The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-15
LIFE STORY CHAPTER XI

There are capriceS CT human be- aavior which do not readily give themselves to capture within neat. explanatory phrase. Of such was cynthia Merriwether's perfectly obvious concern on that evening with the comfort and entertain ment of Vaughan Dunbar.
 Her attentiveness, her eager de- Termination to set him at his ease and to soothe his humors were, as the saying goes, quite unlike her usual merry -go-lucky self. To such an extent, indeed, that Fred West became unhappy. And when 11 o'clock struck, Fred West arose from his chair and inquired rather abruptly whether anybody in- tended going to the dance at the club.
 Vaughan Dunbar, naturally, re- xnained silent. And cynthia glanced at him. cynthia said, "Go on with Anne, Fred. We might come over after a while. Anyway, I'll telephone the steward in an hour, so you will know whether to expect us." Then she said, Colonel, you'll not be needing Mitchell, will you? He wants to go too"
 Whereupon, Fred West and his cousin Anne and a drowning Mit- chell Grace trooped out of the room and got themselves into a motor car and went off to the dancing. Colonel Merriwether fln- lshed his cigar. watching the two who sat in the room with him and talking very little. He seemed un- commonly preoccupied.
 Within a brief time the cigar was done and he arose from his chair to say good night. He was oddly hesitant about that. It was his custom to perform the rou- tine activities of every day with noticeable f1rmness and inmedi- acy. Such simple matters as talk ing a drink of water or retiring for the night took on the appear ance of urgent decisions, to be acted upon without an instant's delay.
 But now he fingered at his desk, looking at them in the dull light as if he might have something more to say, but could not quite make up his mind to say it. Which unusual behavior made Cynthia glance sharply at him and say, SYou're feeling all right. aren't you. Colonel2"
 ~What? oh, yes. Of course" Then he said, Good night. Good night" And he went slowly out of the room.
 Cynthia said to Vaughan pun- bar, Lets walk down by the pool"
 With his customary deliberation, he arose and followed her out through the French doors and across the terrace, and sat down with her on the bench beside the dark rectangle of water. The scent of the roses was everywhere, and the air was so still that they could catch fragments of music from the orchestra at the club. a mile away. Vaughan Dunbar waited for Gym tiia to speak.
 she drowned a little. "The Colonel seems a mite bothered about something tonight"
 Dunbar waited Q moment. and then said, "YOu are very fond of him, aren't you7"
 "The Colonel2 Why. what . perfectly ridiculous question"
 ''1t only struck me - Of course, I'm being frightfully rude-that he is always the Colonel to you 4 trille formal ."
 @Plsh and tukh. I've always called him Colonel. since the first time ! ever saw him"
 Vaughan Dunbar ehuckled quiet. Iy. ~I would have thought you Co say, that first time you saw him. something that sounded . bit more like GurRle than Colonel"
 Hhe dld not answer for Q mo. ment. Then she looked at him tn inc darkness. "It's queer for you to aay that" she inlirmured.
 "Oh soTry-I-"
 ANo. no. I mean - well, it was sort nf queer"
 ~f'ii try not to be stupid"
 sYou eco - well - never put eyes on the Colonel until the anrqie days were long past. And ! hadn't thought about that in sears. until tonight"
 Nls it a very private stofyf"
 aI suppose not. No. of c0urse tI isnt. It was this way" Her znfds now came ln a sudden rllsn.
 r hands claaped In her lnp and