CHAPTER VII
Young Celia Banlette has
come home to Lathamtinvn and a
family she hardly knows. "Those
Crazy Bartlettes," people always
called them. He: parents, vailed
Ma’ Sue and Buzz by all of '.heir
children, had led an unusual life.
Celia had been adopted hv her
aunt when a baby because the
Bartlettes were tumping in vaude
ville and that was no t-laee tor a
baby. When they had retired to
tlie Lambert honu. other- children
came along— Pi te, tip coy and
all the crazy Baviletts ami ~he
r.'ccls unwanted and *<•> i - V i
ly. Then there is young, red-!iri”;
ed Rusty Randolph, a house guest,
whom she doesn't seem to ok.-.
She doesn’t know why, either.
.Rusty tells Celia why in' intends
to fight shy of the |ov« dug and
she also confides in h.ir
Rusty nodded. "And so y,>u‘re'
fighting shy ot the Uwv hug.
too,” he said with a deliberate
attempt at lightness. us fiiougM
the emotion which they had in-'
experienced together had becom«
unbearable.
Celia 'tried desperately hard to
laugh. "Oh. I'm immune now,
she tobl him, with an effort at
lightness that tried to match his
'"Veil little idiot!" he protested
almost violently. "Pont you
know thatV whe.n you're most
apt to get hurt.’ You've heard tv
bout the rebound thing, haven't
Now she managed the laugh,
but it wasn’t very convincing.
-Oh. after .ylartin. any other
man seem,. tame and dull and un
interesting!" she sank
Rusty eyed her ruefully. "Don.;
ever say that to any other man.
It's a challenge, puts his back up.
sets him to work, and first tnin_r
you know you're off to tlv races
again!" He warned her. "With me
you're perfectly safe, ot course.
"Meaning that I'm not your
type?" she flashed >n resentment.
Bugs Donovan and Doc Harper
■ arrived the following afternoon in
'the station wagon with Honey,
And Honey, sniudged and grimy
in her work-stained clothe!, wa;
weak with laughter when she
stopped the ear anjl the two men
got out. Bugs was five feet five
and skinny. His thin, nat row
tare was newly Brown and wore a
t oi lorn look; his mouth Was big
and, beneath his small, slightly
e rooked nose, looked enormous.
Hoe Harper, on the othei hand,
was fall and heavily built, though
not yet fat. He was still a hand
some man, with a thick shock of
white hair, eyes that were coldly
blue, a nn'uth that was thin up
ped. and a voice that iva; a little
querulous. His clothes were well
cut, well brushed ami neat, but
far from new.
Buzz welcomed them with
frank delight; Mary Sue was
glad to see them.
Rusty was introduced and
Bugs looked at him sliarpely.
“Old Kandy's son? Well, 1 m
dam——er—darned.’ he checked
himself elaborately, “llows the
MWWrtWWVV.W.VWW.VASSVVWMVVWiWAVtV^VW'.WVAW.W-.WTr
I Established 1907 Insurance that Insures
The Best Insurance
Fire Automobile Liability
^ Business Houses, Stocks Goods, Dwellings, Household
IFurniturej Farm Dwellings and All Buildings.
Automobile Protection Cheap in The Travelers which
is the Oldest and Best.
DAVID P. DELLINGER
Cherryville, N. C.
Always Accommodating Phones: 4431 - 4681
g«e©©gt
| GOLDINERS |
1 ARE COMPLETELY STOCKED FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS!
I SHOPPING THIS YEAR. CALL IN AND SEE OUR LINE. I
I DISTINCTIVE GIFTS FOR ALL 1
GIFTS FOR LADIES
A new Supply of Beautiful
Dresses for the Christmas
Season - All colors, sizes
and styles.
SWEATERS
In Lovely Shades - Make
Useful GIFTS- <
GIFTS FOR MEN
WOOL SCARFS
HOUSE SHOES
GIFT ROBES
GLOVES
BELT SETS
SOX, SHIRTS, TIES.
M
S
fa
m
&
old boy?” #
‘‘My £ath ev died n|nt» years
ago,” said Rusty.
neu—»r—gosn, t m «orry,
said Bugs quite sincerely.
Dinnar flhat night was com
pletely hilarious. Bugs proved to
be what Buz;: cahesi "a natural. ’
He had a seemingly inexhaustible
fund of stories, some of them
frankly ribala, a rew even border
ing faintly on the blue; but the
tact that he would embark on one
of these stories and be well into
the middle of it before he realized
vvthere lie was gc*.ng, and then
his frantic attempts to "clean up
the gag" without spoiling the
story, only added to the amuse
ment of the others.
Doe turned to Rusty and asked
jquitely, "Have you been, or*are
you just going'.’"
Rusty smiled. “Thanks, I've
been. ' he answered.
"I thought so," said Doc quite
ly. ‘‘I saw a hunch of fellows in
'Florida that had been—around
[the log hnspitais and the AAA
I Redistribution Center. 1 got to
the point where I could tell, ai
Imost as much from a fellows look
as front his ribbons, whether he •1
I been over 01 not. i imagine it ;J
i quite a war'."
) "Quite," said Rusty, and now
I his lace was set and hard. “A bit
'tugged, but—-you've got to take
i it."
| Doc nodded. "Bugs and 1 did
m bit of entertaining for tire fel
lows down there, ue said q’.uteiy.
| "Bugs can still hoof a bit—"
“And o' course, Doc did "Alati
' da lay" for some of the fellows
that hadn't been there," said
Bug's sweetly.
' Utlly by request, datum
you'." blitzed I>oc, stung to the
"Boys, boys,'-’ said Mary Sue,
as though they had been about
live years old. "Bugs, I wont
have you teasing Doe—and Doc,
you re going to sing for us after
dinner, aren’t you?”
"My dear lady, nothing would
make nte happier," said Doc,
beaming.
"Oh, migawd." moaned Bugs.
"..Vow you went and done it!
"Mandalay" again!"
“And you're going to dance for
us, aren't you, Bugs-i" coaxed
M-ary Sue gently.
Bugs beamed as warmly as Doc,
and Celia, under cover of the
(light talk and the laughter, stud
ied Mary Sue with eyes that had
grown brighter and sharper since
last night. She could see, too, the
ghost of pain behind the blue eyes
and the faint, almost impercep
tible lines about the determinedly
' shilling mouth. Once, as dinner
j progressed, Celia saw Mary Sue's
'hand clutch the corner of the
(table and saw her sit very still,
scarcely seeming t- breathe. Ce
| lia's eyes fled to Bt; z at the foot
I of tiie table, and saw him watch
ing Mary Sue unobtrusively, but
with such an agony of appre
hension and love in hi. eyes th.it
her own were filled.
Rusty, besnle Celia, droppeu
his napkin and as he bent to pics
it up, he whispered sternly,
"Watch it! Careful, there!”
“I'm sorry,’ she said under her
breath to Rusty, and Rusty's ham.
dropped from sight beneath tin
j table and touched her own m
: silent understanding and comfort.'
After dinuet, ;n the shabby,
i comfortable old liv ing room, the'
'rugs were kicked back, and Doc
sealed himself at the piano and
sang. His voice was still good,
though not as certain as m the
old days; once or twice he went
flat on a note and the scarlet
[that flowed into his plump, hand
some face was painful to note.
He sang song after song that
Buzz and Mary Sue lxeuested,
[and then, with the- rugs already
pushed back, Bugs danced,
danced until he was flushed an
his breath came hard. He was
just in the midst of demonstrat
ing one of his famous “legmania"
steps when Celia looked up to
ward the open doorway and saw
Min Mallory standing there.
Win Mallory stood framed in
the doorway, amused, and for
the moment forgetful he was an
uninvited guests.
Delia rose swiftly, her face
scarlet, and crossed the room to
| "Hello!” said Win eagerly, as
I she came closer. "I'm sorry to
intrude, but the’door was open
land nobotiy heard my knock.
I There was music and laughter
[and it sounded like a good party,
iso I'm afraid I just came on in."
| "Of course," said Celia, and
knew that she sounded stiff ami
-almost rude. "We're delighted—
do come in and meet everybody.”
Win had accepted the chair
someone had offeretl and had
urgd Bug, to go on dancing, hut
Bugs had said brefly, “Ain't got
the wind for it liKe I useta have. ’
Win accepted the curt refusal
with good grace and turned to
Doc and said amiably, “I'm
sorry—I didn't mean to break up
the entertainment. Did 1 hea.
somebody singing?”
"What did it sound like?" Doc
snapped.
Bugs chuckled and said drylv,
“Boy you left yourself wide open
for a comeback on that one!'
He turned suddenly to Win and
asked blandly, “You don't want
to hear “The Road to Mandalay,”
do you?”
Win Inoked startled. “Good
heavens, no! Does anybody —
Win laughed, said good night
ito the others and, obviously very
I pleased, walked with her out of
the house and across the lawn
His car stood m the driveway and
he swung open the door and help
ed her into it. For a moment he
stohod beside her, looking down
at her, and at rast he said quietly,
"I’ve been pretty worried about
“Have you?” Celia asked.
“I have!” said Win firmly. “I
was afraid that maybe you’d—
well, that you had blacklisted us
like everybody else around hei" ^
has done.” , „,, j
"Oh, but that’. silly! Why
should I? I mean, after all—well,
I’m uot doing anything for the
war myself, so why should I
blame you?’ '
Win looked at her curiouslv.
“Aind then all of a sudden
you woke uup and realized you'd
been slacking and looked around
you for some activity that would
help promote the war?” he asked,
a tone almost of raillery in his
Celia looked up at him and
said quietly. “Now that you men
tion it, 1 think I have!”
Win smiled. It was the warm,
affectionate smile an indulgent
parent gives to a small and be
loved child gravely intent on its
own matters of importance.
"Such as what, for instance?
The Wacs, the — the lady Ma
rine?” he said lightly.
She shook tier Head. “No—the
shipyard, with Honey tomorrow,"
and was as much surprise at the
decision as Win was. She had had
no more idea of making that deci
sion than she Tiad had of flying
> the moon. It just didn’t make
cnee. She had not read a stirring
book, or seen a dramatic movie,or
listened** to an emotional response;
nobody had tried to point out the
folly and the selfishness of her re
fusal to take a hand in the war.
Suddenly the decision was there,
and where it came from she had
no idea.
Win said roughly startled out
of his light mood, "Oh. for good
ness, sake, Celia—use your head!
Be sensible! What in the world
ever grave you that crazy idea '
••I—don't know," she admitted,
a little confused and bewildered.
"Nobody is responsible. Win- 1
don't want to work 1T1 the ship
yard, and I’ll probably hate the
work" and maybe I won't even be
any good at it, hutu—-well Im so
completely use'ess! All 1 do is kdl
time, ami that’s murder of a
kind.”
Win bent over her and said very
gently, "l ook Celia—if what you
want to do ts occupy your time,
how about marrying me? I ll guar
antee to keep you busy!”
Celia was very still for it mo
ment, and then she laughed a little
and said, "Very funny—if you
care for that kind ot joke."
Win caught her by the shoulders
ami shook her, not mo gently.
(‘Who’s joking, you little idiot? l>o
you suppose I wanted Co tall ra
love with you? !t‘ so. \ . a re very
much mistaken. I liked being
heart-whole and fancy-free and
playing the field! And then, dam
mit, you came along and I knew
1 was sunk! I'm crazy about you!
I'm perfectly miserable when you
are not around, and it would lie
an act of charity if you'd mal e
up your mind to marry mo --
Celia said shakily. “Thi, is
crazy. You’re not m love wi*h
“Want, to bet?"
His arms were about her now,
lifting her, holding her close a
gainst him. One hand cupped
chitr and tilted it'upward and he
bent his handsome head and set
i.u mouth against hers in a kiss
that left her breathless. When at
last he lifted his head, his eyes
were gleaming and his face was
white tn the moonlight.
“You felt that too, Celia. Don't
rtr> to deny it, because I know!
And you kissed me, too. It wasn t
all on mv side, Celia! You care,
too." he told her swiftly, his voice
shaken, very low, and rough with
emotion. *
Celia was trembling, and if it
bad not been for nts arms about
her. holding her, she could not
have stood erect.
•Yes,'’ she told him unsteadily
and with something very like panic
in her heart. "Yes—I care, too!
Celia awoke in the morning with
the startled feeling.that something
very wonderful had happened to
her* At first she could not quite
remember what it was. And then
it came back to her. Cast night
Win .Mallory had held her close
m his arms and asked her to marry,
him. And dtp had promised—not
m so many words, of course, hut.
at least she had given him to un
derstand that she would.
| (TO HP] CONTINUED)
USE EAGLE ADS
n
i
M
*3
Come To Toy land!,
SANTA MADE HIS FIRST STOP AT CUR STORE f|
OF TOYS AND LEFT BEHIND MANY CHRISTMAS i>%
FAVORITES AND NEW PLAY THINGS. EVERY ft
THING FROM FIRE TRUCKS TO DOLLS AND NEW g
WOODEN FUN MAKERS TO GIVE PLAY TIME g
JOYS FOR MANY BUSY HOURS. COME AND g
BRING THE YOUNGSTERS TOC! LET THEM ft
POINT OUT THE THINGS THEY WANT FOR ft
CHRISMAS. &
Give Auto Accessories 1
THE B. F. GOODRICH TIRES AND TUBES COMING SOON |
s/
^ ALL TYPE
i OF
f ANTI-FREEZE
W **>A *•**
GOODRICH
BATTERIES
With 18 Months
GUARANTEE
i
: MOPILIGHT 5
I SPOT LIGHTS |
i SEAL3EAM 5
FOG LIGHTS
BICYCLE PARTS AND ACCESSORIES