on the open plain, headed back toward town, less than half mile from the building.
 There is the residence" the man said, land there the hangars. No moonlight to bother us, but Nnfn fx xsvsN t1.n nRnx<anax. essrTa fT.axr