The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-06-27

She couldn't force Gay to tell her.
Kate regarded with satisfaction a
bun on a long toasting-fork which
she held over the bed of embers in
the fireplace She would be obliged
to bear with her curiosity until the
owner of the sweater appeared. He
was taking his time about it. She
and Gay had unpacked the rumble
of the coupe. They had found can
of kerosene beside the back steps
and had filled and lit every lamp in
the cabin. They had brought two
pals of water up from the lake.
Preparations for a late supper were
well under way, now, and still he
had not appeared.
Gay was in the room which she'd
called the master-bedroom chang
ing her clothes. She'd gotten her.
self pretty wet bringing water UP
from the lake. Was it deliberate?
Kate wondered, not without just rea-
son for suspicion. What effect was
she creating, now, before the mir
TOR above the chest of drawers?
She sounded very blithe and gay.
Her voice, sweet and husky, infiu-
enced, no doubt, by the night-club
singer who was the latest enthusi-
asm of Gay and her intimates,
fioated out through the open door.
She was singing with the radio.
Appropriate, Kate thought. Whew!
A smell of scorching recalled her
attention to the bun. She removed
it from the fork, placed it with three
others on a plate keeping warm on
the hearth. The coffee was boiling
over. Kate rose from the foot-stool
on which she sat and bent forward
to lift the pot from the bed of en-
bers. Pale brown bubbles foamed
down over her hand. The exclama-
ton she gave, sharp and unstudied.
stopped the singing. Gay came into
the room knotting a scarf around
her neck.
''Salty language, my friend" she
said. "Oh, you've burned your hand.
Here, let me take it." She unknot-
ted the scarf and wadded it around
the handle of the pot. docs it hurt
terribly, Kate?"
"I'n probably survive" Kate
tapped her injured hand. So the
keynote was to be simplicity, she
thought, considering Gays appear
ance with a quizzically lifted brow.
She wore dark wool skirt, white
wool jumper, ghillies and white an
CORA socks. She had brushed her
red-brown hair into softly curling
halo tied with a bright blue ribbon.
Her face had scrubbed and shin
ing look. The freckles across her
nose, undisguised by powder, were
young and endearing. Kate smiled.
isn't the Ip-stick out of key?" she
asked.
''It points the contrast" Gay, un-
abashed, returned Kate's smile.
1.-THE coffee smells marvellous" She
poured the dark brown liquid into
cups from the picnic-hamper ar
ranged with plates and forks and
spoons on the low table beside the
hearth.
''Does it? I hadn't noticed" Kate
smell anything except that perfume.
It's certainly off-key."
''No it isn't" Gay pulled an arm
chair close to the table, settled her
self, bit into a sandwich. "It
breathes of the great out-of-doors,
crushed ferns, messy dells, moor
land heather. bought it especially
for the occasion"
Kate made a derisive gesture. "It
breathes of Fifth Avenue and the Sill
yer Room at the Ritz"
maybe you're right" Gay said
amicably. ST adore hamburgerS.
Toasting them was an inspiration.
I'm starved"
But she ate scarcely anything. She
was listening, waiting, Kate thought,
preoccupied with heaven only knew
what thoughts, memories, anticipa-
tions. The continuing ripple of ir-
relevant comment was a smoke
screen deliberately raised. In the
intervals of silence when she lay
back in the chair, her arms crossed
under her head, Kate observed her
Warily. She was excited. That was
obvious. But, though she smiled,
her face in repose reflected some
more tender emotion.
Don't you think" she began
and stopped short. There were
sounds outside the cabin, an expir-
ing exhaust, motor suddenly ST.
fenced, a brake jerked on, a door
resoundingly slammed. Kate, watch
ing Gay, saw her start forward,
saw the bright trembling expectan-
cy, unrelieved by humor or brava-
do which, for an instant, Illuminated
her face. Then, conscious of Kate's
intent and somewhat disconnected
gaze, she slowly relaxed. Compo-
sure slipped like a mask. across her
face. She sat back in the chair.
Arriving in a cloud of DUST" she
said, her voice only little shaken,
her eyes turning from Kate to the
door.
Mud, which must certainly spoil
the effect" Kate rose from the foot
stool. "Well, let us be brave. Me,
! feel hrayer standing4n She walked