The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25


tells Nancy that Horace Rand's
son, Proctor, has threatened that
if she does not marry him, he
will reveal something that 81 e
would rather die than have known.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kaye was too much absorbed in
the story she was telling to notice
how 1 started at her words.
He would tell something 1
would rather die than have
known" she repeated. Il asked
him what it was, but he wouldn't
tell me. He said he'd give me a
week to think it over, and if at
the end of that time I didn't pro-
mise to marry him, he would tell
what he knows. I can't get it out
Of my head, Nancy" Her voice
was a wall. 1T must be some
thing about Dave"
I suppose for a girl in love, Kaye
had jumped to the only conclusion
possible under the circumstances.
But l didn't think that the story
Proctor Rand could tell had any
thing to do with Dave Otis. I be-
lieved it had to do with Miss AL.
thea's and Horace Rand's trying to
prevent Cary's book from being
written. Or, on second thought,
that wasn't it, either. Miss Althea
made a lot of fuss and fury about
the book, but if I were right in my
conjecture-and I was sure l was
she didn't care if that book were
written or not, provided she could
prevent Cary and her father from
reading the papers which were in
her brothers chest.
I knew, positively knew, that
Horace Rand was in that with her.
If so, what more likely than that
he had told his son. and that son
was using it as a club to compel
Kaye to marry him. I certainly
had been mistaken in my summing
up of Proctor Rand. He was a
better actor than I had deemed
possible. Kaye was waiting for my
reply.
Didn't he give you any hint
what it was about?" 1 asked to
gain time.
mo, he Just repeated it over.
He would tell something I would
rather die than have known if, at
the end of the week, 1 didn't prom
Use to marry him. Of course, no
matter what it is, 1 shan't marry
him. I'm no old-time heroine, sac
rlflcing myself to save my lovers
name or pay off the mortgage on
the old home! But it does worry
me. What do you suppose Dave
has done?"
Il can't imagine. Perhaps he
wasn't referring to Dave" I could
give her a hint to look elsewhere,
even if l didn't feel that l had a
right to reveal my ideas to her.
who else can it be-" Her black
eyes opened wide.
Il don't know, but I Just Won
dered if it mightn't be something
else"
mo. it's about Dave, all right.
I suppose he got tangled up with
some other girl while he was away.
After his father died, he went
away to school. He's only been
back in Wetuxet since he was
graduated. Proctor roomed with
him in college. But I should worry
what Dave did or didn't do before
he met me, though-I'd just as
soon the family didn't hear about
it."
That's the way to look at it.
Kaye, and I wouldn't worry about
it if l were you. Whatever it may
be. it doesn't concern you, person
ally and, unless you give it to him,
Proctor Rand has no power over
you"
I'm not worrying about any.
thing he a Go, Nancy, truly I'm
not, though I'd hate to have him
spread some mean story about
Dave. I'm worrying about Dave
why worry about him if you
think this something Of Proctor's
happened during their school days.
That's a long time ago."
Mot SO long-Proctor and Dave
r. only a year younger thu Cary,
twenty-seven years old. They fin
ished school just four years ago."
-Four years are a long time in a
case of that sort. Stop fretting,
Kaye"
'1'H try, butt don't want Dave
hurt! Oh, there's Janet calling" as
we heard her voice in the hall. 81
must go. Thanks a lot for listening
to my tale of woe, Nancy. When
my week is up I'll tell Proctor to
go leap in the deep, deep sea. Com
ing!" And she was gone.
Left alone, I reviewed what she
had told me 1t was hard for her
to be worrying over Dave now
when their lives should be all sun.
shine. But SO long as she thought
Proctor's threat referred to him,
she wouldn't be worrying over the
family trouble which I was con
Vinced was a real one. I couldn'-
imagine what it could be, but from
tho vorio,1c sfenS which had beer