Show v 10 calaff by bj temo ignore re glean U CHAPTER I 1 there were three silent persons I 1 the front seat scat of the car each s his own particular brand 0 impatience todd makini mckannon was exercising rigid control over the foot that rested so lightly on the accelerator and thinking longingly of letting her out georgine wyeth beside him could almost sense this emotion through the shoulder which companionably companion panion ably touched hers although what could be seen of his face under the tilt of his soft hat betrayed no visible strain the one thing she wanted was to get home as soon as pop possible sible todd glanced beyond her at her daughter barby and then met georganes Geor gines eyes in amusement the childs slender little nape framed in tow colored pigtails pintails pig tails was still tense with excitement bliss and the desire to talk this had been dalbys day she was exactly eight years old and the ce celebration lebrat on specified by herself had embraced not only a day off from school but a visit to the army camp at sacramento where todds dodds eldest nephew was stationed sergeant dyke mckinnon twenty one years old was a redheaded charmer and well used to making rapid conquests but bar bys instant adoration had been of a character to turn any mans head bead to most adults she seemed a plain silent child with a remote gravity that was very nearly formidable mi dable when she got one of her rare crushes she lit up like a pinball game the sergeant had fallen with an almost audible thud barbas silence for the past hall half hour was not from choice for the first few miles out of sacramento she had jabbered jabberer jabb ered so incessantly that she was now under orders not to speak again until she had counted five large red objects nothing smaller than a motorcycle accepted todd mckinnon said after a glance at his watch hm nearly five thirty what do you think georgine shall we stop off for a minute to sw see those friends of dykes they live at Valle wed have to turn off the main highway for a few miles ive been figuring wed have to stop somewhere for supper be after seven before we get to berkeley we might as well drop in at this place for a fifteen minute call and then he be on our way again would not mot lose much time it was an effort to make a decision but georgine considered the plan on the whole I 1 should think not she began and nd a red barn and a red house barby shrieked five now can I 1 talk M mamma amma look we haff to i stop in that town cousin dyke t told old us about we haff to then lets turn off and stop in Valle she said swiftly bar abys head came up and the radiance returned to her face mr mckinnon thought how easy it is to make a child happy why do we ever hesitate todd seemed to be talking to himself the end of walnut street that what he said great he heavens avens todd said georgine leaning forward as the car stopped its the town mansion there it stood what remained of a magnificent monstrosity of the eighties weathered white paint on boards faded dark green paint on old fashioned hinged shutters a flight of front steps worthy of a summer hotel corners truncated and then enlarged into square bay windows tottering upper porches inexplicably surrounding t the h e whole third story after a bit todd came running down the steps young mrs crane home he said from the sidewalk but her aunt mrs peabody Is she very much wants us to come in okay for a few minutes one of the doors at the rear opened and a small slim woman came hurrying through mrs peabody must be in her late thirties but her sort of attractiveness tr did not depend on youth she had the only really heart shaped face georgine had ever seen its widely set gray eyes and delicate hollows under the high cheekbones giving her a look of great sweetness she held her breath tor for a moment normally at such a time barby held out a paw which her mother devoutly hoped was not sticky how do you do she said carefully and added in an awed tone do you know our cousin dyke yes I 1 do lie he was here to dinner once and stayed the night oh he a lovely man darby barby said her voice faint with emotion he took me for a ride in a jeep why you darling said mrs P edabody under her breath when was that today I 1 roust must hear all about it come into the sitting room wont you all she gave the adults a brief conspiratorial smile and opened the door to the left georgine Georg lne sank down on a red plush chair buttoned into rigid hillocks s for a minute she averted her eyes from the fireplace with its mantelpiece of tortured golden oak georgine Georg lne noted with some chagrin that the hour was getting later and later but darby barby was in her own peculiar seventh heaven talking a mile a minute to mrs peabody about the wonders of dyke more mrs peabody liked eked it then too todd kept looking about him in the strange old house w I 1 11 t h a I seen you some place before expression on his face and georgine Georg lne wanted it clarified todd she finally said have you been here before or something no todd said that I 1 know for sure I 1 only feel as if I 1 had darling that just means your brain has fallen in half or something like that georgine Georg lne grinned at him he got up and began prowling with his light step about the room his deep set gray eyes were narrowed against the level evening light and he bit his up lip reflectively no georgine Georg lne this Is something more than the I have been here before feeling that lasts only a minute I 1 might have deduced the t gome into lne ine sitting room wont you all whatnots but ive really seen that shell somewhere and the portraits his lean face looked actually troubled his glance at barby now quietly sitting in the upholstered niche of the bay window seemed to say that he elucidate now georgine saw that darby barby had gone to sleep as suddenly and deeply as if shed been drugged the WAVES hat was tilted at a drunken angle over one ear and her feet dangled appealingly from the window seat but she still had her flashlight in one hand lets not wake her georgine Georg lne said struggling to her feet ashes really had enough to eat today right after supper sul per if forgive f or us mrs peabody well get her home they closed the sliding doors between dining room and sitting room and sat down at one end of an immense old walnut table mrs peabodys ys cooking was quite as appetizing as her personal appearance and under the stimulus of food and hot coffee georgine Georg lne found herself having an extremely good time what a nice woman she thought more than once so gentle but with that crip little sense oi of comedy the room swam into a pleasant haze of candlelight and drifting wreaths of smoke georgine georgane Georg lne could see the three of them reflected in the mar mfr mirror of a massive buffet that stood at right angles to the windows now im really afraid that we georgine began at last and at almost the same moment mrs peabody turned to glance at the windows oh its dark she phe said abruptly in an unsteady voice it foolish of me said nella peabody and for a mo moment in ent clasped her hands in a curiously appealing gesture but I 1 I 1 have a quite unfounded dislike of being alone here an old house seems so very large at night dont you think it begins to settle and creak as soon as the air cools and I 1 can always imad imagine ate oh I 1 really do 0 wish the family had consented to my making this into a tourist tourist home id always thought it would be a good plan there are those five bedrooms upstairs if you count the little sewing room but I 1 rather gave up the plan when the highway was cut off and then afterward mary helen and horace wanted to come and live here so it seemed best to keep it in the family but not here much horace is part owner of our drugstore and his hours are very peculiar and hes like as not to be so i keyed up uli after work that hell thumb a ride to vallejo or some town wide open all night for the shipyard people and not get home until after breakfast and mary helen has friends if they only stayed all the time if I 1 could count on them but to be here alone todd had said nothing but stood looking at her with his peculiar air of attention now as he slid the doors apart he glanced once more about the sitting room whose appalling furniture seemed to start out and then retreat from the candlelight dl georgine saw him shake his head almost imperceptibly she thought its almost as if he knew that mrs peabody was afraid of something definite nite instead of just plain being scared the way I 1 am alone in the dark still dead to the world he said laying a gentle hand on bar by bys cheek che k mrs peabody switched on a lamp shaded with a huge globe of painted glass it seems almost dangerous to take her out in the night air after ashes been warm under that afghan she said quietly 1 I I 1 dont suppose consent to stay overnight georgine felt as if shed seen this coming a long way back as if something had been settled hours age without reference to any of the three adults who now stood looking at each other before the dim cavern of the dining room even as the words of refusal shaped themselves in her mind she could hear how futile how petty they would sound its almost as if you were in the family mrs peabody was saying with that attractive smile and id like to see a little more of you id be so so grateful if stay georgine thought queerly they are all against me mrs peabody and barby it was true that sudden changes il in temperature sometimes brought back Tem remnants nants of dalbys asthma which she had battled for so many years and todd todd wanted to stay she knew new with a sixth sense and his quiet face confirmed it when she glanced at him there was nothing to 0 o set up against the three except her ier own selfish wishes mrs peabody go to the least east trouble she heard herself saying weakly she must be allowed to help her hostess with the dishes and to make up the beds f or the three of them well no bary by used to sleeping with anyone but for one night oh if there was a cot which could be set up without too much fuss that would be perfect she felt todds dodds eyes aroused amused and loving resting on her during this his highly feminine conversation luckily he was on one e of those men who like women to be themselves she grinned at him now mutely apologizing for all this flutter and asked it if after hed put the car away in that shed at the rear hed stay with darby barby and wake her by gentle degrees don dont t be surprised if you find some dust upstairs said nella peabody cheerfully climbing the soaring flight with one hand on the rail 1 I dont get up more than 0 once nce or twice a day on doctors orders luckily there was a maids room downstairs with a lavatory attached that I 1 could take for my own after after my husband went to war she said the last words quickly resolutely it was her first mention of her own circumstances georgine realized with some surprise oh by the way mrs peabody went on stopping a few steps from the top are you by any chance afraid of rats yes said georgine la in a horrified whisper oh please dont took look like that we never see them they never leave the attic I 1 promise you no blodys ever seen them up there as it happens nor even caught one in a trap though not for want of trying tr I 1 just ju st wanted to warn you Y you might ht hear them at least what the children say makes the pattering and rustling noises upstairs they dont mind in the least they tell me then I 1 either said georgine grimly they crossed a shadowy upper hall wide with the splendid wastefulness of space favored by architects of the past century ten tury and like the one downstairs bairs balled walled with doors and doors and doors TO IM BAs |