The Wilmington morning star., 1942-03-05

,gance changed to look of dis
quiet. Something about the shah
bily-dressed young girl made hin
wish he had not been so hasty
Surely you can appreciate our ex
treme caution" :"
eyes, indeed" She turned partl!
aside, then swept her lashes alof
to give him a wide innocent stare
IT blame Mr.. Peyton, not you He
OF course, will blame you. Yol
know how unreasonable he is. ,
She tossed him short, affectes
laugh, one that held all the music
and humor of cracking ice, thei
glanced at the wooden and copper
name plaque before her. "You are
Mr.. Matthews?"
yes" he granted, and was at
tackled with renewed discomfort
He could not remember worse
situation unless it was the day he
had been compelled to tell Angus
Drake her four Sealyhams coulc
not sleep in four different lobby
chairs and make four guests stand
Perhaps this youngster was who
she claimed to be.
'1'n sit over here and watt
Anette started to move away.
"Please," the clerk offered with
what amounted to supplication,
wouldn't you like to have dinner
while you are waiting? AS our
guest, naturally"
How charming" she comment.
ed, using her best duchess man
ner. "But l believe not, thank you
I'll be waiting over there by those
ferns" She moved away from fur.
ther inveiglements.
Her chair was heavenly soft. Ca.
ressing music poured forth from
a nearby lounge. All about her was
lavish beauty. Yet, Anette enjoyed
none of it. She was too upset. Why
hadn't her grandmother, along with
her fanatical ideas of character
building, given some advice on
marriage? Not that it would have
done much good, because, in her
widest dreams, Granny would nev-
er have envisaged a marriage like
this. She couldn't have understood
man letting his bride sit in a
hotel lobby.
Anette couldn't understand it
either. Why hadn't Larry made the
simple telephone call that would
have spared her this embarrass-
ment? Why should she be left wait
ing, humiliated and frightened? !?
Because she was both, beneath her
outward, spunky attitude.
Everything happened at once
Out OF the corner of her eye Anette
saw Mr.. Matthews talking over the
telephone. At the same time a
grayhaired, angular woman ap-
preached the desk. The telephone
conversation was brief and con-
sisted mainly of head-nodding and
blushlng on the part of the esk
clerk. Anette knew it was Larry
on the other end of the wire. In
answer to the woman, Matthews
nodded and blushed some more
and finally spread his hand spolo-
getically, futilely.
The gray-haired woman moved
to Anette. MRS. Peyton, l am
Katie, Miss BRAKES maid. I am so
dreadfully sorry you have been
mlstreated." She reached for the
dressing case. Il was amazed
when Mr.. Matthews asked me
about you. Naturally, 1 supposed
you were being well received. Mr..
Peyton is going to be very dis
pleased
But it is Mr.. Peyton's fault. He
didn't telephone and make arrange
ments." AS they walked past the
desk Anette found she could not
look at the naughty clerk. Not even
to SAVIOR his coWed look. She would
have burst into tears Of mortifica-
ton.
On the sixth floor, Katie led her
to Larry's suite. She set the small
dressing case on a bedroom bench
and gave it critical look. "What
about your other luggage, Mrs,
Peyton? You'll want something
pressed for the party"
Anette was startled. "Party?"
Yes. Miss Drake is giving YOU
a wedding reception after the Der.
formance tonight"
Though she fought against it, the
girl felt herself grow taut. She
managed to say noncommitta]lv
How nice" She could not tell This
kindly middle-aged woman that she
ORIENT LODGE