The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-25
CHAPTER ONE

AOoA1As oA1lNS S1lC was d WOllld1l7 W
disconcertingly rapid thought pro
cesses, Lady Angkatell, as was
her invariable custom, commenc
ed the conversation in her owr
mind, supplying Midge's answer!
out Of her. own fertile imagina
ton.
The conversation was in full
swing when Lady Angkatell fluns
open Midge's door.
"And SO, darling. you really
must agree that the weekend i!
gong to present difticulties!"
"Eh? Hwah?" Nudge gruntee
inarticulately, aroused tn
abruptly from a satisfying ans
deep sleep.
Lady Angkatel1 crossed to the
window, opening the shutters anc
jerking up the blind with a brisk
movement. letting in the pale light
of a September dawn.
"Birds!" she observed, peering
with kindly pleasure through the
pane. $50 sweet"
"What?"a
"Well, AZ any rate, the weather
isn't going to present difficulties.
1t looks as though it had set in
fine. That's something. Because il
a lot of d%iscordant personalities
are boxed up indoors, I'm sure
you will agree with me that il
makes it ten times worse. Round
games, perhaps, and that would
be like last year when 1 shall
never forgive myself about poor
Gerda. I said to Henry afterwards
it was most thoughtless of me -
and one has to have her, Of
course, because it would be sc
rude to ask John without her, but
it really does make things diff
cult-and the worst of it is that
she is so nice-really it seems ODD
sometimes that anyone so nice as
Gerda is should be as devoid Of
any kind of intelligence, and il
that is what they mean by the
law of compensation 1 don't really
think it IS at all fair"
what are you talking about,
Lucy?"
1.-The weekend, darling. The
people are corning tomorrow. J
have been thinking about it al
night and l have been dreadfully
bothered about it. So it really is
a relief to talk it over with you,
Nudge. You are always SO sensible
and practical"
"Lucy," said Nudge sternly, "de
you know what time it ISL"
Mot exactly, darling. l never
do, you KNOW"
'It's quarter past six"
Eyes, dear" said Lady Angka
tell, with no signs of contrition
Nudge gazed sternly at her
How m%addening, how absolutely
impossible Lucy was! Really
thought Nudge, 1 don't know why
we put up with her!
Yet, even as she voiced the
thought to herself, she was awar
of the answer. Lucy Angkatel
was smiling, and as Nudge looked
at her, she felt the extraordinary
pervasive charm that Lucy h a {
welded all her life and that ever
now, at over sixty, had not failee
her. Because of it. people all ove1
the world, foreign p~otentates, A.
D.C.s, government officials, hae
endured inconvenience, annoyance
and hewilderment. 1t was the
childlike pleasure and delight ii
her own Goings that disarmed ane
nullified criticism. Lady had bu
to open those wide blue eyes ane
stretch out those fragil hands
and murraur: "Oh! but I'm Sc
sorry and resentment imme
diately vanished.
Darling" said Lady Angkatell
I'm so sorry. You should have
told mel
"Im telling you now - but it!
too late! I'm thoroughly awake.
What a shame. But you viii
help me, wont you?'
"About the weekend? Why!
Whats wrong with it,"
Lady Argkatell sat down on the
edge of the bed. It was not, Nudge
thought, like anyone else sitting
on your bed. 1t was as unsubstan
tial as though a fairy had poised
itself there for a minute.
Lady Angkatell stretched ou'
fluttering white hands in a lovely
helpless gesture.
"All the wrong people coming
the wrong people to be together,
mean-not in themselves. They're
all charming really:"
"Who is coming?
Nudge pushed thick, wiry hai1
back from her square forehead
with a sturdy brown arm. Nothing
unsubstantial or fairylike about
her.
"Well, John and Gerda. That's
all right py itself. I mean John is
delightful - most attractive. Anc
as Tor poor da-We 1 mean
we must be very kind. Very. very
kind"
Moved by an obscure instinct Of
defense, Nudge said:
"Oh, come now, she's not as
bad as that"
ooh, darling, she's pathetic
Those eyes, And she never seems
to understand a single word one
says"
"She DOESN'T said Nudge. 'No1
what you say-but I don't know
o'clock at the Trent Pines CT b.
Race drivers from most OF the
eastern seaboard states are ex'
pected to be on hand to compete
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