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Show TODAY'S INSTALMENT. And now he was 111! It waa kind of Ranrster to have written, she toid herself, her-self, even while she knew quite well that Jimmy had not asked him to: It would be the last thing in the world Jimmy would wldh. . . If he were 111. It was not because he ! wanted her. the drew her little figure , up stiffly. . . , "I shan't go unless T hesr sgsin that it Is serious," she said stiltedi). "Not go!" Gladys's voice sounded somehow blank, there was a curious expression ex-pression In her eyes. After a moment she looked sway. "Oh. well, you must please yourself, of course." Christine turned lo the door she held Sanirstere letter in her hand. "Besldee." she said flippantly. Mm going over to Heston this afternoon with Mr. Kettering." Khe went up to her room and shut the door, tine stood staring before her with blank eyes, her pretty face had fallen again into sadness, her mouth drooped determinedly; she set herself to talk and smile. Wq They had tea at Heston, In the httle sous re parlor of a country fnn where the floor was only pollened boards, and where long wooden trestles ran on two sides of the room. "It looks rnther thick," Kettering said ruefully, standing looking down at the plate of bread and butter, "I hope you don't mind; this Is the best place In the village." Christine laughed. "I t s like wlw t we used to have at school, and I'm hungry." She looked up at him with dancing eyes; she had q ul te forgot t en her Borrow Bor-row of the morning. Somehow this man's presence always cheered her and took her out of herself. 8h poured tea for him, and laughed and chatted away merrily. - Afterward they sat over the fire and talked. Christine said she could see faces In the red coals; she pointed them out to Kettering. Hhe opened Sangster's letter and read it through once more. Waa Jimmy really ill, and was Kangster afraid to tell her, he wondered? Or was this merely Hang-ster's Hang-ster's way of trying to bring them together to-gether again? But Jimmy d4d not want her; even If he were dying Jimmy would not want to aee her again. If he had cared he would never have consented to this separation; If he had eared but, of course, he did not care! She began to cry softly; big tears ran down her cheeks, and she brushed them angrily away. . She had tried to shut him out of her heart. She had tried to forget him. in a defensive, innocent way ahe had deliberately de-liberately encouraged Kettering. She liked him. and he helied her to forget; for-get; It featured her self-eateem to read the admiration In hta kli.d eye. It helped to soothe the hurt she had suffered from Jimmy's hands; and yet. In spite of it all. he was not Jimmy, and nobody would ever take Jimmy's place. She kept away from Gald.ta till lunch time; when at last she appeared, her eres were red and swnlkn, and she held her head defiantly high. Gladys considerately let her alone. Somehow, in aplte of everything, she quite expected to hear that Christine was He had to stoop forward 1o see what she Indicated; for a moment their heads were very close together; it was Christine Chris-tine who drew back sharply. "(Mightn't we to be going home?" she asked with sudden nervousnean. She roue to her feet and went over to the window; the sunshine had gone and In country road was gray and ehAdow'. Kettering's big car stood st the curb. After a moment he followed her to the window; he waa a little pale, his eyes aeemed to avoid hers. "I am quite ready when you are." he said. She wes fastening her veil over her hat; her fingers shook a little as she lied 1 the bow. Kettering had gone lo pay for the tea; she stood looking after him with dawning dawn-ing apprehension in her eyes. He waa a fine enough niiin; thrp wno something about him that gave one such a feeling of Fafety of seruritv. She could not imaKine that he would ever deliberately set himself to hurt a woman, as as Jimmy had. She writ out to the car and stood waiting for him. "All that tea for on and threpnrer" he aaid, laughing, when he joined her. "Wonderful, lan't It?" She laughed too. She got in beside him and tucked I h ruv rnund hi. orr to lyonaon Dy me ariernoon train, dui the meat passed slmost In silence, and when It was finished Christine said: "We'd better -get ready; Mr. Kettering will be here at 2. i;!ads turned away. "I'd rathrr not go. If you don't mind," she a.iid uncomfortably. "Not go?" "No. I I don't core about motoring. I I've got a headache, too.' t'hritine stared at her. then she laughed defiantly. "oh, very well; please yourself." She went upstairs to dresa; she took great pains to mske herself look pretty. When Kettering arrived ahe noticed that his eyes went paat her gloomily aa if looking for someone else. "ladya is not coining," she said. His face brightened. "Not coming: Ought I to be aorry. wonder?" "That's rude." "I'm sorry.' He tucked the rug round hr and thev started away down the wsrmly. "How long will It take to get home?" she asked. Hhe seemed all at on-e i-on-s-ious -of the growing dusk, con-ciou. tfeo. of anxiety to get back to .iadvs. Khe was a littl afraid of this man, though ahe would not admit It even to hernelf. " ought to be home in an hour " he na:d. II started the engii.. The car ran aniotthly lor s mile or two. f'hri.Mlue heyan to feel e . Kettering did not talk mtn-h. and trie freah evening air on her f"e was soothing sooth-ing and pleaaant, Kh Hosed her eves. Presently when Kettering poke to her he got no answer: he turned a little in ins sat and looked down at her. but her hnad waa drooping forward and h could not aee her face. "Christine." He spoke her name sharp-then sharp-then auddenly tie smiled, she was asleep. To be con 1 1 n ud . j Copyright. 1921. by Hell v mLcafe. drive. "You don't want the wheel, i suppose" h asked w himsally. Christine rhook her head. "Have you ou been trying?" Kettering Ketter-ing aeked abruptly. Christine flushed ecarlet. "Whatever makes you auk me that" "Your eyes are red." he told her gntly. She looked up at him with reaentment. and auddenly the tear came again. Kettering Ket-tering bit his lip hard. H did not apeak for some time. "I've got a headache.' Christine ssfd st last with an effort. "I oh, 1 know it's silly. lon t laugh at me." "I'm not laughing." His voice dragged a Utile: he kept his eyes steadily before be-fore him. "1 thought perhaps something had happened- hat you had had tad news." he aaid presently. If if thr Is anything any-thing 1 can do to help you, you know you know I " "There isn't anything the matter," she interrupted with a rush. Khe waa terrified ter-rified leat he should guess that her tears were because of Jimmy; ahe had a horror nowadays that everyone would know that she cared for a man who cared nothing lor her; she brushed Lhe tears away I |