| Show MR IM MM M M M M IBM 12 nt OF TIM L nam ai L I 1 A arts 11 13 rai FT 19 tow hit ID R 0 D appleton Ap ploton cerit ry co iris inc service I 1 I 1 chal VR all 18 hale had no desire to linger in new york the weather was still torrid and he thought longingly ol of the wash of the waves on the beach beyond his windows at halcyon camp on friday he gave his attention to a few odds and ends that noon he lunched comfortably at the engineers club and he took an n early afternoon train for long island he was ready tor for ainsworth now but he had no intention of rushing the conference with him hales plan was to see joan as soon as he returned and persuade her to go out in the motorboat motor boat or take a walk in the woods his statement ol of the craig affair had been formally prepared with the aid of mr phelps and impressively typewritten in that gent lemans office it would be wise to have the signatures added to it while the memory of craigs activities was s still green at halcyon camp but joan was not to be seen when he reached there indeed every member of the group was apparently taking a siesta except mrs spener forbes she was stretched out on the couch hammock on the front porch which was now in the shade and she held a magazine upside down she welcomed rex with flattering warmth he sat down on the hammock beside her 1 I never closed my eyes last ni night ht she announced somewhat wearily young mr hale went into action and assured her that such eyes should never be closed 1 I was thinking ot of you she continued of course you were you have bave a sympathetic heart you realized what our hours of separation meant to me for once mrs spencer forbes refused an invitation to play verbal ping pong all I 1 realized she explained crisply is that in some way youve got rid nd of craig I 1 want to know how you did it I 1 cant breathe deeply until I 1 do know you know why I 1 got rid of him dont you 1 I can imagine it without any strain you knew exactly what was going on you yes I 1 suppose I 1 did it seemed so incredible that I 1 be quite sure I 1 was right you knew hale said firmly you and ainsworth must have caught on very early in the action yet have let it go on without lifting a hand to stop it till young kneeland ecland cracked lady the discovery has been a blow to me wheres the big womanly vo manly heart ive been trying to win your motto is live and let live it no its even stronger than that my friend her strange eyes met his with an odd expression she added deliberately my motto is die and let die he nodded all right the way you feel eel you admit that you know and have known for weeks perhaps for months what craig was trying to do to young kneeland youve known you 1 I think so A good prosecuting attorney was certainly lost in you rex I 1 rather like it she added cheerfully 1 I enjoy seeing you filled with such righteous wrath that thai your eyes take fire and your red hair stands on end now be a good boy find and tell aunty aulty how you got rid ot of craig it was easy I 1 told him the game was up I 1 told him id start proceedings to have his license revoked lf it he clear out naturally he cleared that reminds me ive got the complaint here to be signed by us all as witnesses it will never be used unless he makes more trouble are you altruistic enough to sign it she she shrugged 1 I suppose so I 1 care to appear in such a proceeding but of course hell see that it never comes up one of the things a doctor cant risk now what are you frowning over im frowning because I 1 cant make myself believe even yet that you would really have sat through the summer and watched that devil drive that boy off his head without raising a hand to help him mrs spencer forbes looked patient youre beginning to bore me rex she assured him but ill play with you a little longer you be so sentimental herbert kneeland ecland a boy iles hes a man twenty two years old but hes a weakling and I 1 much use for weaklings wea klings lets change the subject I 1 suppose she added briskly youre going after ainsworth now 1 I 1 certainly am she fingered her magazine 1 I know ainsworth has casper kneeland celand by the short hairs she murmured 1 I dont know how he got the grip I 1 suppose its a mat ter of blackmail not exactly by the way I 1 met a friend of yours in new york the other day her lips curled you would they swarm around me which ot of the multitude was this george stuyvesant like ainsworth he was a classmate of mine at cornell her cold face warmed a trifle george Is a nice boy she testified and honore is one of my best friends I 1 dont go in much tor for the softer emotions but I 1 get quite mellow when I 1 think of george gcorge and his mother 1 I asked him what there was about you that I 1 understand hale grinned he told me to ask you ho he said you would certainly tell me her face hardened again im not sure ill do anything of the sort she said curtly 1 I dont see why I 1 have a few feminine anine reserves even it if you have lived in spain and learned some spanish love songs however sing yes ill sign since the show is over she wrote her negligent scrawl under Kne elands name made a bot blot swore mildly and handed back the pen and the statement then she looked up at the young man with a malicious light in her eyes 1 I have said that I 1 was bored this afternoon she suddenly admitted 1 I was interested I 1 am still im very much interested rex folded the complaint and put it in his pocket something warns me this Is not a compliment he admitted what interests you mrs spencer forbes shook her head her eyes had in them the flickering lights of a pale star sapphire your myopia she said sweetly my myopia R rex ex was mystified yes you think youre seeing very clearly you think youre seeing a whole lot As a matter of 0 fact my young friend in your absorption in doctor craig and fred an arm and came face to tace face with joan she had been out lor for a walk she looked warm and tired but her lace face brightened when she saw him what you need he said promptly is a cool swim before tea get your bathing suit and come along what a masterful young man it is she murmured admiringly what would you do to me it I 1 obey toss you from here to the beach with one easy graceful swing that be so bad ive walked all I 1 want to and the woods were hot however go on signor signer mussolini I 1 will join you on the beach ill wait here till you come and carry your bathing suit something warns me you would sag under the weight of it his eyes were anxious as they followed her she looked all in the discovery had an extraordinary effect on him it puzzled and depressed him to a surprising degree it filled him with a conviction that something had to be done about t I 1 1 I know ainsworth Ams worth has casper kneeland by the short hairs them to me tonight and ill probably babble all you want to know hale met her eyes squarely 1 I dont need to he told her in alow a low voice 1 I know now she could not be said to change color her color never changed but her expression became harder and very watchful she spoke however as lightly as before my life is an open book who directed your attention to chapter thirteen A most unpleasant person who answers to the name of jim haines I 1 kicked him out of the woods back of here the other day she frowned owned tr now you really are becoming annoying she said sharply 1 I 1 dont allow any interference whatever evar with my private affairs please remember that if youve kicked jim haines out of this neighborhood kindly kick him back again and be quick about it hale kept his eyes on hers you dont really want him he said gently confess that you dont youre too levelheaded level headed why should you play with hellfire hell fire and why the devil should you drag poor miss hosanna into it mrs spencer forbes sat cat up p very straight and faced him with a complete change of expression now see here my lad she said incisively this amusing any more surely youre not fool enough to believe that hosanna kneeland ever no im not and I 1 dont but I 1 want her to stay as she is tell me something Is there any really normal human being at halcyon camp aside from miss hosanna and joan and me mrs spencer forbes sent him an odd little smile normal human beings are horribly dull she observed 1 I much use for them myself hale got up abruptly 1 I think ill have a swim before tea he announced where is everybody ery body anyhow mrs spencer forbes 1 laughed all having their beauty sleep except bert ile he has gone out in his boat with the nash cub the others wont be down tor for an hour have plenty of time tor for a swim id go with you but im all freshly enameled in preparation for your return and id crack I 1 dont mind adding she ended de pres sedly that youve been a sad disappointment to me this afternoon bury the memory ot it under a good deed hale took look out his legal papers and his fountain pen sign this right hight here under uncle cass name ile he signed last night erick crick ainsworth you have been blind as a bat to something more important than either of them it has been going on right under your eyes ive been watching it for two months it is developing quite last fast but you my little star ol of bethlehem you who have been lighting up all our dark corners the least suspicion of it youre as blind as the proverbial bat hale took a quick turn around the room and then walked back to her be a good sport he urged tell me what youre driving at not for the wealth of ormus and ot of ind she quoted that would be a flat contradiction of all my theories im the innocent bystander in this matter im going to keep on being that pleasant reflections in the water 0 star of 0 bethlehem hale hurried off to his room to get his bathing suit he was deeply disturbed he had developed no faith at all in mrs spencer forbes during their association but he had a strong impression that for once at least she was really saying something his mind was lull full of this surprising theory when he descended the fr front rit steps with his bis bathing suit over it at once why should a girl with youth beauty money and the figure of a young amazon go about looking like the last survivor of a greek tragedy she came down almost at once that must weigh all of two ounces she jibed as he took the bathing suit from her she added without giving him time to reply bert told me what you had done for him did you realize what was going 11 on she stopped short to stare at him i what a question she brought out indignantly do you think id have let it continue another minute if I 1 had I 1 saw that bert was losing ground all the time and that doctor craig helping him I 1 thought it was wholly a case of nerves I 1 dare to interfere doctor craig has been his closest friend im sure id have caught on to it long ago go except that we all seemed to be under the harrow whichever way I 1 looked there was something something well depressing is the mildest word for it I 1 thought it was my own condition I 1 thought I 1 was imagining things but thank god that horror is out of the way TO BE CONTINUED |
