Show the girl in the mirror CHAPTER IX continued 12 she went across the room to a mall closet even in the strain of the movement he observed obier ved the ex grace and wittness of her movements she was very riender very lithe and she moved like a flash of light fancy my being caught without n lemon F she scoffed as she returned with the fruit tour brain work stops abruptly sometimes deeon t it she handed him the lemons with a little gesture expressing amusement triumph and a dash of coquetry lau ries eyes glowed as he looked at her for the second time in her actual presence a sharp thrill shot through ahlm oh if she were always like this I 1 gay happy without that in credible unbelievable background of tragedy and mystery 1 lie turned his mind resolutely from the intruding thought this hour at least was hers and his it should be prolonged to the last moment what he longed tor was to hear her talk but that way he knew lay als aster to the little supper in swift returning memory it she began to talk the forbidden topic now dormant would uncoil its hideous length and hiss he must hold her attention to other things he plunged at random into chatter for the first time he told her about bangs his chum and about epstean their manager about their plays and their experiences in rehearsals and on the road being very young and slightly spoiled he experienced some chagrin in the discovery that ahe seemed alike ignorant of the men and the plays worse yet she seemed not even aware that she should have known who bangs and epstean were she did not recall having heard the title of the black pearl she was not only unaware that the man above had broken all box office records she seemed unconscious that it had ever been written observing his artless surprise she gravely ex pla ined 1 I have been interested in other things she reminded him the forbidden topic was stirring stretching to quiet if baurle leaped into the comedy scenes of the man above they delighted her her bott delicious laughter moved him to give her bits from the black pearl and following these the big scenes from the latter play this last effort followed the supper and I 1 aarle now n his highest spirits added to his effects by the use of a brilliant at ghan and by much raising and lowering of the light of the reading lamp he was a fine mimic ne became by turns the star the leading lady the comedian and the heavy of the big play it was only when ha had stopped for a moments rest and doris demanded a description of the leading ladys gowns now represented by the afghan thal his ingenuity failed Ih eyre 0 o beautiful that most people think I 1 made them he said serenely but I 1 really so I 1 cant give you any details except that very close around the feet he was folding up the afghan as he spoke and he stopped in the act leaving one end dangling on the floor from the street below the sound of a whistle came up to him sharp and penetrating repeating over and over the same musical phrase the opening notes of the fifth symphony at first he thought the notes were whistled by some casual passer by then glancing at the girl s face he knew better the sharp recurrent phrase was a signal he finished folding the afghan and carefully replaced it on the divan from which he had borrowed it aa he did so he prattled on he had aud decided not to hear that signal adof sitting transfixed and staring at him slowly became convinced that he had not beard it he glanced at his watch A shocking bourl he ejaculated ten it I 1 go now may I 1 come back for breakfast you may not she made an effort to topeat peak lightly to take you to luncheon then at onet no please he shook his head at her this Is not the atmosphere of hospitality pita lity I 1 am used to but I 1 shall come anyway ill be here at one in the meantime I 1 suddenly realize that we are not using all our opportunities we mut change that he looked around as be spoke and what he sought picked it up it was a small scarf a narrow bit of roman salte carrying a vivid stripe he held this before her something may happen some day and you may want me in a hurry he eald 1 I have observed with regret that you have no telephone in this room but we can get on without one my mirror reflects your window you know be added a little self con clouspy clou sly if you need me hang up this scarf just drape it over this big window catch if I 1 ever see it III como prancing across the square like a knight to your rescue thank you she gae him her hand and the engg matte eatlo that atwara subtly but in him there was in that smile which he did not tand but be suspected that it hea an element of amused under so might doris years anc smile at her little son bli im a reed laurie re opta nii ce waited in tha outer aku by ELIZABETH JORDAN B by th century for the elevator 1 I dont blame her lie been a perfectly good reed ever since I 1 met her friend bertie ills thoughts thus drawn to shaw dwelt on that ophidian personality when the elevator arrived he was glad to recognize the familiar face of sam sah that youth affably explained pla ined with a radiant exhibition of teeth its irenr s night off so I 1 has to be on they were alone in the car baurle lighting a cigarette asked a casual question theres a plump person in blue serge who hangs around here a good deal be remarked indifferently does he live in the building the one ald eyes what sticks out the one sams jaw set no sab dat party don live yere an ef he don stop hangan round yere gwane t happen to dayman he robustly asserted hats he after 1 I dunno I 1 only seen him las time he was sneak ln turn de top flo bull cert ny don like dat man s looks 1 nothing more was to be learned from sam baurle thoughtfully walked out into the square lie had taken not more than a dozen steps when a olce strange yet unpleasantly lar accosted him good evening mr devon it said baurle turned sharply herbert ransome shaw was walking at his side which was as it should be it As he spoke he led the way down the long hall with his noiseless gliding steps was to meet and talk with herbert ransome shaw that he had so abruptly ended his call look here he said at once 1 I want a few words with you exactly shaw spoke with suave affability it Is to hae a few words that I 1 am here where can we go shaw appeared to reflect do you mind coming to my rooms baurle hesitated 1 I live quite near and my quarters though plain are comfortable anger surged up in the young roan beside him there was something almost insulting as he uttered the harm less words and in the reassuring yet doubtful intonation of his voice confound him baurle told him self the hound Is actually hinting that I 1 m afraid to go I 1 aloud be said brusquely all right you have alve minutes to spare capital 1 beaw was clearly both surprised and pleased he strode forward with short steps rapid yet pol seless and baurle adapted his longer stride to his companions he too was content now at ast he reflected he was ui with mysteries and was corn ing to a grip with something tangible the walk was not the brief edcur slon herbert ransome shaw had promised it waa fifteen minutes before he stopped in front of a tall build ing which looked like an out storehouse and thrust a latchkey into a dingy door the bolt was old and rusty shaw fumbled with it tor halt a minute before it yielded then it grudgingly back and baurle followed his guide into a dark hall which was cold and damp they don t heat this the voice of shaw came out of the dark ness he had closed the door and was standing by lauriee side fumbling in bis pocket for something which proved to be a matchbox they don t light tt either ho explained unnecessarily as the blaze of his match made a momentary break in the gloom but its quite comfortable in my room he added reassuringly 1 I have an open alre there As he spoke he led the way down the long ball with his noiseless gliding steps baurle following close behind him reflected that the place was exactly the sort the ophidian shaw would choose tor a lair a long black bole ending in what the match had gone out and he could see nothing he kept close to his guide he almost expected to hear tha creatures icalas rattle as it ud along but snakes like warmth and this place baurle shivered in the chill and dampness of it the next instant shaw pushed open a door and stand ing back waved his guest into a lighted room on first inspection it was a wholly reassuring room originally intended tor an office and now turned into ft combination of office and living apartment A big reading lamp with an amber shade standing on a flat writ ing desk made a pleasant point of allu real logs largo and well seasoned burned with an agreeable crackle in the old fashioned fireplace befaro this stood two easy chairs comfortably shabby and at the arm of one of them a small table held a decanter glasses a siphon and a box of cigars As he took in these familiar details devons features unconsciously re labed he was very young and rather cold and the quick reaction from the emotions he had experienced in the outer hall was a relief also shaws manner was as reassuring as his homely room he dropped the tors coat and hat on a worn leather couch which seemingly sen ed him as a bed and waved a hospitable hand toward an easy chair simultaneously he casually indicated a figure bend ing over a table on the opposite side of the room my secretary ho murmured the figure at the table rose and bowed then sat down again and con its apparent occupation of sorting squares of paper into a long narrow box baurle mentally classified the sec detary as a big but meek blond per son who changed his collars and cuffs every wednesday and sunday and took a long walk in the country on sunday afternoons however the fellow had pursuing eyes evidently his work did not need his whole attention for his pale blue eyes kept returning to the guest once eaurla met them straight and coolly stared them down after this they pursued him moro stealthily he soon forgot them and their owner despite shaws hospitable gestures baurle was still standing he had chosen a by the mantel with one elbow resting upon iff and from this point of vantage his black eyes slowly swept the room taking in now all its details a typewriter a letter file a waste paper basket that needed emptying a mans worn bedroom slipper coyly projecting from under the leather couch a litter of newspapers it was all so reassuringly ordinary that he grinned to himself whatever hold this little worm had on doris shaw had even ceased to be a snake at this point in baurle s reflections would be loosed after tonight and then she could forget the episode that had troubled her whatever it was at precisely this point in his lauries eyes having completed a tour of the room and returned to the fireplace made two discoveries the first was that the room had no windows the second and startling one was that it contained doris photograph the photograph stood on the mantel in a heavy silver frame it was a large print and a good one the girls eyes looked straight into hla her wonderful upper lip was curved in the half smile that was eo familiar and so baffling well the smile asked what do you think of it all now that you are here still a bit confusing it for you dlan t expect to find me here seemingly so much at home did you in the instant when his eyes had found the photograph baurle had been about to light the inevitable cigarette the discovery arrested his hand and held for an instant motionless then with fingers that trembled he completed the interrupted action threw the match into the fire and with blind eyes stared down into the flames in that instant he dared not look at shaw he was shaken by an emo alon that left him breathless and al roost trembling what was doris pho doing in this mans room in the momentary amazement and fury that overwhelmed him at the discovery ho told himself that it would not have been much worse to find her real presence here all this had taken but a moment shaw hospitably busy with his decanter and siphon had used the interval to fill two glasses and was now offering one to his guest no thanks baurle spoke with abrupt decision no shaw looked pained then he smiled a wide smile and baurle seeing it and the mana pointed teeth mentally changed him again from the worm to the serpent he understood shaws mental process the fellow thought he was afraid to drink the mixture but what did it matter what the fellow thought perhaps then you will have a cigar and sit down comfortably tor our chat shaw himself set the example by dropping into one ot the easy chalai and lighting a perfecto his smooth brown head rested in what seemed an accustomed hollow of the chair back ills wide thin lips were pursed in sybaritic enjoyment of his cigar he stretched himself in the warmth of the fire sleek torpid and loathsome mr shaw Y es e s still standing with his elbow braced against the mantel the visitor tossed his cigarette into the alre and looked down into hla hosts projecting eyes it appeared that shaw roused himself with difficulty from the gorged corn fort of the moment there was a per interval before he gave bis guest hla whole attention then be straightened in his chair and the projecting eyes took on their veiled but watchful look yes be repeated more in the brief interval baurle had planned his little campaign he would address tills creature as man to man tor perhaps after all there was more of the man in him than he revealed I 1 am going to ask you to be frank with me yes shaw let it go at that when we met on the street it ap feared that you were as anxious cs I 1 am for this interview will you tell me at once why you brought me here and what you wish to say willingly shaw flicked the ash off hla cigar and kept hla eyes on its lighted end as he went on 1 I brought you here because I 1 want you out of the way why because my temperamental young friend you are a nuisance you are interfering with my plans I 1 can t be bothered with you the sudden spark that in the old days would have warned devons friends of an impending outburst appeared now in his black eyes but he kept his temper would you mind confiding these plans to met he suggested A hey would interest me profoundly shaw shook his brown head oh I 1 do that he bald with an indulgent smile but I 1 have a proposition to mako to you per haps you will listen to it instead listen to it baurle promised it Is short aud to the point give me your word that you will atop mod in miss mayos affairs which are also my affairs ha added paren and that you will make an effort to see her again As soon as you hae given me this prom ise I 1 will escort you to the front door and bid you an eternal farewell with great pleasure im looking forward to that pleas ure myself confessed the visitor but before we throw ourselves into the delights of it suppose you outline the other side of your proposition I 1 suppose it has another side shaw frowned at his cigar it doean doesn t sound pretty he con fessel with regret judge of that lets have it well shaw sighed dropped the cigar into the tray at his elbow and sat up to face the young man with an entire change of manner the rest of it he said calmly Is this dunles you make that promise we can t hava the farewell scene we are both looking forward to so eagerly TO bea |