"SWEET FOR A SEASON”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 304, 26 December 1939, Page 9

"SWEET FOR A SEASON”

(By JOSEPH McCORD)

Synopsis of Preceding Instalments! Glada Lee worries licr mother because she dropped her university course after two years, went to the State Agricultural Collego and now is more interested in her successful chicken farm than her matrimonial prospects. Her father, Ed Lee, a lawyer, is Dale City’s leading citizen. Her older brothers, Bailey and Trevor, are married; Masters, the youngest, is engaged to Evelyn Barclay, and motherly Mary Leo feels that Glada is wasting her time. Mrs. Lee invites their good-looking young jiastor, the Rev. Lynn Stirling, to dinner. "When sho suggests later that Stirling would make a good husband Glada says she isn’t thinking of marriage. The next day the minister appears at the girl’s chicken farm and tells her ho loves her. Astounded, she is abrupt in her manner, but softens it becauso of his obvious sincerity. As he goes, he says, ‘* Some day—l intend to marry you.” When he next visits the Lees ho asks Glada to be his friend. Cobb Peters, her farm manager, breaks his leg and she gives Gern Jones, a down-and-outer, a job. He gives evidence of culture but has a puzzling manner. Tes Sidbury, heavy with make-up, goes to the farm and tcllß Glada that Masters has jilted her for “tho Barclay blonde.” She can’t face this, she says, must go away and will need 1,000 dollars. When Glada says sho hasn’t got the money and won’t ask her father for it, Tcss says sho will go to the Barclays, spoil the wedding and cost Masters his job. Glada phones Masters, arranges to meet him at Kendall and asks Gern to drive her as sho is very much upset. At Kendall sho gets into Master’s car and asks if what the Sidbury girl said is true. Masters Lee turned his face from Glada’s beseeching eyes. Her hand had come out and was resting on his arm; he covered the slim cold fingers with his warm palm. With a nervous flick of his left hand, he threw away his cigarette, scowling thoughtfully. “The answer to that should t)e pretty easy, dear. And it isn’t.” ‘‘Why isn’t it!” “To begin with.. You’d hardly understand.” “I’m not a child.” “I know you’re not, but. . • “Go on.” As he liestitated unccrtainly. “Well, then. She says she has a claim on me. I think the whole thing is a frame-up. And I can’t prove it Bo there you are.” “Somehow that doesn’t make sense, Masters. ’ ’ “I told you you wouldn’t understand. It was a party. I was a fool to be in on it, of course, but that doesn’t help just now. All of Us were drinking more or less and. ...” “You mean that you’re a little bazy about it all.” There was a suggestion of contempt in Glada's voice. “Weren’t any of the others sober enough to refresh your memory!” “If I had a decent alibi, I’d have trotted it out before this. Tcss has me where sho wants me, I guess. I don’t know her very well. She has always run around with a pretty swift buubh, but I’ve never heard anything against her reputation. It isn’t any question of her word being better than mine. If she starts something* v it doesn’t make much difference whether it’s true or not. It’s my finish Kcdron.” “Oh, Masters! How can you sit there and say it so calmly! It isn’t your finish only. Something has to be done. Quickly. You. . .you don’t care for that girl, you couldn’t!” “Don’t bo silly, Sis.” “What do you think she is going to do!” “I was so sure that she was bluffing at first that I told her to‘ go to the devil. Then, when I found there was more to it than sob stuff, I tried to fix it up with her. I haven’t any money But I told her I’d try to scrape up a hundred bucks if she’d drop it. I thought that would seem like a lot to her. But it didn’t. That was a week or more ago and I’ve neither heard from her nor seen her since. It’s been like sitting on a powder keg. And now it seems she’d lit the fuse. What was her offer to you! Not that it makes any odds. I wouldn’t let you give her a red cent.” “She didn’t make any demands exactly. But she let me know that she thought a thousand dollars would be about right.” “A thousand dollars!” “Yes, and I haven’t got that much, or anywhere near it. If I had, I’d give it to her. . . .if she would promise to go away. That’s what she claims she wants to do, as sho can’t stand to have Kcdron laugh atelier. I told licr she had to give me a week to see what I could do. That’s why I -wanted to see you at once. . . .to find out what you had to say.” “And I say nothing doing!” Masters exclaimed vehemently. “Why, sho can’t get away with that. It’s blackmail ! ’ ’ “Suppose it is,” Glada reminded him quietly. “Dad could handle that, though I imagine he’d rather pay the money. That’s out of the question, unless worse comes to worse. I dare say he would give me the money. But I’ve never kept back anything from him about the business. I wouldn’t know how to go about it. Besides, I happen to know that he’s not so well fixed for ready cash.” “No, we can’t let him know. Not until we have to.” “Well, wkat have you in mind! You must have been trying to work it out.” “Work it out! You mean butting my head against a stone wall. I can’t see any opening. I’m just waiting and wishing I were enough of a coward to take some easy way out. You can’t say anything that will make me feel worse than I do.” The utter despair in his voice brought quick tears to Glada’s eyes. “Believe it or not,” Masters went on, dully, “I’m crazy about Eve-

Instalment 11.

lyn. That’s the worst of all . • • poor kid.” “Masters!” “Well!” “I’ve been thinking so of her, I don’t know her very well. She seems so like a child, but perhaps she isn’t. What would happen if you were to tell her . . . everything?” “No! No! I can’t! She is a child in that respect. She’d never understand. I might just as well take a club and hit licr over the head. No, that’s out. If it breaks, I’ll have to go to old Barclay and tell all. It will be short and sweet, too. I don’t think lie’s been too warm over the idea of having me in the family. Ho’ll not let me see the kid again. And that will bo that.” “And what will you do?” “Does it matter much?” “Perhaps not. If it only were a matter of running out on yourself. But it isn’t. There is some way out of this. There has to be. We have a week left, if that woman’s word can bo depended upon.” “See here, Glada. You’re not going to have any truck with her. I won’t have it! Do you understand?” “I don’t think you are in a position to dictate, Masters. It seems to be a little late. You could have thought of that sooner. If there’s any way out, I have a right to hunt for it, do what I think best. I’m not going to stand by and see half a dozen lives spoiled, if I can help it. I only wish I knew what to do.” “There’s nothing to do.” “Oh, yes thero is. And your job is to carry on as if nothing had happened. You’ll do nothing and say nothing until you hear from me. I’m promising nothing at all. I’ve got to think this thing over from every angle. And I must be starting home. Tell Evelyn whatever you like . . . and give her my love.” “You ought to have a bite to eat first, Glada. Let me take you somewhere. If it’s only a cup of tea.” “I couldn’t.” “Well, hew about a little . . . stimulant. You look all in. And you have a driver, you know. ’ ’ “No. I don’t want to be a prude, but it doesn’t seem to mo I ever . . . “I get it. Want mo to run you back to/your car and chauffeur!” ‘•Please. I guess Gern will have had his supper. ” ‘ ‘ Gern ! ’ ’ “Gern Jones is his name.” She almost had said “like-in-fern.” How long ago that seemed. “Eunny name. Is he . . . circumspect, so far as you know?” “Quite.” The roadster was in the same place near the hotel. It was almost datk now, but Glada could see the Taint glow of a cigarette on the driver’s side when Masters halted his car on the opposite side of the'street. “Don’t get out,” sho told her brother quietly. “I’ll run over and get in. Don’t forget what I’ve told you.” “I won’t. You’re rather a . . . trump. I’m afraid it’s all of no use, but 1 appreciate it. I’ll get in touch with you some way, if anything happens. But I promise not to start it.” “Thanks. You’ll hear from me. Be a gooff boy.” “Good-night, dear.” Glada passed uround tho rear of the roadster and quietly opened the door on her sido before Gern seemed to be aware of her presence. “Ready to start back?” he inquired briefly. waiting so long. Did you have something to eat!” “It wasn’t long. I had my supper.” ‘‘ Then let's start back. I’ll drop you at the farm when we get there. I feel much better now.”

Gern made no reply but started the motor and swung out into the street. For some reason or other, Glada felt just a little uncomfortable. As'if Gern were slightly displeased. That was silly. Perhaps her meeting with Masters in tho street had looked a little odd, but it was none of Gern’s affair. Ho was her employee, nothing more. Something made her know instinctively that lie was too much of a gentleman to display any curiosity regarding her errand to Kendall and that he would not be likely to mention it. For Masters' sake, she ought to be sure. And yet it was not an easy topic to introduce. In the semi-darkness his profile looked a trifle forbidding. She never had noticed before what a firm lower jaw lie had. “Oh, Gern . . . ” “Yes, ma’am.” “Why, I was only going to day . . . “Excuse me,” lie interrupted almost roughly. “But if you’re starting to say you don’t want me to speak about coming over here, you can skip it. It’s none of my business and I’m not even interested.V “I wasn’t going to put it that way,” Glada said in a low voice. “That was my younger brother. It was a matter that lie . . . ” “Please!” Gern cut in. “I’m afraid I sounded rough and I didn’t mean to. It’s quite all right,” He relapsed into silence but Glada found hcrsolf thinking that he must have meant that last, for sho heard him humming to himself. Of course it might have been an added attempt to display his indifference. When the farm gate was reached, she asked him to stop the car. “I’ll let you walk up,” she suggested, “if you don’t mind. Thank you very much for the trip.” “You’d better let me take you to town,” ho countered, without offering to alight. “I don’t mind walking back. It’s nice out. ’ ’ “Of course not! I can manage perfectly well and it’s early. I’ll be home in ten minutes and have the car put away. Let me have the wheel, please.” Then, as ho still hesitated. “Irma’s all alone up there.” “Yeah? She told me to-day that Mr.

Peters might come home from the hospital to-morrow.” “Yes. Isn’t that splendid? The poor man has been worrying his head off. He can’t understand how we have managed to get on.” “Great.” Gern’s hands,had dropped from the wheel but he still made no move to leave the car. “I guess that means I’ll soon be washed up here.” “Why, no. It will be quite some time before Cobb can get about, not to mention working. Are you in a hurry to leave?” Glada could have bitten her tongue for asking that. Yet she wanted to know, for some reason. “Hurry?” Gern remarked musingly. “You couldn’t know what this has meant to me. And I’ve no business to try to make you know. Guess I’m spoiled . . . too much to eat and not enough to do.” He opened the door with a jerk and swung himself out of the car. *‘ If you ’ro sure you can make it, I won’t keep you any longer,” he said gruffly. “See you to-morrow. Good-night.” *‘ Good-night, Gern. Thank you again. * ’ Glada sent the roadster ahead with a jolt. She knew that Gern was standing in the darkness beside the gate watching after her, that ho would be watching until the first turn in the road hid the tail lamps. There was no reason why it should bring a little warmth into her heart. But it did. When she entered the house, she found Ed reading in tho library in the glow of his favourite lamp. “Hello,” he remarked casually. “Home again?” Your mother had a headache and toddled off to bed early. I didn’t feel sleepy and thought I’d sit up and improve my mind a bit.” Glada smilod at tho elaborate explanation. “Well, I’m safe and sound,” she assured him, keeping, her face in the shadows. Her voice must have betrayed her weariness. “Sure. We must have had an early dinner to-night. What do you say if we raid the ice-box and see if there's the makings of a couple of sandwiches? I could do with some tea, for that matter. ’ ’ (To be continued.)