Show FIVE FRIDAYS indeed a 4 al u n e erful tale FRANK R ADAMS by Copy copyright Tight frank A M ea co CHAPTER X continued continue d 10 1 I explained in words of one syllable that I 1 had bad not called him because I 1 did not know where he was had a sore throat was under physicians orders not to call any one my mother had trained me not to yell at strangers and besides I 1 never did any calling except on thursdays vida pointed her finger at me for shame the way children do and led him away before I 1 could think of anything more ned says she smiled at me as they went on up the beach that heaven Is a place where there are no dramatic critics you tell him for me I 1 retorted that he knows more about heaven now nov than lie ever will from actual experience per peri lence ence unless I 1 added the girl he Is engaged to actu actually ally marries him she waved her thanks and trotted on at the fat magazine mans side yes res I 1 said fat there was something about him that was annoyingly fat possibly his intellect in figure he was no more fat than I 1 am but some way his avoirdupois flaunted itself flagrantly I 1 disliked mr clair so thoroughly and heartily for a few minutes that I 1 nearly forgot what I 1 was standing in the lake for I 1 gathered up my dams clams and went back to the house with criminal caution I 1 went in the back way so that no one would see what I 1 had bad brought and built a fire in the long unused stove in getting those bivalves to loosen up I 1 ruined two hatchets a can opener a thumb and an already frazzled temper luclle lucile came downstairs while I 1 was in the kitchen but she did not come out where I 1 was I 1 heard her asking some one in the living room who left the telephone oft off the book there was a mumbled reply in th voice of captain perkins which I 1 did not catch luclle lucile apparently put the receiver back in its place because presently the telephone bell rang and she answered it no I 1 heard her say mr clair Is not here then after a pause no miss dunmore here either who shall I 1 say called oh gb you dont wish them to be notified very well there was a click as of the receiver being placed on an the hook I 1 came in from the kitchen lucile lucco greeted me pleasantly enough when I 1 asked her how she had enjoyed her nap 1 q I dont think ive been asleep she denied 1 I just rested that was all I 1 did not tell her that I 1 did not believe her your mother called up I 1 said briefly called up lucile repeated how could she from Hunting dons island I 1 explained and went on to tell what I 1 knew of mrs greens experience she had bad no right to frighten me so luclle lucile exclaimed also lucile selfishly disregarded my sufferings also those of bopp his emotions I 1 imagine were chiefly confined to his digestive apparatus but I 1 suppose they must be classed as sufferings just the same I 1 pointed out to lucile that her mother had escaped only by a miracle what possessed her to do such a thing lucile was as petulant as a half awakened cald 1 I had a brother once who used to walk in his sleep there was wag a zebra that I 1 interrupted captain perkins your mother was scarcely responsible 1 I said my brother was wag that way chimed in the real estate captain you never could tell where you could find him nights but the time that the zebra bit him was the I 1 allow tile the zebra bit him lucilee Luc Lu lles ciles interest was aroused the captain settled himself to tell his favorite tale talc but did not get started because vida breezed in with a rather shamefaced clair in tow she came directly to me ill take that ring please she said do you beally want it certainly I 1 nm am entitled to wear it of course she ought to have your ring urged luclle lucile that one will do until you can get her something else may I 1 congratulate you miss dunmore has mr blainey told you about it vida asked naturally surprised that a third party should take an interest in a jesting wager he need to luclle lucile smiled with clair present I 1 could hardly explain esplain that miss dunmore had won my ring because she had bad made him propose to her thus I 1 allowed myself to be misunderstood once more I 1 retired as gracefully as possible to the he t Id to be followed there shortly by lipton S clair I 1 may I 1 speak with you aloner alone ho be demanded cautiously looking first right and then lhea left dikea like a stage villain you will never see me more lonesome soine than in your company I 1 returned stirring my clams have hale you ever been engaged ile he aAu actually ally blushed as he said it il why yes I 1 was inclined to be chronically ivo been engaged ever since L was about sixteen beals 1 of age do you care to listen to the th history bis bory oi of my romanced rom anceal eg what I 1 want to ask lie he began hastily choked by emotion and one of my collars which was a quarter size too small for him Is how do you break oft off an engagement you have roe me there I 1 never broke off an engagement in my life some one else always broke my engagements for me you mean you were jilted a short ugly word I 1 mused tempted to put him in with the clams but twill pass aye irwill it will serve 11 but I 1 am afraid I 1 wont bo be jilted said clair ciali thoughtfully you see bee I 1 am a very desirable match I 1 bowed and picked up a piece of cord wood ire he went on obliviously 1 I am a woman weman hater the ornamental sex has no place in the world of a man of genius AU all my life I 1 have escaped and here on a bleak inhospitable Is E 1 I am afraid I 1 wont bo be jilted said clair land where there are only two women I 1 am trapp trapped edby by one of them 1 I take it that you are engaged to miss dunmore I 1 hazarded practically he retorted glumly she trapped me into a r sort of proposal I 1 know what I 1 was saying and she accepted you not yet he replied but there Is no hope she will I 1 dont suppose she has met many men of culture among her associates and I 1 imagine I 1 am a novelty to her man I 1 said admiringly be a novelty to any girl thank you said he absently but what can I 1 do now CHAPTER XI 1 I 1 loved her so sop is i y HY I 1 explained innocently W to claire when you get on wf the mainland you get a marriage license and unless you prefer a church wedding I 1 would suggest that you hunt up the justice of the peace and got get it over ove r with I 1 dont believe in long engagements myself I 1 was perfectly willing to tease this pedantic braggart brag garb we owed him something tor for that fasting article anyway i but want to marry marr y any one he cried 1 I must not sacrifice flee my career to romance and sentiment I 1 belong to the world there must be a way out it if you dont want to marry miss dunmore why did you arouse the spark of passion in her innocent breast I 1 demanded 1 I dont know ho he writhed in mental anguish 1 I dream that I 1 was even being naree agreeable able to her some women are more attracted by indifference than by attention I 1 comforted others are arc fascinated by downright brute violence 1 I suppose there must be some charm about me that I 1 did not dream of he mused modestly dont dealt you think she could forget me it if she did not see me for a long while im afraid I 1 sighed that having once met you no girl gh I 1 could ever forget you come now he be said sharply trying to detect a smile on my face it as bad as that it if I 1 could get away and write her a letter saying that 1 I had been taken down with some ome s III and could not as a dying man mall leold her to her promise that would solve the difficulty rather a nifty idea I 1 commented but as a novelist you must know that the heroine always flies to the bedside of the stricken hero and nurses him back to life there is no use mis dunmore would not allow you to dio die no I 1 suppose not lie he abandoned this scheme reluctantly another thought brightened him the getting away part of it is all right it if I 1 did that I 1 could get put in jau jail or something like that where she possibly see me while I 1 was there I 1 could write an article on prison reforms I 1 heartily endorsed indorsed indor sed this scheme the idea of seeing him in prison appealed ap PC aled to me personally the colossal blind ness of a conceited fathead like that trying to get away from a charming sweet young girl like vida alienated him from human consideration he mused a moment ill do it be exclaimed it if I 1 don dont show up mums the word you cant get away I 1 reminded him theres no boat 1 I forgot to tell you that I 1 am the champion swimmer of the brooklyn athletic club I 1 think I 1 saw some bathing suits hanging up in the shed with one of those on it will be childs play to me strangely cheered he let himself out the back way and left me to the silence of my clams clama I 1 left the clams to their own devices for awhile and went back to the living room vida was waa there idly taking impressions pres from my seal ring on some soft kneaded rubber that lay on lu ciles desk luclle lucile herself was not in sight the captain and the best cook who ever ran a marine engine were sunk deep in the gloom which surrounds the man when cut off from his bis kind and his bis employment well said vida when I 1 stood over he her r like an accusing judge what have I 1 done now I 1 play with this rubber this way you know what youve done I 1 said sternly you trapped lipton S clair into proposing to you theres nothing wrong about that vida protested how do you suppose any man ever proposes you have to trap them were you under the impression that adult males went around looking for a chance to pay for some one elsos board and mill millinery anery and hosiery and all that sort of thing no sir the masculine mind Is very wary why we women have to be so much brighter than the men its a case of self preservation hes afraid you meant it hes going to try to swim to the mainland in order to get away swim to the mainland yes hes a woman linter hater good heavens I 1 he must not do that vida was genuinely concerned you might tell him that you yon are engaged to some one else that might reassure him 11 1 1 I I will vida got up determinedly and went to the door which mich way did ho he go might down to the shore I 1 think I 1 said he seemed a trifle dazed though and might have wandered funny thing interjected captain perkins ns tile the way a feller will wander sometimes my mi brother he used to walk in his I 1 was goin to tell you where the zebra bit him that time yes said vida eagerly tell us as where the zebra bit him have bare to hurry to catch him I 1 interrupted or it will be too late the telephone bell rang hello this Is blaney Is clair there no hes not here now then let me speak to miss dun dim mere 11 she here either I 1 explained oh ob out walking together again I 1 suppose said my namesake sarcastically no not walking I 1 said swimming what at this time of night he yelled not both of them vida cant swim maybe he is teaching her how I 1 suggested I 1 know of any reason why I 1 should ease his mind a anyway ny A little jealousy would be good for him oh he took the blow me like a man then I 1 heard card b hini him say faintly goodby and I 1 hung up the receiver luclle lucile confronted me when I 1 turned around do you know where toddles Is no I 1 dont know where she is I 1 replied with strict adherence to the truth she here I 1 added guilelessly L no and im dreadfully worried there are so many strange people in the house that some one may have let her out not knowing how careful we are with her she might get lost and starved or get her feet wet vet and have pneumonia or a hawk might carry her off at this moment the unspeakable bopp entered he made a great show of weariness dragging his feet as if they were too heavy to lift have you seen her demanded lu die cile no bopp said eald wearily pyo ve tramped all over the island again and again theres no ravine no gully no bush that I 1 investigated she abe giust have left the island she cant swim moaned luclle lucile ner iler little legs are too short and her fur would get in her eyes what he yelled fur get in het her eyes tootles Is lost I 1 threw in b by v way of explanation tootles said bopp bewildered ive been looking for mrs alm green r oh ob been found luclle lucile explained pla ined when oh hours and hours ago she telephoned mr blacney Bl alney she got IQ in mr tl A kents rowboat and was blown to a nearby island TO BE CONTIN CONTINUED TiED |