Thursday, October 31, 1940
Iv* S JMM
CHAPTER m
Synopsis
Audrey Swan, nicknamed
"Circle," is the only child of a
* highly respected horse trainer.
His farm adjoins the estate of
Judge Castle, whose only son,
Jeffrey, has recently returned
to Parville expecting to work in
his father's law office. Audrey
and Jeffrey have been lifelong
friends and now Jeffrey is in
[ teres ted in another girl, Olive
Cooper, whom he has met
abroad. Mrs. CaStle invites
Olive for a week-end visit. Au
drey meets Vic Quinn at a din
ner party at the Castle home.
A. few minutes later she hears
Oti v e addressed as "Mrs."
Judge Castle's booming voice
pierces her bewilderment.
"Upon my word, if it isn't my
little girl! Audrey, you've quite
grown up . . . and into a very
winsome young lady. Eh,
Louise?"
| "Yes, indeed!" Mrs. Castle's
i hand, plump and beringed, ap
peared at a formal elevation. "So
pleased to have you here, my
dear." Then as the butler ap
peared at the door with an an
nouncement that dinner was
served, "Victor, dear, you are tak
ing Miss Swan in. See that she
is nicely taken care of."
i "To the death," that young
man promised gravely, offering
i his arm. By the time she was
r seated, Audrey reached the con
clusion that she quite approved
of Victor Quinn.
He wasn't handsome, like Jeff.
But he was very much alive and
very interesting. There was a
tongue-in-cheek quality to his
l remarks and the suspicion of a
twinkle in the deep-set gray eyes.
"It seems to me Jeffrey said
you were a school friend," she
suggested politely to break a
somewhat awkward silence.
"More than a friend," Victor
admitted. He lowered his voice
to a confidential tone. "You see,
Jeff doesn't care for the law. I
had to, and it was due to me that
he didn't flunk out. God help
him if he ever tries the State
exam!"
Audrey laid her bouillon spoon
aside and lifted her napkin to
her lips, controlling an impulse
to choke. Mr. Quinn's next re
mark was no help. He must have
been watching her but he looked
the other way as he observed
gently: "That's the cutest little
trick your nose did just then."
"Don't you like it?" was the de
mure retort. "I can't help it."
"Of course I do. Only it makes
me feel that I should offer you a
bit of carrot. I was prepared to
like you, Audrey Swan. But not
so completely. I had a pet rab
bit once and I loved it."
"I believe I like you, too, Mr.
- Quinn. In spite of your mem
ories."
"Then call me Vic. We're old
friends now."
After dinner the general con
versation seemed to languish and
the party revealed an inclination
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to separate into groups. "Look,
Audrey," Vic remarked sudden
ly. "That next room appears to
be the Judge's library. Let's slip
in and have a look and a smoke.
Mind?"
"I'd love to."
"Say! You know this is what
I call swell!" Vic stood by the
big table with its softly glowing
lamp, scanning the shelves that
lined all the available wall space,
reaching from floor to ceiling.
Audrey stood with her back to
the table, leaning her weight on
her two palms. A long time since
she had been in this room, 1 and
the familiar surroundings brought
a little pang. Like homesickness.
She was recalled to the present
by Vic. He was regarding her
through half-closed eyes, his
head on one side. "What did you
want to ask me, Audrey?"
She looked up with a start, ut
terly discomfited by his shrewd
ness. "What made you think I
want to ask you anything?" was
her parrying retort.
"Deduction, my child. Didn't I
tell you I was a lawyer? So what
was it?'
"When you were telling me
about these people at dinner I
thought you were careful not to
include . . ."
"The guest of honor? Maybe I
was overly informative about the
rest. You're right. Would I have
been putting my finger on a ten
der spot?"
"That's ridiculous! Jeff told me
ever so much about her, only he
didn't happen to mention that
she was married. Or had b6en.
It did jolt me just a little when
he introduced us. I. wondered if
I misunderstood."
"No. You didn't misunder
stand. She was married about
two years ago. Still is. But the
mill is grinding."
"Oh! You mean she's getting a
divorce."
"It's in the bag, I happen to
know. I'm a sort of satellite of
Brand, Blumenthal and Brand.
We don't trifle with such cases
as a rule, but Olive's papa is the
great and only Harvey Harrison.
Hence Mr. Cooper. will be eased
out of the scene without any fan
fare of trumpets. And profitably,
too."
"Then I'm sorry for her."
"Umm .. . m." Vic was staring
through the drawing-room door.
"People in her circle have quaint
notions of marriage. It's like buy
ing a fur wrap. If the style
changes or you figure it isn't be
coming, you work it off on the
second-hand man and pick out
something different. You wouldn't
know about that."
"We're getting quite too
serious," Audrey decided. "Could
we dance?"
"The very thing I was going to
suggest," Vic declared. "It's my
one social grace.'
Victor Quinn proved to be an
accomplished dancer and Audrey
felt a momentary regret when
Jeff cut in after one circuit of the
big hall. "Not sorry you came?"
he asked almost at once.
"What do you think?"
"That if you're bored, you're
hiding it very well. You must
have cast a spell over Vic. He
always suspects lone females of
being on the prowl."
"Perhaps I am. I like him a
lot."
"Queer chap in many ways. No
money to speak of, but an entree
that no amount of dough can get
you. He's been a self-appointed
monitor to me and I don't mind
telling you I owe him a lot. He
probably has admitted it to you.
One day, he'll make his mark . . .
a high one. Say, Gygie?"
"Yes?"
"I know you haven't had any
chance yet to get acquainted,
but—"
"She's lovely, Jeff."
With her mother and father
for an interested audience, Au
drey had been detailing an ac
count of the Castle dinner over
her morning coffee and a cig
arette.
"Oh, Miss Audrey!"
The girl turned to see the
cook's face peering through the
kitchen door.
"What is it, Julia?"
"A man at the back door what
wants to see you."
"For goodness' sake!" Audrey
half rose from her chair, sank
back with a laugh. "It's Vic,
Mom. Show him in, Julia."
It was none other than Victor
Quinn who strolled in smilingly
and called a cheery greeting.
"Hello, Audrey! You're looking
very well indeed this morning."
"I am. Mr. Quinn, my mother."
"Mrs. Swan, I am delighted to
meet you. Please don't get up."
"Oh, we've finished breakfast
long ago," Audrey smiled. "We'll
find more comfortable chairs. It
may be pleasant out on the
porch."
"But I want to stay here," Vic
expostulated. "I want a cup of
coffee. That's what I came for.
Don't tell me I'm too late."
"Of course you're not!" Martha
exclaimed, taking refuge in a
burst of hospitality. "You sit
right down here with Audrey. I'll
have some hot coffee for you in
just a minute." She caught up
the pot and started out with it
then paused at the door to ask,
"Can't we fix you some bacon and
eggs, too? You must be hungry
after your walk."
"Well . . . "
"Of course you will."
"Do you mind telling me what
all this is about?" Audrey de
manded.
"That bunch up on the hill
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doesn't seem to go in for getting
up at all. I prowled all over the
place without seeing any sign of
life until I stumbled over a serf
working in the garden. By way
of making conversation I asked
him who lived in the pleasant
looking house I could see in the
distance. He told me. And here
I am. Oh, thank you!"
The last was for Julia who had
come padding in with the bacon
and eggs. Audrey poured her
guest's coffee and made toast.
"You know, Audrey ..." Vic
paused for a satisfying bite. "I
don't recall ever taking part in a
domestic scene like this. Not in
years, at all events. I can't tell
you how it makes me feel."
"I'm sorry we haven't a pet
rabbit for you."
"But I'd rather have you and
your nose," he grinned impudent
ly. "And that reminds me ... I
think you'll see a cavalcade of
sorts heading this way after a bit.
Jeff gave a glowing account of
your equine menagerie and Olive
was all set for an inspection."
The sound of the telephone bell
came from the hall. It was Jeff
rey Castle. "Hello, Audrey. Would
it be all right if some of us rode
over after, a bit? We want to
have a try at your bars, if you
don't mind. We'll all go for a
ride later, so be ready to join us."
"Maybe."
"Sure you can. Say, Cygie, Vic
is missing this morning. Nobody's
seen him."
"He's here." ,
"The devil you say! So it's as
bad as all that!"
"You win," she admitted to Vic
who stood smiling at her froni
the doorway. "Let's go."
When the stables were reached,
Audrey introduced the guest to
her father and admitted to a lit
tle feeling of relief at Vic's atti
tude. He displayed a keen in
terest in all that was shown him.
The two men were still deep in
their conversation when her ear
caught the pounding of hooves in
the lane.
"Company coming,' she an
nounced. "Let's go out to meet
them. You come too, Dad."
Audrey could not keep her ad
miring eyes from Olive's smiling
face and trim, erect figure. She
was even more attractive in her
riding clothes than in a dinner
gown, the girl acknowledged to
herself. Olive was mounted on
Eileen.
Jeff was looking particularly
well in new whipcord breeches,
his shirt open at the throat, bare
headed. The group chatted with z
gay informality, with the excep
tion of Anthony whose preoccu
pied attention was directed main
ly to Eileen's restless movements.
It wds Olive who created a di
version with a direct question to
Jeff. "Where are those jumps
you were telling me about, Jeff
rey? I'm anxious to try them. So
is this mare," she aded as Eileen
tossed her head fretfully.
"Over there in the paddock,"
he replied with an indicating
wave of his crop, then an uncer
tain look directed at Audrey.
"Aren't you saddled yet?"
"Go ahead," was her smiling
rejoinder. "I'll be with you pres
ently." She turned and rested
her arms on the top of the fence
watching the others ride away.
"Why doesn't Mr. Jeffrey tell
that young woman to go easy on
the curb?" Anthony's usually
mild voice carried a growl.
"That's what I'm thinking,"
Audrey agreed in a tense little
voice.
Vic took his place at the fence,
held by the undercurrent of anx
iety in the words he had just
heard. The trio stood in silence,
watching. They saw the horses
reined up some fifty yards from
the first set of bars, then Eileen
shot forward, urged into a swift
gallop.
Suddenly Anthony Swan, was
scrambling over the fence.
Sensing that some calamity
was imminent, Vic lifted Audrey
unceremoniously in his arms and
dropped her on the other side of
the white barrier, vaulting over
after her. He caught her hand
and the two raced after Anthony,
who had sprinted ahead.
It happened before they could
reach the scene. Eileen, head
thrown high, barely had her
forelegs over the top bar when
she crashed down, turned an al
most complete somersault and
flung her rider in a heap. By the
time the others came up, Jeff
had dismounted and was holding
Olive's limp figure in his arms.
Eileen had attempted to get to
her feet but had rolled on her
side and lay still.
(Continued Next Week)
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