The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-29
CHAPTER THIRTY

OlhI In
Mr., Bill Bailey vas about a.
thoroughly miserablye as was pos
sible to be, considering that he was
a young man in excellent health
and prospects.
He was standing on the from
porch when he saw a black boy
walk up from the rear of the es'
tate leading two beautiful horses,
saddled and ready. Jeremy h a 6
been waiting inside and he called
to Gayle. Presently Bill saw them
20 out a side door together.
The big lug! He didn't even help
her mount Bill watched Jeremy's
carelessness as an escort, ano
knew in his heart it was due tc
sheer ignorance or inexperience.
But Bill was in no mood to be gen.
erous about it.
Evidently horseback riding was
something the two had planned in
advance, Bill realized, for Gayle
was correctly alfred in riding cos
tune. and so was Jeremy. Bill
knew that Gayle would not nor
mally have possessed such clothes
of her own. She looked beautiful
now. She sat very erect on her
horse. The trim little hat she wore
was positively saucy; 1t concealed
a negligible amount of her hair.
and carefully done curls threatened
at any moment to engulf it COM
pletely. Her little jacket was a
thing of tiny checks. Shirt W a S
white, trousers and boots black.
This somewhat somber ensemble
was broken not only by her honey
colored hair, but by the extraordi-
narily high crimson of her cheeks
and lips this morning. Bill knew
that Gayle seldom used any rouge
or lipstick because she didn't need
any; he wondered if she had used
them today.
AS for Jeremy-that wealthy
Young man was dignity itself. For
tunately. the horses were we'll
hammered, we'll trained. Bill learn
ed later that they had been order
ed from one of the more expen-
sive stables and had come in a
truck to the old Mortified barn
which still stood out ear concealed
behind strubbery and trees. Doubt
less there had been saddle horses
here in the old days, owned by the
Merrifelds.
Bill thought that Gayle and Jer'
emy made a lovely picture-a per-
feet couple as people say-as they
rode slowly off down the beautiful
ty Handicapped driveway OF e
Oaks. Gayle seemed to be part.
cularly happy. She talked and
laughed with Jeremy, obviously
irving to make her escort relax
and enjoy himself, and Bill knew
that presently she would succeed.
II was a miserable thought for
him.
CHRISTOPHER" he suddenly
prowled. II am a narroW-mlndeo
fool'
He turned and Whistled deter
minedly on a popular song, went
inside the mansion, out another
Joor and found the six other girls
waiting for him on benches in the
east garden. 1t was a lovely spot
out there. He had come to know
that he could find them in this
beautiful retreat whenever they
had run out of something to dc
and we're waiting on him. He heard
their talk and laughter before he
actually saw them through the
climbing roses and the shrubs.
This time they were all on a
semi-circular marble bench under
a grape arbor. The grape vines
were bedecked in springs bright
new leaves-and no leaf is prettier
than a grapes.
II have come out to propose mar
riage," he began at once. "You are
the six prettiest girls in town. II
we could somehow evade the law
about polygamy so that +"
Aren't advertising your c%onceit,
are your" one of them leased.
How do you know we'd have
your"
Listen, young woman I am
your boss. Understand? Mr.. Mer-
rifield ordered you to take orders
from me-"
He didn't get by with that. They
challenged him instantly, in chorus
then one spoke for all:
"And we haven't had anv orders