Show THE LIFE OF T THE RE PARTY raw n mat no JORDAN C co inc 0 D appleton CHAPTER V continued Is 15 it follow then rex per misted that the children of such a patient would be in danger of inheriting heri ting insanity it certainly that b rain brain disturbance is a temporary condition replied dr crosby nothing retroactive the children of such a patient should be in no more danger of inheriting their mothers insanity than you are or I 1 am such cases of insanity ns anity he be developed warming a bit to the theme are matters of internal infection of poisoned gland conditions you understand them we dont understand them any too well ourselves but we do know that particular type of insanity hereditary and the patient often makes a full recovery from it it the doctor rose helen may I 1 use your telephone hale grinned apologetically he had made himself something of a nuisance thanks most awfully he got up also now for the gaieties of life he sighed rex made his farewells and started back to the camp through the woods it was almost six approaching a deep clump of trees through which the narrowing path ran he stopped short tor for a moment at the sound of voices his feet had made no noise on the sandy so soil through an opening he saw an impressive little picture twenty feet away it was composed of an empty basket a tiny new grave a red eyed jane and a small alert man thin faced and furtive eyed the man was smoothing fresh earth above the grave whistling under his his breath as he did so his cheerful notes were in sharp contrast to the bereaved expression of janes face and the nature of the he diggers occupation beat bait it now jane said ungraciously cious ly 1 I dont want you hangin around here the idee the man asked reproachfully aint I 1 come along jest in time to dig this here grave aint I 1 been mothers little helper all right gamme a break I 1 gotta finish the business this funeral delayed jane straightened from her tragic droop her manner was that of one ready and willing to go into action jim haines she broke out you aint goin to do no business here how many times have I 1 told you that the man stamped the fresh earth into place about the grave and straightened slowly he handed jane the shovel he had been wielding and showed her a row of discolored teeth Is that so he asked cheerfully now ill talk I 1 dont leave these woods till I 1 see one of them old dames get me hale had recognized the fellow it was the unpleasant stranger he had seen in the moonlight the night of his arrival he had been having some sort of rendezvous then with miss hosanna what association could he have with the old dames hale pricked up his ears and listened shamelessly the he man went on get this too baby the dame im out for Is the one from N york I 1 do wants wanta see the fat old dame you work for ashes a tightwad tight wad she is all she give me las time was three dollars three dollars said it was au all she had he spat disgustedly the other dames got the right idee idec she coughs up a five spot jim haines jane said firmly you know what im goin to do to youa you im goin goia to put you in the hands of the police po lice says you haines was still good humored you am have you sellin that filthy stuff here if U mrs spencer forbes wants it let her go in town and get it like she used to I 1 aint goin gaui to have miss hosanna gettin into no trouble tor for her even if mrs spencer forbes is a sick woman like she says she is he yawned dawned hop it baby I 1 bet that forbes dame is chinkin th inkin bout me this minute youre keep in D her ber waltin wailin ill hop it jane added incisively 1 I dont care if you are my husband im ti tellin the police yeah an gom goin to happen to our angel child when hen you do that my girl shell like daddy at sing sing she will shell like leavin that beardin board bo ardin Ln school ashes in say suddenly the man good humored up till now became venomous it if I 1 hear any more talk about the police po lice ill shut that thai trap of yours for or good he snarled now be on your way wait a minute haines hale stepped from behind the trees and ana faced the startled couple better run horne home jane he advised 1 ive I ve a few private words for your husbands bands ear haines was squirming looking round around him like a co cornered neLd rat shut up haines im doing the talking one minute jane ive a question to ask you how much dope has this man been supplying to halcyon camp only a little sir just a little bit tor for mrs spencer forbes it really only I 1 hate to have him sellin it to anyone listen big boy I 1 aint got outa that dame to buy me a pack of cigarettes haines volunteered shrilly 1 I waste no time on her only I 1 got other customers right near here shut up you say mrs spencer forbes take much jane how much does she take how often does docs she get ita it I 1 want the truth only bout twice a month mr hale honest and only a couple powders then I 1 heard her tell miss hosanna shed never be a addick she says she knows too well what it means she takes it as a spree like doncet in a while you know sir the way men gets drunk ashes all right haines contributed eagerly ashes a baby at it why were not going to let her go on now haines heres relieved he crossed the room to the closet changed his coat tor for a thin blazer and his shoes tor for slippers and started back toward the davenport between the windows his idea was to stretch out there relax and make some plans tor for the eve bing on the way he stopped and poured out a glass of ice water from the thermos bottle that always stood on the table at the head of his bed it was a day that called tor for colo drinks and mrs nases iced tea excellent though it had been had not wholly quenched his thirst he drank the water almost at a gulp went on to the davenport and stretched himself out on it at full length the moment of comfort he experienced as he did so was the last he enjoyed tor for several hours almost immediately he was in the bathroom actively and most vio bently ill at first even during the paroxysms of acute nausea that as sailed him he was not alarmed nor suspicious several glasses ot of iced feed tea and one long glass ot of ico aco water drunk in quick succession on an extremely hot day might upset the most accommodating stomach nevertheless the paroxysms were horribly severe and growing more so the world turned black he had just time to reach tor for a flask bask of brandy on the shelf above his washbowl wash wish bowl before he felt himself falling lie he went down with a crash and heard that too then in some black and distant world he be was tumbling with a flask trying to get the cap oft off it trying to raise it to his bis mouth he got a little of the brandy it help much he lost it almost immediately in another rending paroxysm of nausea his mining experiences in remote places had taught him something of first aid by the time the dinner gong sounded he was able to summon banks and tell him almost naturally that he was a bit under the weather and would not appear FRI if J 11 J a i 2 e e you aint goin to do no business here my last word to you it if I 1 ever see you around this camp again or talking to any ot of the people in it ill give your name to the police and give jane the third degree and get your address we wont have any more dope peddling in this part ot of long island ha have v e 1 I made myself clear what right i haines broke into a whine say ill keep ote off your place all right but I 1 tell ye I 1 got other customers near here if you like well walk over to the police station now ill show you there what right I 1 have hale said cheerfully want to come haines gave him a black look another thing hale went on dont send anyone else in your place ill be on the watch the next man that shows up with dope will go straight to the station house the day after that well have you there too I 1 remind you haines that the police dont like dope peddlers they dont like them at all now clear out haines looked at him a moment his flat head lowered then he turned and disappeared among the trees A little later hale heard the rattle of his car starting on its return journey through the woods CHAPTER VI hale deliberately avoided the members of the house party when he got back to the camp he heard their voices in m the living room as he entered the hall they were having tea and cocktails but he went up to his room As he opened the door he be cast an apprehensive glance around him there were no notes or dead animals in sight at the table he sent his apologies to miss hosanna and added that later in the evening he would come down he locked the door to discourage callers an hour later he found an empty bottle in the bathroom sterilized it and took it to the carafe for filling it was possible of course that in new york he had eaten something injurious but it if so it was not probable that it would have waited this long to inconvenience him he inverted the carafe over the bottle and stared only a few drops came forth the carafe which heretofore had always held several glasses of water today had exactly one just enough to fill the glass that stood beside it he had filled that glass and drunk its contents the few drops remaining in the bottom were hardly enough of course tor for a satisfactory analysis nevertheless he added them to the drops from the carafe corked the bottle securely and hid it in his traveling case his mental processes were clearing no one had meant to poison him but someone had desired to make him desperate ly sick and had certainly succeeded in doing so A little after nine he went down to the living room he found the usual house group increased by mrs nash she looked a trifle flamboyant but very charming in a f flame 1 am e hued hue d c evening ve nin g g gown 0 w n she g greeted reet e d h him i m w with it h a h handclasp an d c 1 sp and n d an n anxious glance A touch of 0 sun he quoted lightly and she nodded you see ive come from cool resorts like spain I 1 wilt like a flower under new yorks tropical climate the next time you wilt mrs nash invited in an undertone corne come over to my camp and do it ill feel eel easier about you it if you will promise that he did not promise and she press the point instead she abetted him in a program that began with old fashioned games and ended in dancing ile he directed but did not take part in these diversions the old fashioned games made a hit as they had done before dancing followed but proved less popular noone no one seemed to care to dance with anyone else admitting this there was no reason why the dancing should continue it did however on the tacit understanding that a change might mean something worse when at mrs nases suggestion the affair became an old fashioned barn dance ha hale le led forth miss hosanna and took her triumphantly through a quadrille he was feeling more like himself but what he really wanted was wa s his bed it was miss hosanna who gave him his accolade that night she had been delighted by the interest mrs spencer forbes had shown during the evening again and again he had observed her sitting quietly in her pet chair watching her ber friend with the rapt expression she usually wore when that friend talked it was increasingly clear that anything which plea pleased sed mrs spencer forbes enchanted miss hosanna when the group parted on the upper landing miss hosanna looked at hale with real emotion in her pale eyes are you sure you feel quite well again she asked anxiously perfectly sure miss aliss hosanna im all right now you have brightened us up so much she said she added unexpectedly 1 I begin to wonder how we got along without you TO KE BE CONTINUED |