Show THE LIFE OF THE PARTY BY f ELIZABETH ELZABETH JORDAN JORDANo O 0 D. D Century Century Co Inc mo CHAPTER I 1 1 o Hale settled deeper into the office chair and kept his brown eyes on Casper Kneeland's face Kneeland had been Uncle Cass the last time they met That was 18 years ago out in the Northwest when Hale himself had been a boy of ten Kneeland Kneeland Kneeland Knee- Knee land was not Uncle Cass now He was an impressive successful mid mid- dIe aged New York business man He had made a fortune by inventing a simple article widely known as Kneeland's Safety Catch He was I busy preoccupied and rather short of memory concerning year ten-year- olds He had welcomed Hale into the office suite of his factory with a handshake and a like business-like smile Now he was making talk and Hale resented it I 1 Kneeland might have a aI I year ten-year-old godchild the caller told himself He should not have forgotten forgot forgot- forgotten I ten that godchild's father Hale Senior Senior Sen Sen- for had been Kneeland's first partner partner partner part part- ner and the closest friend of his t youth It had been a fine friendt friend friend- t ship It had impressed the little boy Yet here 18 years later was a Casper Kneeland equally vague in memory of the Hales father and andson h son and talking too smugly the young man thought about his in in- t Listening to him as the man sat at his handsome top flat-top desk and poured out his trickle of small talk Hale realized that Uncle Cass hadnot had hadnot hadnot not yet wearied of the flavor of his success He rolled it on his tongue He betrayed a tendency to enumerate enumerate enumerate ate his various possessions i Were at our Camp now but of course I keep my town to house open all summer Kneeland was saying apropos of the unseasonable June heat Joan my niece is always running into New York for a day or two even in the hottest weather And Hosanna my sister who joined my family after we came East would live in New York 12 months a year if Id I'd let her She doesn't care much for seashore life It suits me down to the ground Id I'd like nothing better than to put up at atI I Halcyon Camp the first of June and stay there till the first of November Cant Can't quite manage that of course but I come as near it as I can I can usually get away from here Friday night and stay at the Camp till Monday he went on as Hale merely nodded And I al always always always al- al ways put in all of August there Greatest place in the world to sleep Pines and spruces around and behind behind behind be be- hind you the whole Atlantic in front of you good boating fishing swim swim- ming Weve We've got a modest place but plenty of room Say by Say by Jove He stopped short under the impact impact impact im im- im- im pact of an idea that had just hit him and stared at his caller Why dont don't you get out of this oven and make the Camp a visit he rushed on after a seconds second's hesi hesi- tation The newspapers say this will be the hottest June weve we've ever had It will do you no end of good to loaf awhile Didn't you say you had just had a stiff bout of pneumonia pneumonia pneumonia monia in Spain That pneumonia is ancient history history history his his- tory now young Rex assured Knee- Knee land I was all right again a week before I sailed for home Landed this morning didn't you Yes sir and Im I'm hustling out to Chicago But I once promised Dad DadId Id I'd never go through New York without without with with- S Sout out looking you up Glad you did my boy Kneeland Kneeland Kneeland Knee- Knee land spoke absently his mind full of the sudden idea that had come to him What are you going to do in inI I Chicago he added in the same tone Get a job I hope June is no time to make a start Kneeland pointed out in Chicago or anywhere else By the way what's vAUlts your line He didn't even remember that Rex reflected though Hale Senior 1 had written him about it some years I before with paternal pride Civil engineering Kneeland nodded No use trying to find a job he underlined It cant can't be done Everything's dead till dead till fall anyway Ill I'll tell you the thing to do Youre You're a big athletic chap but you need building up Youre You're too thin for your six feet and your color isn't right Come down to Halcyon Camp and spend the summer there It will buck you up I call it Halcyon Camp he added complacently because I want it to be a serene and happy place I want everyone to be comfortable there Hale was surprised and showed itOh it itOh Oh thanks awfully he said r but I couldn't do that Why not The question was sharply imperative Evidently Kneeland Kneeland Kneeland Knee- Knee land was not a man who liked op op- op- op position Its awfully kind of vou you sir It takes my breath away I But I cant can't unload myself on your household The women of your family might not like it The women of my family are my sister Hosanna who is fifty s. s and my niece Joan who is twenty- twenty J one ane They realize that Im I'm boss of I the house Julia my wife died 10 years ago Your mothers mother's dead too isn't she he broke off to ask Yes sir She died very suddenly just after I entered college I couldn't even get home in time to see her Any brothers and sisters No sir I remember Rex writing that your mother was gone AIt It was the same year my wife died That young Hale reflected was wh why he remembered it Kneeland's memory would not long hold anything anything any any- anything thing not directly connected with his own interests interest You ought to remember my wife he brought out Yes sir I remember her well She was mighty good to me Rex grinned She was always filling me up with cookies and a kind of raisin bread Ive I've never forgotten Kneeland's round smooth face shadowed She uShe was a fine woman he fied Her last year was very trag trag- ic I dont don't know whether I wrote your father about it but she but she had lost her mind Rex shook his head We Ve didn't know th that t he said sympathetically At least I Father may have but he never spoke of it He was awfully cut up by Mothers Mother's death about that time Kneeland sighed and dismissed both dead ad women from his mind with an abruptness Hale knew now was characteristic He returned to the congenial topic of his camp Hosanna and Joan both realize that the Camp is mine not theirs he continued as if there had been no interruption I invite any friends I want to visit it So do they We have three house house guests guests there now Joan usually has some girl friends there but she's out of sorts this summer and doesn't seem to want them Ive I've plenty of servants to look after everybody The unctuous note crept back into his voice Theres a cook and cook and a good one if I do say it Theres There's a maid a but but- valet ler-valet and a handy man Were We're supposed to be living a primitive life Were We're off the main lin anal away from the social set But we have all the comforts good comforts good plumbing plumbing plumbing plumb plumb- ing plenty pf of is s big fireplaces fireplaces fire fire- fireplaces places for cool days You can take the 4 30 train and be there in time for dinner tonight I cant can't go till UIl Friday or Id I'd drive you down Thanks again But I really dont don't think think- Besides Kneeland interrupted you can make yourself useful Oh that's different How Kneeland smiled at the change in the youngsters youngster's face The smile was more likable than the first glimpse of it had been It banished the expression expression expression ex ex- ex- ex of anxiety that sat so oddly on the manufacturers manufacturer's round disc He was suddenly a looking good-looking manin man manin manin in the early fifties plump slightly bald pleasant-featured pleasant human and engaging Five minutes before he had seemed a harassed and nerve- nerve worn man in the sixties Rex did not know that a similar change had wrought its miracle in his own O face He waited eagerly for his hosts host's reply In lots of ways For one thing Ive I've no secretary at the Camp My Myson Myson Myson son Herbert two twenty-two now was supposed to do that job But hes he's no good this summer summer always always 10 miles away when I want him He T I h hy y 3 1 t. t u. u ya Besides Kneeland interrupted you can make yourself useful doesn't seem to be interested Flocks by himself and that sort of thing He isn't even much use to Joan Hes He's off on his own affairs whatever they are Another young man around the place w will ll be a godsend godsend godsend god god- send to the girl His smile widened Ill pay you a salary of course Just thought of it he added can can- Hale shook his head We Ve wont won't talk about salary till tillI I find out whether theres there's really anything anything any any- thing for me to do Ill I'll go and make myself useful if I can But I wont won't go tonight thanks Ill I'll stay over tomorrow and get et a few things Ill I'll need for camp life Naturally I didn't bring much in the line of clothes back from Spain Then that's settled Go any time you like Ill I'll telephone Hosanna that youre you're coming Wait Ill I'll give you youa a check for expenses Nothing doing thank you Ill I'll pay my own way till I see how much bluff youre you're giving me about this job I suspect that youre you're putting over today's good deed Nothing like it There will be work for you all right The haggard look abruptly returned returned returned re re- re- re turned to Kneeland's face For an instant he s seemed erred emed old again and very tired There was something 1 JL ill ul me LuC Ly cyc CJ nt nc u un iii eau Then he suddenly recalled that the looking good-looking young giant before him had been a darned nice kidI kidI kidI kid I cant can't thank you enough Mr Kneeland Hale got up U Uncle Cass my boy That's what it used to be a thousand years ago He had remembered his godson at last Thank you sir By the way where is the Camp Down on Long Island Kneeland laughed and wrote the address for him Hale put in the next day shopping The experience decreased his supply supply supply sup sup- ply of ready cash but increasingly raised his spirits He was not an economical young man and even before the prospect of a camp visit he had realized that he must start his new life with a suitable American Ameri Ameri- can wardrobe There were not many temptations to be sartorially dashing in Spain There were plenty today and he yielded to them with an abandon that endeared him to I clerks Moreover it was a pleasure to salesmen to fit him They let him grasp their impression that he would do credit to the suits and shirts and 2 2 1 ut lied anu allu LJ he was buying His figure was excellent excellent excellent ex ex- ex- ex and his copper-colored copper hair and brown eyes would set off the heather mixtures he selected for outdoor outdoor outdoor out out- door wear He would look well in his white flannels too too- He was fussy about shirts and ties and the clerks who served him in those departments departments departments depart depart- ments respected his knowledge This young man knew what went with his coloring Hale explained his satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction sat sat- in his new purchases with an engaging grin TO BE CONTINUED |