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Show !jf 7 0 D. Applt'n Cenluiy Co., Ino. WNUSorvlo. Craig l.ile luul already learned from their talk that Herbert and the young psychiatrist had been close fiieiuts for years. That was Interesting, Inter-esting, because there must be live or six years ditTerenee in their ages. Herbert was only twenty-two. Craig must be about his, Hale's age. He had dropped enough in his dinner-table dinner-table talk to show that he was in his second year of practice. He was professionally obsessed, inordinately inordinate-ly ambitious. It was hard to understand under-stand the close friendship that was said to exist between him and Casper Cas-per Kneeland's only son. Thus Hale summed up his companions com-panions in the first hour he was with them. He did It by the cold light of reason, with no hunches now to help him. The Instinct or premonition he had felt on approaching ap-proaching the house had died. The setting of the big dining-room was very pleasant. The guests around him were unusual enough to interest anyone. Like Ainsworth, he should have been at peace with the world, but he was not in quite that Ideai state. Young Kneeland had cast off his depression and was talking now, rather well and with more interest than he had yet shown. He was a nice-looking chap, with that new animation an-imation in his face. He was smooth-shaven, smooth-shaven, immaculate, and he wore his evening clothes with "01 course. Dn r,,, v. know thnt oi . y u haPPen to now that she s quite an heiress?" No, I didn't know that " her f ui ' r lnherited " from nor father, who struck oil out in Oklahoma, and died soon afterward apparently of the Joyful shock vt SeS.T haShadU,e handling of the estate, so some of it may have B t PjPn dUring the depression But Joan is of age now. I fancy she has enough left to make herself o f. d?servi"g young husband quite comfortable." He waited a moment Hale made no comment and Ainsworth went "Young Kneeland wanted to be e de!rvj"g young husband. She wouldnt have any of that. This may explain the pathetic quality you discovered in him." M,'1 l,hink 1 care t0 talk about Miss Kneeland's private affairs," Hale said stiffly. "All right. Just thought I'd give you a tip. Great opportunity for ambitious youth. Craig is in the running, too, but only mildly I don't think he has much chance. ouve got a pretty clear field, it seems to me." Hale set his teeth. "I'm afraid you didn't get my meaning, Ainsworth," he brought out between them. "I snirt " I other all our lives. Just the same, Us damned interesting to see her wriggling on the hook." "That's rather your specialty, isn't it? Watching people wriggle?" 'Yes," Ainsworth said simply. 'There's a grand and glorious opportunity op-portunity for it right here at Halcyon Hal-cyon Camp. That's why I'm staying stay-ing on. Besides, there will be an added interest now in watching you watch them wriggle. I'm quite looking look-ing forward to that." "All right." Hale laid down his half-smoked cigarette. "Ainsworth, you won't mind if I ask you to clear out, will you?" he added. "I've had a long day and I'm all in. Con' valescent, you know." "I know. But you'll brace up here," Ainsworth predicted. "Did anyone tell you we bathe on the beach at eleven? Private beach. All to ourselves unless Mrs. Nash and her cub show up. They often do. She likes this beach better than her own, and God made the Kneelands to be imposed upon. That's the real reason we're all here. You, too, old man. I'll toddle now. Goodnight. Good-night. See you at breakfast." Hale closed the door behind him and threw open the third window of his room. A place Ainsworth had been in seemed to need special ventilation. ven-tilation. He went again to a front window and stared out over the sea to calm his nerves. As he looked two figures detached themselves from the sheltering trees at the left of the house. One almost immediately immedi-ately turned back into the woods. The other moved toward the house. He looked at it idly. It was not yet midnight. Probably some of the servants had been having' a moonlight moon-light rendezvous. Hale stiffened. The figure approaching the house was nearer now. It was not anxious to be seen. It kept as close to the trees as it could, but Hale recognized it It was could it be? Miss Hosan-na? Hosan-na? Yes. Her plump figure was unmistakable un-mistakable and now he saw her face, quite clearly in the moonlight. Her companion had been a man, not one of the guests at Halcyon Camp, but a stranger. He had been a lean fellow, with a narrow, unpleasant un-pleasant face. ' There was something furtive about the meeting. The man might have been a servant, but there was no man-servant at the Camp in addition to Banks and Joe. What was he, and why was Miss Hosanna meeting him in a lonely wood toward midnight? Abruptly Hale decided that it was none of his business. He threw off his dressing-gown, switched oft the electric light, and jumped into bed. A few minutes later he heard soft quick footsteps passing his door and going further along the hall. Miss Hosanna, no doubt But what the devil had the woman been doing with that unwholesome human specimen spec-imen she had met? Hale awoke to an impression of gorgeous sunshine and a singing sea. He had slept from two on without turning, and he felt like a fighting-cock. He looked at his watch. Half past eight. He sprang out of bed, hustled into the bathroom, bath-room, and made a quick toilet. If Kneeland had been in Camp he wouldn't have thought much' of a new employee who showed up at nine o'clock on his first morning. It was exactly nine when Hale entered the dining-room. He found it empty save for Rose, who looked very smart in a fresh pink uniform. (TO BE CONTINUED) "That you didn't want to talk about Miss Kneeland. I know. All right. But there's one more interesting inter-esting fact you ought to know. If Joan Kneeland dies before she marries, mar-ries, young Bert gets practically her entire estate. Her father made that provision originally, and it seems that she repeats it in her own will." Hale remained silent and Ainsworth Ains-worth asked conversationally: "Is there any objection to talking about Mrs. Spencer Forbes?" "Only the lateness of the hour." Ainsworth laughed. "I always envied you your way of putting things. You can make a snub sound almost suave. But I'm not sleepy." "I am." Ainsworth shook his head at him. "That isn't as subtle as your usual usu-al methods," he said reproachfully. "But I want to tell you about Mrs. Spencer Forbes. You don't appreciate appre-ciate it, old man, but I'm trying to put you wise to conditions here. Mrs. Spencer Forbes, for example. There's tragedy for you." "Why?" "She's down and out. It's the old story. Good family, fine position, plenty of money to begin with. Nothing Noth-ing left now. Supposedly she lives in a back room of some New York lodging-house. In reality she's here most of the time, sponging on the Kneelands. Casper Kneeland stands it because he's impressed by her social position. He likes to be shocked by her talk, too. Miss Hosanna Ho-sanna encourages it because she's fascinated by the creature. Always has been, it seems. The one big friendship of her life and a mighty lopsided affair it is. All Ruth Spencer Spen-cer Forbes cares about is a snug haven and plenty to eat and drink. Once in a while, as a matter of form, she goes back to the lodging-house lodging-house for a week or two. That must be pretty ghastly for her." "Your manly sympathy for her doesn't show much when you and she are together," Hale commented. comment-ed. Ainsworth laughed. "No, we hate each other," he admitted, ad-mitted, "even though we speak the same language and have known each s "oessMI but S '""file "'' 1,1 :,, i",,e. Ii.vit.-s lm 1 L-'-f h r a his s-r-t!.ry I AL : ;Fl-i Hale finds a soiled " . Ji of the stranse group 5i,,vhatr st friend of Brt 1 HunS son of Casper. 4l : ;! wi mo- Joan Kl,t;ela"d- I: si '.jeW S. r jirlER n-Continued 'II ' 4" -i, ..fed voung Kneeland. He H g years old when they --it a "yellow-haired rather it1' 'h'ne had developed .haired rather deUcate 'I fit!) ordinary features. L ':"j!h, and an expression : coo:, 'Xgfol parts of boredom. Vn' irresolution. Hale sus-4 sus-4 uj -Tie boredom was a mask iT"" '''er emotions. His head ';K-e like his father's. It kh con ijt he had inherited none ;;: man's driving energy. S-wi ssaa had been warning -sons at the table against ! -jfcod she had set before S';sr she developed her .r Hale heard her say. iSS -stop been taught that it's : :f life. Instead, it's rank I would never serve it if -n"'t so funny about his He actually suggests our "S,,, He would eat bread three :Sy if I would give it to ; :c:'L It's very bad for m fc, ::1 1 never touch it my-"Mi my-"Mi ::: starches and sugar and ''sihiS touch them, either. 1 :';t2er them toothers when -.at here if Ruth and Mr. M Ia : didn't make such a fuss c meals. They seem bent Ti; their health." ri looked at Mrs. Spencer jV :': tare much what I eat," ' -3 Forbes said wearily. :;al time is the only bright at t! : j at Halcyon Camp I don't )LLE( ;skld be ruined by ycrur lH sauna. Your brother is n'''1 -1 as a good provider. i knows how to prepare J POi :'?s. Why you can't leave isjii a while we're eating it, f!(j -2?ins into these distress- sic details, I shall never His " j ppjes :;r!ainly amazing company ETE US jed. Hale dismissed the ad ceased to listen to a. He had always been I a unusual types of hu- , 'ii He realized that most atcn 3. sen and women were un-JSj un-JSj -Jiliss Hosanna, of course. UT U lllCe mi manner she ran w New England form, Trade ::admiration and affection , foreii , PTr Forb seemed ' -an their object justified. Forbes was an easily ?v - ?P!' hew the burned, the world, whose op-J1'" op-J1'" burning were grow-7 grow-7 ber years. She must w stiU as greedy for mlurr -'as she had been at thirty have ' more so; but she had a FiftefJ ; of common sense that . e?rWhile U resented s5 -J da- Joan Kneeland 111 ? old himseit He aSher cousin Her. ?tWas straight cad. ith Mrs qn Resting. ltwas In med, even a trifle ' fSee fne;e,m man il ,in i,'ndulgent. There , her ' as c'ear that WLact u was al- l S on mp were ;,ts' CerFoabother,s Tritaten h es was 00 ' MiSS Bn ra'g anCt two II austlc com-8 com-8 deling about tomed ease. After dinner Hale, Craig and the cousins played contract Mrs. Spencer Spen-cer Forbes and Aunt Hosanna played backgammon, the former with an eloquent look at Hale which informed him that this diversion was not her choice. Ainsworth, pointedly ignored by his companions, compan-ions, read and smoked under a reading read-ing lamp. Miss Hosanna alone gave him a kind word as the party ebbed away from him. "When Casper is here we can have two tables," she promised. It was the triumph of hospitality and breeding over mere human nature. Her pale blue eyes hardly touched his face as she spoke to him. She liked him no better than the rest did. Hale was glad he had not let his contract game grow rusty in Spain. He had played there a good deal, with some fellow-engineers who were experts. He liked playing with Miss Kneeland. It gave him opportunities oppor-tunities to look at her and to meet her lovely eyes. Also, she played a good game and had a fine sporting spirit She had not turned a hair when, earlier in the rubber, he had heavily "set" her and himself by j over-optimism. The game broke up at half past ten. He was not sorry. The day had seemed long. The party separated sepa-rated almost at once, it3 members seeking their individual rooms upstairs. up-stairs. Hale was glad to get into the quiet of his quarters. The windows win-dows facing the sea were wide open and a salt breeze came in, mingled with the sound of pounding waves. His bed was ready for him. The silk cover was folded back over the footboard. The pillows were inviting. in-viting. The upper sheet was turned over a light blue blanket No soiled little billet-doux waited for him this time. He was on his way from his bathroom bath-room to his bed when he heard a light tap on the door. He slipped on his dressing-gown and opened the door. Ainsworth, very wide awake and still fully dressed, strolled into the room. "Saw a light under your door and thought I'd pop in," he said. "Got any cigarettes? I forgot to bring some upstairs." Hale forced a smile and pointed to a box on his smoking table. "Hope I'm not disturbing you," Ainsworth purred as he helped himself. him-self. "Not at all. Sit down." Ainsworth sat down, lit the cigarette ciga-rette and ostentatiously relaxed. Hale had no choice but to sit down, too, and show decent courtesy to his unwelcome visitor. He did not speak. If Ainsworth had any purpose pur-pose in this untimely caU let him get it off his chest. Hale filled the interval by selecting and lighting a cigarette. "Well, what's your opinion of us?" Ainsworth drawled. "You're a reasonably Interesting group," he said when he was ready to speak. "Granted. But what do you really think of us?" "You do me too much credit, Ainsworth. Ains-worth. I don't form definite opinions opin-ions so quickly." Again Ainsworth proved that he could not take a snub. "Give me some offhand ones, then," he invited. "Let's have your first impressions." "Oh, well, they're rather chaotic. I find Aunt Hosanna very cordial and hospitable. Mrs. Spencer Forbes mildly amusing, young Kneeland Knee-land rather pathetic, Craig self-absorbed and scientific." "And Miss Kneeland?" That was a purr. , "Lovely and chaimwg, course." |