Show inov T A edin ILE IDLE I LE ISLAND LA N by ETHEL HUESTON copyright 1927 by the bobbs merrill co CM CHAPTER X continued 14 rund nand helped with the christmas party penns on little white cards gny gay with candles and holly they printed the invitation 1 y s christmas party tit at tile lone pine christmas eve F rive lve just one week before christmas the Budi budlong brig boys evaded through tile alie snow enow all 01 over er the evergreen end of the IsI island tind and delivered the In ingitti vitti lions one to every house hous e it could not noi have haie been more than ten inI minutes lifter she received the announcement that hot alice andover was to be seer seen 8 grandil up the hilt a sort of full rigged majesty in her advance ga gay met her beneath the pine now dont blame me I 1 t a tiling thing in the world to do with v I 1 th it I 1 aply onla lent int her the cottage as slie she asked slie she lid did everything herself site she sold avei everything site she owns to p pay ay tor for it and it going to lo cost you a cent she has gone without jelly gone wa without th butter gone without coke cake gone without sugar its her party and none of oui our business if you ask me m e alice andover sank weakly into ti a chair 1 I might have known it it the alie thanks I 1 get now folks asile to good honest conscientious administration and then the au duelcy to invite me to the party oh please cornel comet shell be so disappointed if dont come site she wants you to see how cleverly she lins managed oh ril ill come and since shea got the unmitigated audacity to have a Christina in party sparty in spite of my orders all ill 8 send end my presents as usual oh I 1 ahlis ys ghe alv little things people eople been here har for years all in the family you know and I 1 being the administrator S I 1 11 you vou kii can tell the foolish old woman ill send ray my presents as usual ive P naver missed one par tips yet let not nol since that first devil deall cursed one fifty years ago when P oh dont she she thinks mayhe lie he Is the unknown soldier at she t alice andover stared she opened I 1 her mouth closed it great firm mid blinked bharat Ilik unknown known sol soldier dier 1 Good heavens then s she e added adde d humor fiumos silv ui lv a bright glint in iii her gray gray fP TWell whatever ha be Is thank C od d m if la unknown all ive gi put ca to ay for buddy brydges un knonk Sold Ter 1 the next adny rand hand climbed the in d s strung it with christmas jig jl lits fits from top point to lowest branches round and round a hundred hale colored bulbs and connected f av yiem terii to a switch beside the win w herc acre Auni almiry could turn it f 1 off before the party I 1 ry was tas with the idea of wiring the fill 1411 pine she had not dreamed of i ih rayal welcome to her christmas yf guests for days before the party ahe hilred bilked of little else elm it Ms only three days before carl the ahe twenty second of de 4 Dolive Doil vered reci the invitations one to every house in the thick darkness or of the mariy evening that ronald ingram annc agala lie entered hurriedly hla his manner for the first time showing som pitting tri 1 something furtive lie he gla pl tired anvor tits ills sho shoulder ilder nervously imo closed the door behind him swiftly 1 have come he began hurriedly hurt gedly bul i had to I 1 ennie cattle to ali to coose up some fildi shadily stole the time and made the trip nl nt r an on the after afternoon nooh boat 0 to o we see yiu I 1 mar catch tile the fl farst r t bont hat imek R sh ort but I 1 had to see ani yasu ra I 1 have hare thought of you vuu con Pt antly your face hns swum before my it ly ey VP P S voice rung in my ears cars lie your fengers lie head impatiently r gnp ani n ni she S raid ald with pretty salty i IN dont do an hut I 1 as wp etue rt ue yol boxa 1 I dhoot donot ake 1 it ILI afy oh you think I 1 am chatting chaffing but I 1 mean it I 1 miss alss delane tell me if I 1 should sell bell out nil all my interests my business connections would you marry nie me would you even think of it I 1 know it Is too soon for you to know cut but would you let me come where you are let me see you try to make you love me Is there any chance for me at all I 1 would have some money I 1 could take core care 0 of f you we could go any place pince west or to europe nn anywhere where ll 11 there wits no the sincerity of tits his words the ea eagerness kerness of his lesire f dont gay said gently you will spoil poll our pleasant friendship and I 1 have liked it IL it t Is lecause been use you have been away you have been lonely per lipf worried it really I 1 you want why you dont even know me it la Is just woman companionship sympathy soft things that Is all but he shook his head clung to ta her hands gay it Is you nothing else nobody else you from the moment I 1 saw you down in the cove 0 oh 1 1 know you dont love me now b but ua you if I 1 get things all straightened out and do something else gay there a chance from somewhere down the blanp sounded the ahe low siren of a car ronald listen listened pd a moment but still clung to her hand gay dont say no dont say anything just wait wink think of me a little and as soon as as I 1 can I 1 will come again but try fry to think of me if not with love at least with a little tenderness quickly he lifted tier her hands palms upward kissed them passionately one after the other crushed them to his face end and went away gay sank into the big chair and hurled buried her face in her arms A criminal I 1 that artless boyish ingenuous roan man with the pleading voice and the eager eyes but even a criminal deserves some kindness of thought from the woman to whom he gives his love gay was wa svery very kind the next day very early rand appeared at her door dressed roughly for outdoor winter weather lr it heavy oilskin coat end and hr breeches tie re was waa hurried in manner preoccupied tie no told Gay he was 16 torun rundown run down to boston fi T r a few days on business now you sit tight while fm m gone tie be cautioned her im on the trall trail end and im going through with it ive told the folks im looking for a job end and they wont expect me home until they se sep e me you ton just wait here say nothing to anyone do nothing dont set your foot in those woods under any circumstances and at night gay please to please me go 90 down and stay with and dont worry for I 1 shant be in any danger you are not going to boston she said eald bitterly you are going into those woods to lie under the piazza and watch the clubhouse and try to catch those murderers catch you first rand dont please dont what business Is it of ours if they break the law what are their affairs to us why should you risk your life oh theres no danger clanger gay not a boh bit of it it ill be careful I 1 promise you just a little weather eye out for squalls equal ls no I 1 nm am going to boston I 1 have rone gone to boston get that in your mind end and stick to it I 1 shant be able to write you arid and I 1 may not no be home for several days just walt wait for me and dont worry but gny did worry worried heart bren kingly but she would not go to rand might come and site elie wished to be there waiting wil for him where lie he left 10 her lie might need her a shot in the night a scream of terror ony guy set her small email sleek elieud determinedly nothing nothing in the world should keep k beep her from going to him in answer if 11 he called for help she was glud glad for the excitement of the christnia preparations to occupy tier her hands if not tier her thoughts through the dreary days that intervened it never occurred to her that he would not be back by the twenty fourth of december for the party parry on 11 eve but the morning passed and he did not come guy gay bid bad no heart for the laughter the young excitement of the lovers the he flushed joyousness of Aunt almiry wind hind ald did nut not come it would he be V christmas I 1 iris tinas eve her christmas eve and rand hand did not come A at t three grey gay took aunt alinur by the hand and led her down to the apple tree where she put tier her bodily to tied bed tucking the blankets blanket about tier her and begging tier her to take a sadly needed rest so it could have been but very lit little tle after aftic r three when she softly closed the door doo of the apple tree behind her tind and pet her feet in the path through the snow to the top of the hill A and nd gln glancing neing up ahead of her in the path 9 saw a w a man walking toward the roi co toge age gny gay almost called out to him film expecting rand because she wanted hand rut but eforo before sound left her lips she silenced the call for she saw that it wits a stranger one who seemed to make his way unsteadily li it the face of the brisk wind from the sea stag le ring a little when lie he reached the piazza plazza of the lone cloned vine alln e he did not wait to knock but opened the door and went in closing it after him gay was but a little way behind and she run ran in breathlessly t but t stopped short in surprise when site she did not ond him in the living room nor the hitch kitchen bri 1111 hello ello she culled called hello 1 anybody up there but received no answer frightened by the unnatural sli silence ence and mindful of hands Ila rids words of warning she w wit wil w il it to the desk slipped her pistol deftly into the pocket of tier her heay heavy coat and then she climbed the stairs watchful arid and alert ant and there indeed she found him lying frice face downward on the soft ilog rug of tier her bedroom floor door wh want are you doing she demanded foolishly what do you want lie he neither mo ed nor answered nn so gay went to him timidly and bent over him film that she might see his face ilia hla eyes were closed his lips hard set she tried to raise him but hla his head fell limply from her hands she shrank away from him shuddering with fear CHAPTER XI the crisp voice of alice andover had never sounder so eo sweet to guys guya ears as at that moment gay delane where are you I 1 saw you yon take that foolish creature cren ture home so I 1 came to see if I 1 could what Is the matter lay gay beckoned to her sternly from the top of the stairs come up she said eald and her voice was hollow come up alice andover was never one otia to hesitate in a crisis she came at 0 once nce breathing hard gay pointed dramatically to the bedroom alice andover gave one wide eyed glance and saw the prostrate ite form good heavens oh good he heavens avenal where did he conic comer from where did you yon get him 1 mean he came up the hill just ahead of me walked right W 1 came upstairs and evidently fell down there jar or lay down the there re be ls Is aila crossed the r boora and nd stood above him touching the e inert body tentatively with the toed toe of her shoe brunk she said eald disgustedly dead drunk gay breathed more freely in some relief oh la Is that it I 1 was a afraid of oh terrible things thing sl 1 at that moment spasmodically he moved and his face rolled tin back ca into the light olt oh ohl oh 1 alice An dovers esplana tion was a startled gasp oh my god I 1 believe ott oh poor I 1 be lieve it Is buddy bridges come home to his poor trusting mother bend drunk oh it Is all my fault oh what in the world have I 1 done bit buddy bridges poor almiry all my fault buddy bridges oh really oh how nappy 11 then came sickening realization tit of the pain it would he be to the little old woman to ten hava hav a him come home to her alle this dead drunk druch better a thousand times for her to live on in tier her trusting ignorance fondly believing him nn an unknown hero pure and fine olt oh poor Aunt almiry I 1 see sec here mrs andover this drunken creature shall not spoil the poor dears christmas party the way she hns has slaved and saved arnd starved starred herself tie he shant glinny I 1 let her have one happy night it may he her last since buddy edme home like this he shant spoil it IL not if I 1 have to poison him alice andover trained to by years of hard administrating suddenly became practical and de aided elded being in charge of always aroused her latent intent cle cleverness verneRs well just roll him over in the corner out of the way she said briskly and cover him up with the rug ond and let him steel it off well lock the door and keep him here till it la Is over will he stay drunk nil night ony gay ns kled we give him something whisky I 1 I 1 wish we hod had some whisky if we had time maybe we nye could keep him drunk for it a week I 1 dont know just how long it does enst but I 1 know the party lasts all night tie may steep sleep it off 1 I have a little cognac brought it in myself from paris in the too toe of my lily dancing slipper real stuff gay day said proudly 1 I 1 was keeping it for a wedding but lie he can have that good goedl I 1 well give him film a 0 big swig of it slie site brought out the nautical term with a nautical swag ahe she shook her flat fist ai a the door ger both doubtless inherited from the long line of seafaring g ancestors well keep heep him as tight as a lord until the bartys over carefully but sternly they rolled him over half out of sight beneath the window sent seat and covered him so gay brought the precious sm smuggled ug bottle of cognac never yet unsealed and they gave him a generous swallow forcing the bottle between tits his teeth not without much df he choked over it and coughed maln 1 fully while the conspirators held their breath in n panic above him but presently he relapsed into troubled breathing again hold him for a while sold said alice andover and over grimly they locked the door upon him and went downstairs but when alice andover moved na as if to go to her own home gay refused to be left alone in the house with the drunken creature upstairs and alice andover was obliged to remain fixing herself up for the lie party as well as site she could with gays face powder and electric curlers they had tea to strengthen their shattered nerves and at five tiptoed up to the bedroom to vve vo him another potent draught tit of the cognac lie he swallowed this time with less difficulty and as he drank to their horror his eyes opened eyes evea large and dark gny gay noticed even in that horrible moment eyes now visionless not seeing when the muffled heavy breathing recommenced they tiptoed from the room alice andover because the opening of tits eyes had and frightened her was freshly furious slip shook her alst at the door when it was safely aock locked behind tier her TO tta BE CONTINUED |