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Show He moved ao that her head rested against his arm; he slowed ths car down a little. Kettering was not a young man, his fortieth birthday had been several yeara a thing of the past, but all his life afterward he loosed back en that drive home to I'pton House aa the happiest hap-piest hour he had ever known, with Christine's little hesd resting on hla arm, and the gray twilight all about them. When they were half a mile from home he roused her gently. Hhe sat up with a start, rubbing sleepy eyes. "th? where are weT He laid his hand on hers for a moment. "You've been asleep. We're nearly home." He turned In at the drive of Vpton House. He let her get out of ths car unassisted. Oladva was at the door; her eyes were anxloua. "1 thought you must have had an accident." she said. Hhe ransht Christine Chris-tine s hand. "You're fearfully late." "We had tea at HVaton." Christine aald. Hhe ran Into the house. Kettering looked at the elder girl. "You would not come," he said. "Don't you care for motoring;?" "No." Hhe came down the steps and stood beside him. "Mr. Kettering, may I say -something?" He looked faintly surprised. "May vou! Why. of course" "You will be angry you will he very angry, 1 am afraid." ahe aald. 'But but I can't help it.' "Angry! What do you mean?" There was a moment'e silence, then: "Well. ftld Kettering rather curtly. She fluehed, but her eyes did not fall. "Mr. Kettering, If you are a gentleman, gentle-man, and I know you are. you will never nev-er come here again," ahe aald urgently. A little wave of crimson surged under un-der Kettering's brown skin, but his eves did not Tsll: there waa a short 1 alienee, then he laughed rather Christine; there was something defensive defen-sive in her whole attitude. . Kettering got Into the car: he did not look at Christine asain. He started start-ed the engine: prteently he was driving driv-ing slowly away. "Have you two been quarreling? Christine asked. There waa a touch of vexation in her voice: her eyea were straining through the darkness toward the gate Uladys laughed. "Quarreling! Why ever should I nuarre) with Mr. Ketler-ina"? Ketler-ina"? I v hardly spoken half a doaen words to him In all my life." "Yoe seemed to have a great deal to gay to him. all the same," Christine protested rather shortly. They went back to the house together. to-gether. It was during dinner that nlerht that OUdye deliberately led the conversation conversa-tion round to Jimmy again. They had nearly finished the unpretentious unpre-tentious little meal; It had passed almost al-most silently. Christine looked pale and preoccupied. Gladys was worried and anxloua A dosen times during the past few 1 days ahe had tried to decide whether she ought to write to Jimmy or not. Her sharp eyes had aeen from the very first ths way things were going with regsrd to Kettering, and she wag afraid of the responsibility. If anything any-thing happened If Christine chose te doubly wreck her life afterward they mlrht all blame her: she knew that. Hhe was fond of (Thrlstine. too. And though she had never approved of Jimmy she would have done a great dal to see them happy together. It was for that reason she now spoke of him. "When are you going to London, ChrlsT' Christine looked up; she flushed. "Oolng to London? I am not going I never want to go there any more." tiladya made no comment; she had heard the little quiver tn the younger girl's voice. Presently: "And If 1 am not the gentleman you so very kindly seem to believe me." he jatd constrainedly. Gladys Leigh ton came a little closer to him; she laid her hand on hla arm. "You don't mean that; you're only saving It because herange " Hhe broke off with an Impatient gesture "oh"' she nld essperatedly. "what's the tise of loving a person If yoi do not want them to be happy If you cannot aacrlftce a lutle for them ' Kettering htokr d at her curfouflv. Tie had never taken much notice of her before, he had thought her a very ordl- I I nary type; he was struck by the sudden energy and pseaion In her voice. I "Khe la not happy now, at all events." he ssld grimly. a . He turned away and fidgeted with the wheel of the cr. "Hhe not very well be more un happy than she Is now." he said again bitterly a a. "Hhe would be more unhappy If she knew she had done something to he athamed of something she had got to hide." . tM He raised Ma eves "Are vou holding hold-ing a brief for ChaMoner'.'" he aaked. Hhe frowned a little. "You know I am not; I never thought he waa good enough for her. Kvn vfiirt ago as a bov he was utterly selfish; self-ish; but but Christine loved hlin then; she thought there w no hod v In all the world like h.m: she adored him." He winced. "And now?" be asxed shortly. , Hhe did not answer for a moment. I She stood looking awav from him. "There was a letter this morning. 1 she aatd loneieesly. "Jimmy Is 111. and I suppose you inina i ougnt to bo to Jimmy,' Christine broke out vehemently. vehe-mently. "I supiose you are hinting thHt it Is mv duty to go. You don't understand that he cares nothing about me that he would be glad If I were dead and out of the way. He only wants his freedom: he never really wished to marry me." "It Isn't as bad as that. I am sure he ' "You don't know anything about him. You don't know what I went through during those hateful weeks before be fore I came here. I don't care If I j never see him again : he has never trpuhled about me. It's my turn now; I am going to show him that he Isn't the onlr man In the world." Gladys had never heard Christine talk like this before: she was frightened fright-ened at the reckleasness of her voice. She broke In quickly: "I won t listen if you're going to say such things. Jimmy is yeur hushaad. i and you loved him onre. no matter I what vou may do now. You loved him I verv dearly once." I Christine laughed. "I've got over that. He wasn't worth breaking my heart about. 1 was just a poor Ttfle fool in those days, who didn't know that a man never cares for a womao if he ia too sure of her. Oh. If I could onlv have my time over strain. I'd treat htm so differently I'd never let him know how much I cared.' Her voice hnd momentarily fallen back Into its old wilfulness. There were tears In her eyes, but She brushed them quicklv away. "Oon't talk "hoiit him; I don't want to talk shout him" herself defiantly that she liked hire very much; that she would rather have been with him over at Heat on that afternoon than up in town with Jimmy. Jim-my. Kettering at least sought and enjoyed her society, but Jimmy Hhe clenched her hands to keep back the blinding tears that crowded t oher eyes. What was she crying for? There was nothing to cry for she was happy quite happy; she was away from Jimmy -away from the man whose presence hsd only tortured her I during those last few days; ahe waa home at Upton House, and Kettering was there whenever she wanted him. I Hhe hoped he would come In the tnorn-! tnorn-! Ing again: that he would come quite early. After breakfast she wandered ahout the house restlessly. Hat en Ing for the sound of his car In the drive outside; but the morning dragged away and he did not coma. . Christ ine ste no lunch : her head ached, ahe said pettishly when Gladys questioned her. No. she did not want to ro out; there was nowhere to go. Gladys did not know what to do; she wss hoping and praying In her heart that Kettering would do as she had aaked him and stay away. What waa the good of him coming again? What waa the good of him making himaelf indlpensabis to Vhrlatlns? , (To be continued) rnnvete-hf Plt Hvnd'cste j thev asked her to go to mm. "Welir "She would not go. Phe told me she wss going to Hewton with you instead. ' The silence fell strain. Kettermgs eves were shining: there was a sort of ghnmtd triumph about hi" big I'rMn. (tladys turned to him Impatiently. , "Are b on looking glsd? . Oil. I think I should kill ou If I saw you looking glad:'' she saM fjulckly. "1 onlv told vou that go that you might se how much she under your Influence already: al-ready: so, that vou can ssve her from herself. Hhe g go little and weak and now tha she la unhappy. It'g Jurt the time when she might do somel nlng she would le sorrv for all her life when she might ' "What are you two talking a"out" Christine demanded from the ilnonrjv. Hhe came down the stens and stood between be-tween them: she looked .it Ketferlne "I f houeht you had gone." she said. au"-r!sed. , MVo: I M'ss Ilghton and T have been dfs'-inlne the higher ethi s. he said drylv. He held his band to Gladys "Well, goodbv," he said: there waa a t'e emnhae'a on the last word. Hhs j'ist touched hia fingers. . "Goodbye. he put her arm round Put Glsdva persisted. "It len t too late; you can have the time si' over again by starting afresh and trying to wipe out the pat. You're so voung. Why. Jimmv Is only a boy: vnu've got all vour lives before vou." She got un and went round to where Christine whs sitting. Phe put an arm about her shoulders. "Why won't vou forgive h m and stnrt again? (live him another chance. nar, and have a sec-on'' sec-on'' hone moon Chr-stine pushed her a wav; she grafted un with burning cheeks. "You don't know what you're talk- 1 Ing ahout. Leave me alone oh, do tears me alone.' Phe ran from the room. Hhe lay awake hslf the night thinking think-ing of whs Olsdyg hed sa id. Phe tried o harden her heart against Jimmv. Jim-mv. Phe tried to remember only that he hed marr'ed her o)t of pla': that he cared nothing for her that he did not really want her. As a sort of desperate defense she deliberately delib-erately thought nf Kettering; he liked her, she knew. Hhe wag not too much of a f hM to understand what that look fn his eyes had meant: that sudden sud-den rrt'S"'ire of h a hand on hers I And she liked him, too. She told ! 5 |