Show DIM ILA ER aw the e I 1 in my by TEMPLE TIE d BAILEY 0 PENN publishing COMPANY SERVICE CHAPTER VIII continued 1 12 jane smiled at him with her chin tilted in harbird like way she was really having the time of her life she was ahr thrilled billed and fascinated by the beauty of her surroundings and gradually frederick began to take on something of the fascination after dinner they sat in the great drawing room a portentous place with low hung crystal chandeliers pale rugs pale walls with one corner redeemed from the general chilliness by a fireplace of yellow italian marble and a huge screen of peacock feathers in a mahogany frame 1 I call this room the ice palace frederick told her mother furnished it in the early eighties and she would never change it and now I 1 rather hate to have it different I 1 warmed this corner with the fireplace and the screen edith always sits in the library on the other side of the hall but mother and I 1 had our coffee here and I 1 prefer to continue the old custom janes eyes opened wide dont you and your niece drink your coffee together usually but there have been times he laughed as he said it when each of us has sat on opposite sides of the hall in lonely state jane laughed too baldy and I 1 do things like that they finished their coffee and he smoked a cigar edith and baldy telephoned that the thing was more serious than they had anticipated that perhaps he had better send briggs so that means im going to have you to myself for an hour longer frederick told jane 1 I hope you are as happy in the prospect as I 1 arn am 1 I am having a joyous time I 1 feel like cinderella at the ball he laughed at that youre a refreshing child jane he had never before called her by her first name am I 1 but im not a child im as old as the hills not in years in wisdom I 1 know how to make ends meet and how to order meals and how to plan my own dresses and a lot of things that your edith have to think about and yet you are happy ill say I 1 am he laughed but did not continue the subject ive a rather wonderful collection of earrings would you like to look at them queer fad it but ive picked them up everywhere why earrings other things are commonplace brooches necklaces tiaras giaras but theres romance in the jewels that women have worn in their ears see he went into another room and brought back a tray it was lined with velvet and the earrings were set up on tiny cushions it was a unique display cameos from ancient rome acorns of human hair in the horrible taste of the sixties gypsy hoops of gold coral roses 7 in delicate fretted wreaths old french jewels rubies emeralds sapphires sapp hires and seed pearls larger pearls set alone to show their beauty and a sparkling array of modern thin things gs diamonds in platinum long pen cants of jade and jet opals dri dripping pRing like liquid fire along slender chains ch ains she hung over them which do you like best he a asked the pearls he was doubtful not the white ones these he picked up a pair of sapphires sapp hires set in seed pearls pearl s rather barbaric things that hung down for an inch or more suit your style have you ever worn earrings I 1 I 1 no try them he helped her to adjust them and his hand touched her smooth warm cheek he was conscious of her closeness but gave no sign there was a little mirror above aboa e the mantel look at yourself h he e said she tilted her head so that the jewels shook the blue lights of the stones made her skin incandescent in candes cent frederick surveyed her critically you ought to have a more sophisticated gown silver brocade with a wisp of a train it changes me it I 1 am not sure that I 1 like them 1 what a joy she was after adelaide As if the name had brought her a voice spoke from the door 1 I let waldron announce me ricky may I 1 come in I 1 she stopped as she saw jane oh youre not alone this is miss barnes adelaide I 1 think you met her brother today at luncheon edith telephoned that you and eloise had found her what 1 came about to warn you eloise has the reporters on her trail shell be over in a minute but the harm will be done I 1 am afraid before you can stop her oh im resigned editha coming back tonight miss barnes brother is bringing her really adelaide laramore was appraising jane A shabby child from the threshold she had had a moment of jealousy but the moment was past frederick was extremely fastidious he adored beauty and this barnes child was not beautiful jane was un fastening the earrings arent they heavenly mrs laramore the sapphires sapp hires mrs laramore sat down on the couch her evening wrap slipped back showing her white neck her fair hair was swept up from her forehead she had a 4 J jane sat very still at her desk long face with pink cheeks and pencilled eyebrows she was like a portrait on porcelain and she knew it and emphasized the effect the sapphires sapp hires yes the choice of the lot she went on to speak of eloise she is simply hopeless she has told the most hectic tales and all the papers have sent men out to the inn well they escaped they started earl early ly and have been hung up at alexandria ex eloise and benny and the captain dined with me she was still telephoning when I 1 left I 1 told her that I 1 did not sanction it and that I 1 should come straight over and tell you but she laughed and said she care that she thought it was great fun and that you were a good sport 1 I shant see her shortly she ought to know better setting reporters on edith like a pack of wolves 1 I told her how you would feel adelaide reiterated 1 I should see her if 1 I were you mr towne said a crisp young voice adelaide turned with a gasp with her feet crossed in front of her jane looked like a child for the first time mrs laramore got a good view of those candid gray eyes they had a queer effect on her eyes like that were most buncom I 1 mon fearless the girl was not afraid of frederick she was not afraid of anyone why should I 1 see her frederick demanded wont it just add to her sense of melodrama if you dont and why should you care your niece is is coming comin g home and the end of it you mean frederick demanded that I 1 am to carry it off with an air jane bane nodded make comedy of it instead of tragedy adelaide slipping out of her wrap was revealed as elegant and distinguished in silver and black may I 1 have a cigarette ricky to settle my nerves eloise is bremen bously upsetting adelaide was plaintive jane watched her with lively curiosity the women she knew did not smoke baldys flappers did but they were abnormal and of a new generation mrs laramore was old enough to be janes mother and jane had a feeling that mothers smoke but none the less adelaide laramore and her exotic ways were amusing she had a brittle and artificial look like the manchu lady in the museum or something in wax jane was brought back from her meditation by the riotous entrance of eloise and the two men 1 I knew adelaide was telling tales 1 I told you I 1 was coming eloise eloise stared at jane when frederick presented her you look like your brother twins no jane decided that she liked miss harper better than she did mrs laramore which saying much the reporters are on their way to alexandria fuu full cry eloise all in emerald green with her red hair in a classic coiffure was like some radiant witch exultant of evil you scold me frederick it was terribly exciting to tell them and I 1 adore excitement they arent there where are they frederick chanted composedly we three know but we will never tell adelaide will when I 1 get her alone 1 I will not then miss barnes will do you amow know how young you look miss barnes I 1 feel as if tell me anything for a stick of candy they roared at that and jane said nobody ever made me do anything I 1 want to do and now benny and the captain captai in looked at her and looked again what a voice the child had and eyes eloise on the couch hugged her knees and surveyed her gold slippers they are putting my picture in the paper and adelaidel Adel aides they saw one on my desk mrs laramore cried out benny why did you let her do it and there was a great uproar in which eloise could be heard saying and they are going to have a picture of the inn and one of your brother if they can get it miss barnes jane began to feel uncomfortable she was she told herself as much out of place as a pussycat pussy cat in a zoo these women and these men reminded her somehow of the great sleek animals who snarled at each other in the rock creek cages frederick did not snarl but she had a feeling he might if eloise kept at him much longer it was in the midst of the hubbub that edith entered she walked in among them as composedly as she had faced them at the inn hello she said you sound like a jazz band she went straight up to frederick and kissed him 1 I suppose eloise is shouting the news to the world she tucked her hand in his arm there are more than a million reporters outside IF mr r barnes is keeping them at bay where did they find you heard of us I 1 suppose at the alexandria hotel we r realize it until we reached here and then they piled out and began to ask questions frederick lifted her hand fir from om his arm ill go and send them away eloise jumped up ill go with 11 you and then frederick snarled stay here but neither of them went for baldy entered head cocked eyes alight jane knew the signs gone he said 1 I told you id get rid of them miss towne torie he nodded to them all absolutely at his ease lifted above them all by the exaltation of his mood finer jane told herself than any of them his beautiful youth against their world weariness edith was smiling at jane 1 I knew you at once you are like Y your our brother they were alike A striking pair as they stood together it is because of mr barnes and his sister that we got in touch with edith frederick explained he had regained his genial manner oh really adelaide knew that she and her friends ought to go at once edith looked tired and eloise at moments like this was impossible but she hated to leave anyone else in the field cant I 1 give you a lift she asked jane sweetly you and your brother but it was frederick who answered miss barnes lives at sherwood park briggs will take her out so adelaide went away and eloise and the two men and edith turned to her uncle and said im 09 sorry her face was white and her eyes were shining and all of a sudden she reached up her arms and put them about his neck and sobbed as if her heart would break and then and not until then little jane knew that edith was not like one of the tha animals at the zoo I 1 in janes next letter to judy she told her how the evening with the townes had ended and that she had invited the townes and fol lettes for tea the next afternoon when she had written the last line jane sat very still at her desk she was thinking of evans she seen him for three days not since the sunday night she had gone to the townes that night in the fog had impressed her strangely she had felt for evans something that had nothing to do with admiration for him nor respect nor charm his weakness had drawn her to him as a mother adother might be drawn to a child his struggle was she felt something which she must share not as his wife no that kind of love w was as different if only he would let her be his little sister jane he had not even called her up when she had invited him and his mother to tea with the townes mrs follette had answered and had accepted for both of them evans she said was in washington and would be out on the late train when he arrived ahead of the others on the afternoon of her tea jane said where have you been do you know it has been four days since weve seen each other you glad to get rid of me ive thought of you every minute he dropped into a seat beside her she was gazing at him with lively curiosity how nice you look new suit like it yes and you act as if somebody had left you a million dollars wish he had I 1 bought this outfit with a first edition alice in wonderland he laughed and explained ive been getting rid of some of our rare books I 1 feel plutocratic in consequence five hundred dollars if you please for that old hogarth with the scathing ruskin inscription and im going to open an office jane in washington on connecticut avenue same building same room where I 1 started evans how splendid yes you did it jane 1 I how the night of the fog I 1 never realized before what a walking stick ive been leaning on you henceforth youre the lady of the lantern it wont be so fatiguing he was smiling at her and she smiled back yet quite strangely and inconsistently she felt as if in in changing his attitude towards her he had robbed her of some privilege 1 I mind being a well I 1 minded after this ill walk alone and im going to work hard and play around a bit will you have tea with me tomorrow jane at the willard to celebrate my first tottering steps she agreed eagerly it will be like old tir times ries minus a lot old lady that was the way he had talked to her years ago the plaintive note was gone take the three thirty train and ill meet you ill pay for the taxi with left of alice 11 dont be too ext extravagant rava gant 1 TO BE CONTINUED CO |