Show THE LIFE OF THE PARTY BY ELIZABETH JORDAN 0 D N ca 1 CHAPTER V continued i isit follow then rex per stated listed thal thai the children of such a patient would be endanger in danger of inheriting heri ting tink insanity it certainly that brain disturbance Is if a temporary condition replied dr crosby nothing retroactive the children of such a patient should be in no more danger of inheriting their mothers mo therB insanity than you are ora or I 1 am such cases of insanity he developed warming abit a bit to the theme iare are matters of internal infection of poisoned gland conditions you understand them we dont under understand stan d them any any too well ourselves budwe but we do particular type of insanity hereditary and the patient 1 often makes a full recovery from it thes tha doctor rose helen may I 1 use your telephone ph oni i hale grinned apologetically he had made himself something of a nuisance I 1 I 1 thanks most awfully he got up also now for the galet gaieties les of life he sighed rex re made his farewells and s started back to ao the camp through the woods fit was almost six approaching a deep clump of trees through which the narrowing path ran he at stopped 0 aped short for foi a moment at the sound of f voices his feet had made no noise on the sandy soil boll through an opening he saw an impressive unimpressive little picture twenty feet away it was composed afan of an empty basket baskett a tiny new grave a red eyed jane and a small alert man thin faced and furtive eyed the man wai was smoothing fres hearth above the grave whistling under his breath as hi he did so his cheerful notes were in sharp contrast to the bereaved expression of janes face and the nature odthe of the diggers occupation beat it now jane said ungraciously ci cious ly 1 I dont want you hangin around here A thi the mee idee the chernan man asked reproachfully aint I 1 come along jest in time to dig this heri here grave aint I 1 been mothers little helper P c f all ali right gamme a break I 1 gotta finish the business tills this funeral delayed delai ed t jane straightened from her tragic droop her manner was that of one ready and willing to go into action jim haines she broke out 1 you a aint goin to do no business here 1 how many times have I 1 told you that the man stamped the fresh earth into place about the bravi grave and straightened slowly he handed jane the shovel he had been wielding and showed her a row of discolored teeth Is that so he be asked cheerfully now ill talk I 1 dont leave these woods till I 1 see one of them old dames get me hali hale had recognized the fellow it was the unpleasant stranger chehad he bad seen in the moonlight the night of his arrival he had been having some sort of rendezvous then with miss misi hosanna hosan a what association could he have with the old darnes dames hale pricked dup i up bis ears and listened shamelessly thejuan m an went on he get el th this 1 I 1 too baby the dame im out for to ts is the one from N york I 1 do wanta see the fat old dame you work for ashes a tightwad tight wad she is ii all ali she give me las time was three dollars three dollars dollar sl said it was Is a all she hadl had he spat disgustedly the other dames got the right idee fidei she coughs up a five spot 1 4 jim haines jane sald said firmly you know what im goin coln to dd to you 11 im m gov gol to put pat Y you oti in th the hands bands ot of the police po lice says you 0 O haines was still good humored 1 I tell you inan I 1 am IM I 1 aint nt goin golato go tato to have you sellin that thit filthy stuff here if mrs spencer forbes wa wants i ants it I 1 t let lether her go in town and an get it like she used to 1 I aint goin jo to have miss hosanna gettin inton no trouble for her iven even if mrs spencer forbes Is a a sick woman like she says she is i he yawned dawned hop it baby I 1 bet that forbes dame is th think inkin tn in boul bou me this minute youre keep n heri her wai itina tinS ril ill hop hop it jane added anc incisive isloe 13 y 1 I dont care are if you are my husband im te tell lii the police yeah an goin to hap pen en to our 4 iniel angel child when you do that mcgirl my girl shell like daddy absing at sing sing sine she will shell like leavin that beardin bo ardin school abes in say suddenly the man good etim humored ored up tip till now became bicarme venomous it I 1 hear any more talk about the police ill shut that trap of yours your a fr or koba good he snarled now 1 be on your ou way wait bait a ml minute nuts maine s hale stepped arom behind the trees a and faced the startled couple better run home jane jan he advised cd 1 ive I ve a few private words tor foi your husband husbands bands s ear 1 ines was sl squirming looking him like a cornered rale rat shut uw up haines I 1 im m doing me tsip one minute jane ivea a r q war V question to ask you how much dope has this mandeen man been supplying to halcyon camp only a little sir air just a little bit for mrs spencer fortes forbes it really hate to have him jt to anyone listen big boy I 1 sint aint got outa cuts that dame dami tobay to buy me rnea apack pack of cigarettes haines volunteered shrilly I waste no time on her only I 1 got other customers right near here shut up you sayers say mrs spencer forbes take much jane how much does she take how hoi often does she get it I 1 went want the truth only bout twice tricea a month mr hale honest and only ollya a couple powders then 1 I heard hertell her tell miss hosanna shed never be baddick a addock she says she knows knowel too well what it win means e ans she sh takes it as a E spree like one doncet etin in a while you know sir air themay Th the eway way men gets drunk ashes all right haines contributed eagerly ashes i a baby at 11 why were not going to let her go on now haines heres sailed him he be was not alarmed nor suspicious several glasses glasse of iced feed tea tes and one long glass ot of ice water drunk in quick succession on an extremely hot day might upset the most accommodating stomach nevertheless the paroxysms were horribly severe severiand and growing more so the world turned black he had bad just time to reach for a flask of brandy on the shelf above his washbowl wash bowl before he felt himself falling failing he went down with a crash and heard thado that too then rhen in some black and di distant sit world be was tumbling fumbling with a flask trying to get the cap off it trying to raise aitto it to his mouth he got a little of the brandy it 4 help much he Io lost it almost immediately in another rending paroxysm of nausea nausa his mining experiences in remote places had taught him iome something thing of firsta first aid td by the time the dinner goni gong sounded he wai was able tosum to sum mon men banks and tell him almost naturally that he be was a bit under the weather herand and would not appear the usual hourie hime group increased by mrs nash she looked a trifle flamboyant but very charming in a name flame hued evening gown she greeted him with a handclasp and an anxious glance anouch A touch of sun he quoted lightly and she nodded you see ice ive come from cool resorts me like spain I 1 wilt like a flower under new yorks tropical climate the next time you wilt mrs nash invited in an undertone come over to mi my camp and do it ill feel easier about you if you will promise that he did not promise and she press the point instead she abetted him in a program that began with old fashioned games and ended in dancing redirected he directed but did not take part in these diversions the old fashioned games made a hit as they had done before dancing followed but proved I 1 less ess popular no one seemed to care to dance with anyone else admitting this there was no reason why the dancing should continue it did at 1 V ta IV S i you aint coln to do no business here my last word to you if I 1 ever see you around this camp again or talking to any of the people in it ill give our name to the police and give jane the third degree and get your address we wont have any more dope peddling in this part of long island have I 1 made myself clear what right haines broke into a whine say ill keep off your place all right but I 1 tell ye I 1 got other customers near here if you me like well walk over to the police olace station biow now ill show you there w what hat right I 1 have hale said cheera cheerfully ully wint want to come haines gave hims him a black look another thing hale wenton went on dont send anyone else in your place ilace ill 1 ibbe be on the watch the next man that at shows show s up with dope will ga go straight t to the at station a tion house the day daiy after that we well 11 havey have you there too I 1 remind you haires haines that thi the police dont like dope peddlers they dont d 0 nt like them at all now clear out I 1 haines looked at him a moment his flat head lowered then he turned i and disappeared among the trees A little later hale heard the rattle of his car starting stir ting on aa its re turn tu r n journey J 0 ura ney through the woods I 1 hale deliberately avoided the members member of the house party when he got back to the camp he heard their voices in the living room as he entered the hall they were having lia ving tea and cocktails but he be went up to his room As he opened the door he cast an an apprehensive glance around him there were no notes 0 or dead animals in sight eight relle relieved he be cross edthe edth e room to the clo closet set changed hiscott his coat for i a thin blazer and his shoes for slippers ind and started back toward the davenport between the windows his id idea ea was to stretch out there relax and mak esome elsome plans tor for the evening on the way he stopped and poured out a glass of ice water from the thermos bottle that always stood on th the e table at the head bead of his hia bed it wis was a day that called for cold drink s and mrs nases iced tea excellent though it had been had bad not wholly quenched his thirst he drank the water emst almo stat at agule a gulp went on to the diven davenport P and stretched himself out W anut it at full length the moment of comfort he be experienced ai as he did so was the last las che be enjoyed for several hours almost immediately he was ln in the bathroom actively and most violently ill at first even during the paroxysm a of accle acuti naise nausea a that as ff at the table he sent his apologies to miss hosanna and added that later in the evening he be would come down he locked the door to discourage caller iler ilert an hour later he found an empty bottle in the bathroom sterilized it and took it to the carafe for filling ailing it was possible of course that in new york he had eaten something injurious butia but if so it was not probable that it would have waited this long to inconvenience him he inverted the carafe over the bottle and stared only a few drops came forth the carafe which heretofore had always held several glasses of water today had exactly one on ejust enough to fill the glass that stood beside it he had filled that glass and drunk its contents the few drops remaining in the ottom bottom were hardly enough ol of course tor for a satisfactory analysis nevertheless he added them to the drops from the carafe corked the bottle securely and hid bid it in his traveling case his mental processes were clearing no one had meant to poison him but someone had desired to make him desperately sick and had bad certainly succeeded in doing s so 0 A little a after nine he went down to the living room he found however on the tacit understand ing that a change might mean something worse when at mrs nases suggest suggestion lorf the affair became an old fashioned barn dance hale led forth miss hosanna and took her triumphantly through a quadrille he was feeling more like himself but what he really wanted was his bed it was miss hosanna who gave him his accolade that night she had been delighted by the interest mrs spencer forbes had shown during the evening again and again he be had observed her sitting quietly in her pet chair watching her friend with the rapt expression shi she usually wore when that friend talked it was increasingly clear that anything which pleased mrs spencer forbes enchanted miss hosanna when the group parted on the upper landing miss hosanna looked at hale with real emotion la in her pale eyes are you sure you feel quite we well 11 again she asked anxiously perfectly sure miss hosanna rm im all right now you have brightened us up so much she said she added unexpectedly 1 I begin to wonder hoi how we got along without you TO BE CONTINUED |