Show 0 v w b DIM LANTERN aa the ai k q J NL aw LL A IR by TEMPLE BAILEY 0 PENN publishing COMPANY SERVICE THE STORY STORE THUS FAR young pretty jane barnes who lived with tier ner brother baldwin in sherwood park near washington was not particularly impressed when she read that rich attractive edith towne had been left at the altar by dela delafield field simms wealthy new yorker however she still mused over it when she met evans follette a young neighbor whom the war had left completely discouraged and despondent evans had always loved jane that morning baldwin barnes on his way to work in washington offered assistance to a tall lovely girl in distress later he found a bag she had left in the car containing a diamond ring on which was inscribed del to edith forever he knew then that his passenger had been edith towne already he was half in love with her that night he discussed the matter with jane and they called her uncle worldly sophisticated frederick towne he visited them at their home delighted with janes simplicity he told them editha story because her uncle desired it ed edith ith towne had accepted delafield simms whom she liked but did not love she disappeared immediately after the wedding was to have taken place the next day jane I 1 received a basket of fruit from towne and a note asking if 11 he might call again mrs follette widowed mother of evans was a woman of indomitable courage impoverished she nevertheless managed to keep evans and herself in comparative comfort by running a dairy farm evans mentally depressed and disillusioned had little self reliance and looked to his mother and jane tor for guidance edith towne phones baldy in answer to an ad she asked him to bring her pocketbook jane calls on frederick towne in his elaborate office I 1 I 1 CHAPTER V continued jane bought modestly and briggs carried her parcels he even made a suggestion as to the cut of the steak his father it seemed had been a butchery butcher they drove back then for frederick briggs went up for him and returned to say that mr towne would be down in a moment frederick was as a matter of fact finishing a letter to delafield simms 1 I am assuming that you will get your mail at the poinciana but I 1 shall also send a copy to your new york office edith has asked me to return the ring to you I 1 shall hold it until I 1 learn where it may be delivered into your hands As for myself I 1 can only say this that my first impulse was to kill you but perhaps I 1 am too civilized to believe that your death would make things better you must understand of course that youve put yourself beyond the pale of decent people I 1 lucys bucys pencil wavered a flush stained her throat and cheeks then she wrote steadily as fredericks voice continued i you will find yourself blackballed by several of the clubs whatever your motive the world sees no excuse he stopped will you read that over again miss logan so lucy read it still with that hot flush on her cheeks and when she had finished frederick said you can lock the ring in the safe until I 1 give you further instructions A clerk came in to say that the car was waiting and presently frederick towne went away and lucy was left alone in the great room which was not to her a forest of adventure as it had seemed to jane but a great prison where she tugged at her chains she thought of delafield simms sailing fast to southern waters of those purple seas the blazing stars in the splendid nights delafield had told her of them they had often talked together turned the ring around on her finger studying the carved figure the woman with the butterfly wings was exquisite but she did not know her name she slipped the ring on the third finger of her left hand its diamonds blazed she locked it presently in the safe then came back and read the letter which towne had signed she sealed it and stamped the envelope then she wrote a letter of her own she made a little ring of her hair and fastened it to the page beneath it she wrote lucy to del forever she kissed the words held the crackling sheet against her heart her eyes were shining the great room was no longer a prison she saw beyond captivity to the open sea mrs allison and the three old ladies with whom jane was to drink tea were neighbors mrs allison lived alone and the other three lived in the homes of their several sons and daughters they played cards every friday afternoon and jane always came over when mrs allison entertained and helped her with the refreshments they were very simple and pleasant old ladies with a nice sense of their own dignity at any rate they had jane some of the other young people scorned these elderly tea parties and if they came were apt to show it in their manner but jane was never scornful she always had the time 0 of her life and the old ladies felt particularly p a ticul arly joyous and juvenile when she was one of them but this afternoon jane was late tea was always promptly at four and it happened that there were popovers pop overs so of course they wait I 1 telephoned to sophy said M mrs rs allison and jane has gone to town 1 I suppose something has kept her anyhow well start it in so the old ladies ate the popovers pop overs and drank hot sweet chocolate and found them not as delectable as when jane was there to share them things were indeed a bit dull they discussed mrs follette whose faults furnished a perpetual topic mrs allison told them that the young baldwins baldvins Bald wins had dined at castle J 33 10 i they came up the path manor on thanksgiving and that there had been other guests how can she afford it was the unanimous opinion with that poor boy on her hands hes sitting up there on the terrace mrs allison further informed the them do you think id better ask him to come over they thought she might but her hospitable purpose was never fulfilled for as she stepped out on the porch a long low limousine stopped in front of the house and out of it came jane in all the glory of a great bunch of orchids and with a man by her side whose elegance measured up to the limousine and the lovely flowers they came up the path and jane said mrs allison may I 1 present mr towne and will you give him a cup of tea indeed I 1 will mrs allison seemed to rise on wings of gratification only it is chocolate and not tea and frederick said that he adored chocolate and presently mrs alli sons little living room was all in a pleasant flutter and over on janes terrace evans follette sat a lonely sentinel and pondered on the limousine and the elegance of janes escort once old sophy called to him ketch your death mr evans he shook his head and smiled at her A man who had lived through a winter in the trenches thought nothing of this physical cold was easy to endure the cold that clutched at his heart was the thing that frightened him the early night came on there were lights now in mrs Alli sons 11 house 0 use and a rid within was warmth and laughter aughter the old ladies excited and eager told each other in flashing asides that mr towne was the great frederick towne the one whose name was so often in the papers and his niece edith had been deserted at the altar you know my dear the one who ran away when jane said that she must be getting home they pressed around her sniffing her flowers saying pleasant things of her prettiness hinting of townes absorption in her she laughed and sparkled it was a joyous experience mr towne had a way of making her feel important por tant and the adulation of the cold old ladies added to her elation As frederick and jane walked across the street towards the little house on the terrace a gaunt figure rose from the top step and greeted them evans jane scolded you need a guardian dont you know that you sit out in such weather as this im not cold she presented him to frederick wont you come in mr towne but he would not he would call her up jane stood on the porch and watched him go down the steps he waved to her when he be reached his car oh evans she said ive had such a day they went into the house together J jane a tie lighted the lamp cant you dine with us 1 I hoped you might ask me mother is staying with a sick friend if I 1 go home I 1 shall sup on bread and milk Sop hys chops will be much better she held her flowers up to him the fragrance heavenly towne gave them to you she nodded oh ive been very grand and gorgeous lunch at the chevy chase club a long drive afterward she broke off evans you look half frozen sit here by the fire and get warm 1 I met both trains evans why will you do such things 1 I wanted to see you but you can see me any time 1 I cannot not when you are lunching with fashionable gentlemen with gold lined pocketbooks he held out his hands to the blaze to do you like him mr towne yes and I 1 like the things he does for me I 1 had to pinch myself to be sure it was true 1 if what was true that I 1 was really playing around with the great frederick towne you talk as if he were conferring a favor she had her coat off now and her hat she came and sat down in the chair opposite him evans she sid said youre jealous she was still vivid with the excitement of the afternoon lighted up by it her skin warmed into color by tha swift flowing blood beneath well I 1 am jealous he tried to smile at her then went on with a touch of bitterness do you know what I 1 thought about as I 1 sat w watching the lights at mrs Alli sons well as I 1 came over today I 1 pas passed sed a snowy field and there was a scarecrow in the midst of it fluttering his rags a lonely thing an ugly thing well were two of a kind jane that scarecrow and I 1 her shocked ga glance ance stopped him evans you d dont cont know what you are saying he went on recklessly well after all jane the thing is this its a mans looks and his mon money ey that count im the same sam e man inside of me that I 1 was when I 1 went away you know that you might have loved me the t thing hing that is left you dont love yet I 1 am the same man As he flung the words at her her eyes met his steadily no she said you are not the same man why not the man ot of yesterday did not think dark thoughts the light had gone out ot of her as it if he had blown it with a breath jane he said unsteadily 1 I am sorry she melted at once and began to scold him almost with tenderness what made you look at the scarecrow why you turn your back on him or if you had to look why you wave and say cheer up old chap summers coming and be on the job again to me theres something debonair in a scarecrow in summer he dances in the breeze and seems to fling de fiance to the crows he fell in with her mood but his defiance is all bluff how do you t know now if he keeps away a crow and adds an ear of corn to a farmers store he fulfilled his destiny oh if you want to put it that way I 1 suppose you are hinting that I 1 can keep away a crow or two im not hinting 11 A am telling it straight out they heard baldys step in the hall jane rising gave evans head a pat as she passed him you are thinking about yourself too much old dear stop it baldy ramping in demanded a detailed account of janes adventure and I 1 took briggs to market she told him gleefully midway ot of her recital you should have seer him he carried my parcels and offered advice baldy had no ears tor for briggs attractions tr did you get the things miss towne wanted we did we went to the house and I 1 waited in the car while mr towne had the bags packed he wanted me to go in but I 1 we brought her bags out with us chos we mr towne and 1 I myself she added the spectacular details do you mean that youve been playing around with him all day not all day baldy baidy part of it im not sure that I 1 like it why not A man like that he might fill your head with ideas CHAPTER VI baldy barnes faring forth to find edith towne on sunday morning was a figure as old as the ages youth in quest of romance it was very cold and the clouds were heavy with wind but neither cold nor clouds could damp his ardor at his journeys end was a lady with eyes of burning blue people were going to church as he came into the city and bells were ringing ging but presently he rode again in country silences he crossed the long bridge into virginia and followed the road to the south it was early and he met few cars yet had the way been packed with motors he would have still been alone in that world of imagination where he saw edith towne and that first wonderful moment of meeting ao 50 so tie he entered alexandria passing ina through the narrow streets that azeak speak so eloquently of history beyond the town was another stretch of road parallel to the broad stream and at last an ancient roadside inn of red brick with a garden at the back barren now but in summer a tangle of bloom with an expanse of reeds and water plants extending out into the river and a low spidery boat landing which showed black at this beasl season above the ice for years the old inn had been deserted until motor cars had brought back its vanished glories once more its wide doors were open there was nothing pretentious about it but baldy knew its reputation for genuine hospitality he wondered how edith had kept herself hidden in such a place it was amazing that no one had discovered her that some hint of her presence had not been given to the newspapers he found her in a quaint sitting room upstairs 1 I think she said to him as he came in that you are very good natured to take all this trouble for me it any trouble his assurance was gone with her hat off she was doubly wonderful he felt his youth and inexperience yet words came to him and I 1 do it for you I 1 did it for myself she laughed do you always say such nice things 1 I shall always say them to you and you mind really 11 jane would have recognized returning confidence in ahaz that cock of the head im just a page twanging a lyre TO ITO lih bf |