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Show A ana be s I'm afraid well have to sell whether you want to or not." Megan drew a long breath and said quietly. "I don't think go, Dad The place was left to us Jointly-neither Jointly-neither can seU without the consent of the other. I am certain that I can't be forced to accept a deal that you and Matthews have cooked up without even consulting me." ''Well, perhaps not," he admitted reluctantly. "But of course, we will have to pay him his commission, Pvpn f i , . ; . , u t Prs, caught up her cotton crepe Kimono hanging across the foot ol Ul- i ed, and went swiftly to the window win-dow that overlooked the backyard. "Who's down there?" she called quickly, and remembered to wonder why neither Bessie nor Dixie had barked a warning of the stranger's approach. The man who had been knocking stepped back from the door, and full Into the white moonlight, lifting his face to her. and she recognized Ia!lon. Lei tBVS FAR: Pleas.nl 10 L without any surprise PfSaeJ to Larry Martin. !;; .apposed Me, would " I md o w tte county MfTsM urr, would live. ' & continued to "take K enl. d Mei .us- it iw Z ft. rida" sb. sat and ' ,,ery rock and every Til' kM couId no1 5 . lcve the farm. She Ztti toward the F.Uon ;,cky.rd was a A,ur. Id (HI weirdly- ...vsii ulc tule aoesn t go through, since it was our fault- yours, ratherand not his. that It did fail!" "And his commission is ten per cent," said Megan quietly. "That's seven hundred dollars." She stared at her father in despair, de-spair, but he merely extended his cup for more coffee and said pleasantly, pleas-antly, "So I think It would be much better if we just let the sale go through don't you? I'm afraid seven sev-en hundred dollars is rather a lot of money In the present state of our finances isn't it?" "Quite s lot," she agreed, pushing beck her plate. She had no longer "I'm terribly sorry to awaken you," he said swiftly, and his voice was taut with uneasiness. "But I have to use the telephone there has been an accident we want a doctor. Megan said Instantly, "I'll be down In a moment." There wasn't time to do anything but tie her kimono about her, and to shdke back the leaf-brown burnished bur-nished curls from her face. She went swiftly down the stairs, and unlocked the kitchen door. "Your wife?" asked Megan. Tom shook his head and she saw that his face was white and set. His jaw looked rigid and his eyes were bleak. CHAPTER VI could not sell the drew s long, hard breath. L could not drive to and "(arm to Meadersvllle, m destiny lay. Per-' Per-' a,, war was over and ores and gasoline were rveryday matters K done, but not now. M down. he decided at act that she could not, marry Laurence, not now. ,',he felt very tired, but cached her decision. She marry Laurence and sell tod go to live in a small gfflj a backyard-garden tat and one dog. Her life Somehow, she must make Ke that. It wasn't going f but her mind was made ii though the achieving pjsj had relieved her of it burden, she threw bacK lers, and stood up sudden-1 sudden-1 1 startled and indignant the ground. Feeling audit aud-it and free merit in the backyard be-(estbrook be-(estbrook place caught her attention. At first she I was merely something Dging on the clothesline, In the soft mild wind. And realized that it was a hu-t, hu-t, a woman In white, mov-bendlng mov-bendlng as though to pick up, straightening to fling tide, her head back. At ice, she could tell nothing i that. And then suddenly, lie creeping feeling of dls-he dls-he realized what the worn-stag worn-stag she was dancing! stood stock still, her heart i ah watched the danc-ndown danc-ndown below in the back-le back-le Westbrook place. , oddly rhythmic dance. In Its lack of grace, clum-rkward. clum-rkward. The sun glinted man's gnlden hair, as she postured and straightened "It's Martha, my wife's sister." he said curtly. "She fell and hurt herself. What's the doctor's ring? I have to hurry they're there alone both of them completely helpless." help-less." Megan said quickly, "You go back, and I'll call the doctor. If he's not at home, and out on a call somewhere it may take a little time to get him. So let me do it" Tom said huskily, "Thanks. You're you're more than kind." He turned and went swiftly out into the moon-washed darkness and Megan went to the telephone. The doctor was out, and it took some little time for her to locate him, and then it was with the assurance that It would be an hour at least before he could make the call at the West-brook West-brook place. Megan put down the telephone and hesitated for a moment. Then she ran upstairs, got swiftly into outdoor out-door shoes and stockings, a skirt and a light, warm sweater, because the night was chilly. She tied a scarf about her head, caught up the little First Aid kit that she had acquired as part of her civilian First Aid work, and let herself out of the house. She was answering the call of a neighbor's need as instinctively, as thoughtlessly, as had always been Pleasant Grove's custom. People who had been enemies for years, who never spoke when they met, laid aside all personal animosities when the enemy was ill or in trou- "Larry, this is Megan i m u Jam." any appetite for the dinner Annie had prepared while she sat on the Ridge and reached the decision not to sell the old farm. "Maybe Laurence Lau-rence can figure a way out." "The only way out. if you are stubborn enough not to sell, is to pay Matthews seven hundred dollars," dol-lars," her father assured her grimly, grim-ly, looking at her with angry suspicion. sus-picion. "And if you've got seven hundred dollars available, to be thrown away like that, it will surprise sur-prise me a lot after I've been kept practically penniless for longer than I care to remember." "I haven't exactly found It difficult diffi-cult to spend what little money I've had either." she answered him with spirit. "And as for having seven hundred dollars on hand to pay Matthews-thafs a little bit funny." M, her arms outfiungl 1 a shorter, darker figure ut of trie house to that a.ictng figure. The dark ihort, rather stout woman dress, put her arm about i fi?ure, and managed to to the house. ihuddered and put her I her face for a moment, to shut out the remem-m remem-m swaying and postur-mtag. postur-mtag. Tom Fallon's poor Mirse. "Mentally ill," he I period of troubled Indexed Inde-xed absurd and childish, to the horror that must Tm Fallon all the days of She went back down the 1 'cross the meadow to ths S! getting the midday dingle din-gle as she came In, and !!'t was ready Jim came bloodshot and drawn "With, but freshly shaven 1 dressed. ble, and "pitcned in ' to neip. ill was unthinkable, In Pleasant Grove's creed, that one should do anything else. She went quickly down the moon-silvered moon-silvered road, crossed the little wooden bridge, and went on up the low hill, turning in at the weed-grown, weed-grown, gateless drive, and through the shrubbery that had run riot and that tonight gave the house an air of mystery and furtiveness that was almost unpleasant There was a light in the kitchen1 and another in a corner room at the front. But the kitchen door, was closed and It was there that Megan knocked. She heard the murmur of voices before she knocked, then an instant: silence, and the movement of feet coming towards the door. The door swung open and Tom stood there, bis coat discarded, his sleeves rolled up; behind him she saw a kitchen that was spotlessly tidy, though de-pressingly de-pressingly drab, and a short, stout hi.HHtoH in a rhair her face "Is it? I hope it's a joke you'll enjoy," said her father as he thrust back his chair, and leaving his breakfast half eaten, went out. She heard the outer door close hard behind be-hind him. Megan sat on for a little at the table though her appetite for food had long since vanished; and then with sudden decision she got up and went to the telephone and called Laurence in Meadersville. His voice sounded warm and cheerful and eager, as though he was delighted to hear her say. "Larry, this is Megan-I m in a "Not you, darling," he countered gaily. "I don't believe lt-you're covering for somebody else." "Well perhaps-in a way." she admitted reluctantly. Then as briefly brief-ly as she could, she related her fa-Sefs fa-Sefs conversation with Matthew. When she had finished, she asked anxiously, "Do I have to pay Mat, thews' commission, even if the sale does not go through?" -Not unless you and your father both signed the papers with Jim authorizing him to make the sale, "'Jdear," said Jim hap- we're going to be able 1 excellent price for the l talking to Matthews ini he tells me that we 1 !f,ven thousand at the I confess I would have We(l at six thousand, but !aJ" the farm land is at "ot Wing to sell the farm, 8an told him quietly, you being a little ridlcu-n ridlcu-n He seemed to bite - "After all, you've '? hard time of it these r'' and especially since 'WW and the rest of the "J 'abr in the section or went Into war ' do ynn propose to run without h. ip e kw. Dad." she Zl "T Jus ow that PI to sell." piously, "Well, you've a tough spot! least have given me utitS! way you fe,t be- ; Ma'thews the listing on i,!a"n Megan said hur- ' Ua(i. you didn't" "'ainly did." her father ,. 1 happened to run n in , serv,ce tation 5 l0ng for place for who want to move STzugh Lord knw lv i ,rn and ghostly ' can't imagine." f "ed the place and 2 hwa ride offer and , she protested. aly what I did." J hr with obvious sat- voice. -And he's go-w go-w People down here to 9 first of the week. WU"la" I turned over her shoulder to look at the door. Megan said to Tom, "Dr. Alden will be here as soon as he can make it. I thought perhaps I might be of some help, before he gets here. I've had First Aid training" The woman said harshly, sharply, "Don't let her in, Tom don't you let her in!" Tom flushed darkly. "I am always glad to do anything I possibly can for a neighbor," Megan Me-gan assured him. She crossed the threshold to face the woman, whose dark, angry face and blazing eyes watched her angrily. "There's nothing you can do, and we can wait perfectly well for Dr. Alden." she stated grimly. "So you'd better go on back home." Tom turned on her and said, through clenched teeth, "Martha, be quiet-she-she knows," and moved his head towards the closed door at the left that would, Megan knew, open Into that corner bedroom. ' Martha looked startled, lncredu- j lous; and then anger lit up her face L and she turned away, her teeth set , hard above what must have been al furiously savage anger. Megan hesitated, looking down at the woman, and Tom bridged the; tense unpleasant moment by say-j lng quietly. "Martha-fell and hurt, her ankle. I don't think it is broken, but it is swelling fast and very pain- "Would you like me to make you . cup of coffee?" suggested Megan gently. "Or perhaps a cup of tea?" Martha wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and said husk-U, husk-U, reluctantly. "Well, I guess you might a. well-it would testa good -tea. not coffee." TO BE CONTINUED) Laurence assured her prompt . "Thank goodness!" said Megan youthfully. The night was "Perb'n ,A moon, silver-white in a pal b ua kv rode high, and beneath the thicK Sric of the shrubbery on Uie lawn and the ancient live oaks the shad-ows shad-ows were like soft black plush. Me-Z Me-Z room was flooded with die fnver-white light when she awoje, r;vwrra tar - urgent' repeated, insistent U her' heart hammer tag WJ sudden uneasiness, sh f JOUtrf bed. thrust har ft Into her slip- |