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Show .m O D. Appleton Cntury Co., Ino. Il WNU Service the house. Julia, my wife, died 10 years ago. Your 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. It was the same year my wife died." That, young Hale reflected, was why he remembered it Kneeland's memory would not long hold anything any-thing not directly connected with his own interests. "You ought to remember my wife," he brought out "Yes, sir, I remember her well. She was mighty good to me," Rex more rkgter aCe" The smil . it hlrft Sn tte first gUmPse of It had been. It banished the ex- Pression of anxiety that sat so oddly on the manufacturer's round disc. He was suddenly a good-looking man bVd ,ea y mies- plumP sliy bald, Pleasant-featured, human and engaging. Five minutes before he had seemed a harassed and nerve-worn nerve-worn man in the sixties. Rex did not know that a smiliar change had wrought Its miracle in his own face He waited eagerly for his host's reply. "In lots of ways. For one thing, 1 ve no secretary at the Camp. My son Herbert, twenty-two now, was supposed to do that job. But he's no good this summer always 10 miles away when I want him. He 1 make myself useful if I can. But I won't go tonight, thanks. I'll stay over tomorrow and get a few things I'll need for camp life. NaturaUy, I didn't bring much in the line of clothes back from Spain." "Then that's settled. Go any time you like. I'll telephone Hosanna that you're coming. Wait. I'll give you a check for expenses." "Nothing doing, thank you. I'll pay my own way till I see how much bluff you're giving me about this job. I suspect that you're putting over today's good deed." "Nothing like it. There will be work for you, all right." The haggard lo'ok abruptly returned re-turned to Kneeland's face. For an instant he seemed old again, and very tired. There was something pathetic in the eyes he fixed on Hale. Then he suddenly recalled that the good-looking young giant before him had been a darned nice kid. "I can't thank you enough, Mr. Kneeland." Hale got up. " '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 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-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 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 ties and shoes and knickerbockers he was buying. His figure was excellent ex-cellent and his copper-colored hair and brown eyes would set off the heather mixtures he selected for outdoor out-door wear. He would look well in his white flannels, too. He was fussy about shirts and ties, and the clerks who served him in those departments depart-ments respected his knowledge. This young man knew what went with his coloring. Hale explained his satisfaction sat-isfaction in his new purchases with an engaging grin. 1 (TO BE CONTINUED) ' I C 1 "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. He's off on his own affairs, whatever they are. Another young man around the place will be a godsend god-send to the girl." His smile widened. "I'll pay you a salary, of course. Just thought of it," he added candidly. can-didly. Hale shook his head. "We won't talk about salary till I find out whether there's really anything any-thing for me to do. I'll go, and tf ' CHAP 1 3 tiled dTepTr into the office tert hii brown eye. on '-teefnd-s face. Kneeland t:irncIeCass'' the last time That was 18 years ago, Northwest, when Hale "fr" been a boy of ten. Knee-l Knee-l "Uncle Cass" now. He !n eSsive, successful, mid- - "' 1 ' New York business man. fill fnade a fortune by inventing .f article widely known as Safety Catch. He was Occupied, and rather short 4 -lC concerning ten-year-J ' fSad welcomed Hale into $ suite of bis factory with a $ and a business-like 1$ Kowhe was "making talk," '--e resented it ;"i,d might have fogotten a ft fr-old godchild, the caller told ". He should not have forgot- (godchild's father. Hale Sen-gf Sen-gf ..i teD Kneeland's first part-3r' part-3r' .'-d tie closest friend of his "it had been a fine friend- "" It had impressed the little 5tr, i' Where, 18 years later, was a ' '-,r Kneeland equally vague in P E : c r? o fre Hales' fatner and ca j ad talking too smugly, the ess e m thought, about his in- - UKig to him, as the man sat il handsome flat-top desk and. clout his trickle of small talk, l; ,-ealized that "Uncle Cass" had : ret wearied of the flavor of his if He rolled it on his tongue. r ;;iayed a tendency to enumer- fi i j various possessions, k 't-'re at our Camp now, but of si I keep my town house open j jjiier," Kneeland was saying, pp :bs of the unseasonable June I "Joan, my niece, is always j) into New York for a day or ll v even in the hottest weather. :::anna (my sister, who joined !;rily alter we came East), j .: live in New York 12 months a if I'd let her. She doesn't 'inch for seashore life. It suits ::m to the ground. I'd like ,C! i. ! better than to put up at "" :;:n Camp the first of June and !r. lies till the first of November, j gr j ; rite manage that, of course, icomeasnear it as I can. I tan usually get away from ... i Friday night and stay at the ; 'ill Monday," he went on, as i merely nodded. "And I al- pat in all of August there. at place in the world to sleep. M" s and spruces around and be-r be-r !:n the whole Atlantic in front ; :, good boating, fishing, swim- j i; We've got a modest place, ?J ::a,y of room. Say by Jove!" ; -topped short under the im-'H im-'H ' Un idea that had just hit j'd stared at his caller. '7 don't you get out of this j I : and make the Camp a visit?" - !JCi on after a second's hesi-baa: hesi-baa: "'The newspapers say this yoif : attest June we've ever j1 w'1 do you no end of good ). -awhile. Didn't you say you ;l bad a stiff bout of pneu- m Spain?" ;!1 Pneumonia is ancient his--;', young Rex assured Knee-; Knee-; as all right again a week - I sailed for home." ::lei "us morning, didn't U;! "j1 rm filing out to I 1 onc Promised Dad i : ! thrcu New York with-1 with-1 :ttols you up." 'Ju did, my boy." Knee- " eatbathad come to he ed in the same ) taib, I hope." js no time to make a start" JWep B the way, TJiSaT Tember that, ? 'ite hi'rn KUgh Hale Senit ,1 Bering." ''J1"l nodded. ax can,t be done- 1 'thietic 'rgt0do- You're I' ' -'! up v F' bUt you need 4, feet ;HUre t0 ttk f i com . Hn your eolor isn't : 5d l0WIlto Halcyon Camp i:cky mSW?m" there. It & ;"he adPdJCaUitHalcy I want u coniplacently, ipSV0 beasere fsprtdandsh0d". f -Serati, t question was h a man who liked op-ibSou,si, op-ibSou,si, It ofyonr,yUr houhold. )5r' lur family might not 1 HoLn my family are , " niece tanna- who is fifty that rm boss of grinned. "She was always filling me up with cookies and a kind of raisin bread I'Ve never forgotten." Kneeland's round, smooth face shadowed. "She was a fine woman," he testified. testi-fied. "Her last year was very tragic. trag-ic. I don't know whether I wrote your father about it but she had lost her mind." Rex shook his head. "We didn't know that," he said sympathetically. "At least I didn't. Father may have, but he never spoke of it. He was awfully cut up by Mother's death about that time." Kneeland sighed and dismissed both dead 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, hot 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-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. I've plenty of servants to look after everybody." The unctuous note crept back into his voice. "There's a cook and a good one, if I do say it There's a maid, a butler-valet, and a handy man. We're supposed to be living a primitive life. We're off the main line and away from the social set. But we have all the comforts good plumbing, plumb-ing, plenty of bathrooms, big fireplaces fire-places for cool days. You can take the 4:30 train and be there in time for dinner tonight. I can't go till Friday, or I'd drive you down." "Thanks again. But I really don't think" "Besides," Kneeland interrupted, "you can make yourself useful." "Oh, that's different. How?" Kneeland smiled at the change in |
