Show HONEYMOON MOUNTAIN by FRANCES SHELLEY WEES copyright by frances CHAPTER VIII continued 16 1 91 I like her ber deborah mild aid positively and put her chin up simon raised himself on his hia arms and andt called down to them the twilight IM HI he be said what about theother the other mail maill theres more inore tub by S got it madeline explained la in ahls hl rocket lies hes coming across the bridge now 1 I can hear bear his delicate footsteps tubby grubby came around the end of the house his face was very red lie he was not sm smiling fling lowas he I 1 was almost frowning madeline gi glanced alced significantly at sal ly j who compressed beralas her lips and stared at her brother brather tubby stopped beside the steps only iii a few feet in front of deborah so hat as he tools the letters from his lar Inner ier coat pocket sh she e could easily see them idly ingae as he called out a name she glanced nt at pach each envelope S simon imon he announced not nothing hing tor for you bryn bria sally salli two for you nothing at aIl gilfor for jou you deborah and madeline had heri hers an in town An another oilier for you simon and here lie he said gallantly Is a letter for you mrs mis larned lamed it looks 1101 8 v very ery interesting intel estling written in fit d a boldi bold dashing masculine hand band with avery a very thick enclosure it carries with its it a hint of mystery ni story he had been holding out simons last letter waiting for him to take it as he spoke so that deborah had had a moment to take in the meaning of the handwriting on grandmothers envelope it was familiar it was n as dreadfully familiar A cold ley icy hand clutched at her heart and she felt herself turning faint again as s she lie had or on that dreadful afternoon on the wharf she put out hr her hand involuntarily unta rily for the letter and made a queer little strangled sound grandmother was smiling at nonsense walting waiting tor for her letter she did not notice deborahh Debo face but bryn did he stood up sharply ue ile saw deb brahs whiteness he put out tits his hand band and took the letter from he glanced at it he looked over nt at grandmother he could be arrested for this he told grandmother grimly interfering w ith government malls bribery and corruption the crooked game of politics tubby stared at him his mouth open shut up bryn told him although he had not spoken not a word out of you sou you iniquitous scoundrel trying to defraud me of my rightful property indeed this Is my letter ive been looking for it for weeks longing for ihnot it not being able to sleep nights I 1 its ts a detailed and careful account 0 of f the construction of tle the arch of the bridge over the over the volga river in russia new departure in engineering gi im sure grandmother would enjoy reading it t site she I 1 sup pose this Is your idea of a joke grand mother I 1 apologize I 1 apologize apolon lye for having such a stupid und and eress insect for a friend 1 I was I 1 was just kidding him grandmother tubby mutt pied it your letter after all its its ills oh dear grandmother murmured laughing you two keep me in a per feet state of bewilderment I 1 dont suppose I 1 shall ever do be able to tell whether you are talking souse sense nr non sense Tub tubby bys s fault bryn answered answered tu thrusting rusting the letter itter into hla his pocket Tub bys an awful ass grandmother you have no idea 1 I lies les all right simon explained he smells the dinner danner were going to have duck find and watercress deborah stood tensely before the window hands locked together aril vvan ing for bryn to corne come downstairs after taking grandmother up act bed to night of all nights grandmother had stayed up half an hour later and all the time stuart grahams letter filled with all ail sorts of unimaginable ua ties lay unopened in bryns bryas pocket bryn came in quickly and shut the door behind him deborah broke away from arm slie she took a step toward him she he put atit tier lier hand band out mutely mu ely 14 4 his yes eyes were upon tier her face ile he com compressed his lips tits his hand went i to an inner pocket and then he isida said quietly just a minute deborah are you jou perfectly sure that youre not mistaken oil yes besl she cried and the he air in the room was ric as if someone had turned a i switch ilitch bryn drew the letter lette rout out ile he looked at it 1 lilmont Li I dont lont alk like op opening eelig oth other I 1 dil peo ples pies letters he said slowly it might awit he anlyan only an extraordinary resemblance deborah youve had it on oa your mind you know she lie took it from hl his hand and looked at t it the very touch of the envelope m made adai her shiver im sure she said bryn ripped the end off the envelope and the folded pages he gla glanced ced at deborahh Debo face shall I 1 read it deborah she sh e nodded b mutely bryn straightened the pages and began my dear mrs larned lamed naturally I 1 cannot imagine lust just what deborah has told you regarding the failure olour of our plans in sat san francisco but I 1 am afraid sire ore may not me die in a kindly alg tj for the ahe piaia past month I 1 trave ive been most anxious to arvle and explain the situation to y you bot beyond my t liivi have made it impossible tor for mp me to do so t 1 1 f 1 sup P lt it la Is useless for me 6 to expect thai 11 after hearing deborahh Debo story w whatever it was and after this long sli vitee in my in part you can have any 1 l sympathy for me and the la in which I 1 now find myself nut but I 1 must ask ah you to accept the explanation which maie made in regard to my silence in ot of e fact that iam iam an n enlisted man in the navy completely under the arbitrary control of 0 any whim of my superior officers and subject to the restrictions ot of anyone on board a ship hip butof out of touch with alth land and ounh conveniences as mallo mails and now for deborahh Debo tory story what she has told you I 1 do not know agil mentioned before but looking at the matter from her point ofviey of view and try ing t to 0 be just and generous ram I 1 am forced to the conclusion that whatever she told you must have been both exaggerated and biased I 1 was very much disturbed over the whole business and spent all my shore leave when in san francisco trying to find her and explain but ol at course it was an impose impossibility to do so I 1 dont know whether it has occurred to you mrs larned lamed to think how completely PI tely ignorant ignore n t of the world and its ito ways De deborah borab Is I 1 was prepared of course for a certain amount of knowing to some extent how she had been brought up ap but I 1 did not realize that any girt could possibly sib 1 y in inthis this day and age have halve remained ma 1 ned so BO on entirely unaware e of all trends of modern times I 1 have of eo course ure every respect tor for tho the manners and customs of the time of my parents and grandparents as I 1 am sure you will know but having lived a normal life I 1 have naturally progressed with others of my generation to an acceptance of th the manners and customs of the present day day deborah has not this was obvious to me on our first meeting from her app appear earmice inco and from her absolute inability to meet an ordin ordinary aty situation with calmness I 1 grant you that it must have been difficult tor for her to come down alone to meet me and perhaps it if I 1 had known just how difficult if 1 I 1 had realized deborahh Debo stats state of mind and lack of understanding of modern life as it Is lived I 1 should have been able to overcome her objections and explain away her As it was I 1 could do nothing deborah was in a state of frantic terror before I 1 had a chance t to 0 see her at all and by the time I 1 reached her she was beyond ordina ordinary ry reasoning I 1 am ain b bitterly sorry for it all and reproach myself that I 1 guess what to expect and so prepare the situation accordingly it seems to me that I 1 might have been warned mrs larned lamed of what I 1 she should u id have been expected to encounter kven as it was I 1 might t have been bee a ablo blo to overcome deborahh Debo childish terrors had it not been for the absolutely unwarranted interference of 0 some unknown person in the lawyers office deborah will probably have mentioned mention ed him to you and made some satisfactory ex explanation a as 0 ton to her conduct I 1 was certainly pa pained in ed and d atoni astonished 9 shed to discover that she had bad so BO 1 atle good ta taste s to a as a t to 0 be willing to take up at once with jib a stranger the fact of mr liol hoi worthya wor thys presence was all that reconciled me to leaving her angry as an I 1 was I 1 may add that the time will voll come when I 1 will make it my business to discover this strangers identity and settle with him for the insult he offered me however this s Is all beside the point the really 6 serious er i ous question between us Is that of your husbands will and deb brahs estate with my copy of the will I 1 have consulted a lawyer and it Is his opinion that under certain circumstances 8 we might malts make a figlia for the estate that would ulal ultimately T tely prove brov successful cess ful the circumstances are of course a marriage between deborah find and myself which would take place with your approval this unless there are aspects of the case with which I 1 am not familiar seems to me to be from your point of view an absolute necessity I 1 have examined the list of becu securities r files named in the will as t the he source of your present income and as you doubtless know only too well most 0 of f the them in are completely worthless wort liless how you have managed for the past few years Is a mystery and may possible pos albl sibl explain deborahh Debo appearance appear anre and obvious lack of advantages in any case no miti mitigation gatlon of your circumstances may arrive except through me and a although I 1 was wai deeply hurt 1 I think I 1 broke his jaw bryn said happily deeply ply hurt burt and mortin pa not to mention ion my disappointment and the gene general a disrud disruption eption of my plans I 1 am willing tor for the sake of the friendship which has existed between our families for so BO long I 1 am willing to in do what I 1 ca can n to make things easier tor for you I 1 have obtained from my commander an extended leave of absence and I 1 am leaving san diego tomorrow morning to drive up the coast to your home you may expect me at the latest by wednesday noon unless I 1 meet with unexpected difficulties difficult leg along the road yours sincerely STUART OGDEN GRAHAM bryn folded the letter tubby thrust tits hands into tits his pockets and began to saunter up and down the lie room whistling beneath his breath simon put his hands behind his bend head and stared at the ceiling cel ling sally wits wis t trembling rem with excitement and clutching Sliu ons knee and Al madeline adeline walked slowly across and dropped down beside deborah well I 1 tubby said buttoning his coat and squaring tits his shoulders if lies hes got to be bd kept awny hes got to be kept away and all there Is to it after all there tire four men of us nere here and curch burch five against one that aught to ba easy Y you talk ns as if we were going to fight about it sally said tearfully with guns it half as blundering or easy as that not half madeline Iadell ne echoed tills this Is going to be strategy and strategy Tubby never was your strong point if 11 you will remember she smiled up at him a warm tender smile that made him blink and look as if he saw her for the first time but youre a darling tubby and youre loyal loial and strong and wortha worth a lot more than one of those slippery strategists well gee tubby said bewildered and sat down t 1 we might bar the road tubby said bald hopefully put it gate across it you know somebody would have fieve to guard it it of course bryn said thoughtfully and hed want to know why he pass it if I 1 stayed there ilire myself nn ahad a talk with him explaining the situation jt t might help but I 1 A I 1 trust fi him I 1 in not to pretend to la bonway and then to sneak back when we ft t fierch ff erch i b 1 watching t I 1 k I 1 ng J just us t to sed see what barar 0 tto TO RE BE |