Thursday, December 19, 1940
CHFCf^BD
CHAPTER X
Synopsis
Audrey Swan, nicknamed
"Cygie," is the only daughter of
a highly respected horse train
er whose farm adjoins the es
tate of Judge Castle. The
Judge's only son, Jeffrey, has
been Audrey's friend since
childhood. He is educated to
go into his father's law office
in Parville but marries Olive
Oooper, who scoffs at the idea
and flatly refuses to live in the
beautiful country house the
Judge buys as a wedding pres
ent for the young couple. Jeff's
college friend, Vic Quinn, falls
in love with Audrey, who does
t not reciprocate. Vic substitutes
for Jeff in Judge Castle's office
while he. is away. When he
hears of Jeff's decision not to
return, Vic goes to ask Audrey
if she objects to his remaining,
as the Judge has offered him a
partnership. He is with her
when she learns that her fath
er has lost his life saving a
drowning child. Audrey asks
Vic to notify Jeff. Jeff is in
the midst of an argument with
Olive about going to the fun
eral.
"Skip that, please, Olive. It's,
silly."
"Oh, yes? It should be, but it
fDo you suppose I haven't
able to see why it was so
for you to tear yourself
from that odious town and
you are always running back
i on the slightest provoca-
I've done everything I can
,to make you consider your self
respect, but this is intolerable."
Tears suddenly filled her dark
eyes. "Don't go, Jeff! f'm ask
ing you not to."
"I'm sorry, Olive, but I'll have
to go down there. I mean I'm go
ing." He went out into the hall
"*«rtthout looking back. And closed
trie door after him.
The brief services were about
to begin when Jeffrey entered the
little chapel the next morning
and dropped unobtrusively on a
bench at the rear. Almost at
once he discovered Audry and her
mother. A man and a woman sat
with them, relatives probably, but
strangers. Vic Quinn was there.
The little room was well filled,
but Jeffrey saw no sign of his
father or mother and it made
him resentful. It wouldn't have
' ttyrt him to come. After all, the
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Swans were their nearest neigh
bors.
When Jeffrey filed out with
the others, nodding to an occa
sional acquaintance, he stood ir
resolutely on the sidewalk until a
hand was laid on his arm and a
quiet voice said: "Glad you made
it, old man."
"Oh, hello, Vic. Sad business,
this."
As they moved off, Jeff re
marked: "I rather expected I'd
bump into the folks here. Maybe
it's just as well."
"Your father is up in the city,
Jeff. He said he would be back
this morning, but he hadn't
shown up when I left the office."
"Humm . . . m. If I were sure
I wouldn't barge into him, I'd
run out and say hello to Mother.
But I guess I'll be shoving back.
I don't feel up to another scene."
As he opened his car door, Vic
said quietly: "Jeff, if you can ar
range it, try to see Audrey be
fore you leave. I am sure she'd
appreciate it very much."
"Think so?" There was almost
an eagerness in the question.
"I know it. I called you the
other night at Audrey's request."
It cost Victor something to say
that, much as he tried to banish
the realization.
"Oh! Then I will drop in on my
way back. Thanks."
It was several hours later that
Jeffrey drove up to the Swan
home. Until he glanced back at
the stables standing without sign
of life, he had not realized how
different the place would be after
this. It was a relief to see that
there were no cars parked on the
drive. It was still more of a re
lief to have Audrey open the door
to him. Her face was still col
orless, but she managed a smile
of welcome.
"Cygie!"
"It was good of you to come,
Jeff."
♦ * «
After Anthony Swan's death,
the management of the family's
affairs seemed to pass involun
tarily into the hands of Attorney
Quinn. There was no one else to
whom Martha and Audrey could
turn and Victor was always
available.
Anthony had l§ft a modest
amount of money and securities
and the farm was unencumbered.
It was Martha's idea to convert
all the stock and equipment into
cash and perhaps sell all the
land except that occupied by the
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house and stables. She wanted
to remain in the home during her
lifetime.
But Victor had another sugges
tion. "I imagine it would be a
good idea to get rid of your
horses," he agreed. "I don't
know anything about values, but
I presume you can get oretty
nearly what they're worth. At
the present time, you will lose on
the land. What had you planned
to do, Audrey, to keep yourself
busy?"
"Why, nothing,' she answered.
"Just stay here with Mom.'
"Then why don't you carry on
for your father? On a small
scale."
"I hadn't thought of that," Au
drey mused. She turned to
Martha. "What do you think of
that, Mom?"
Mrs. Swan was crocheting and
she worked without looking up.
"It sounds like a good plan," she
said, when she came to the end
of a row. "You'll never be sat
isfied if you don't have horses to
fool with. I know that. And I
think your father would have
liked it."
"Then we'll call that set Wed,"
Victor decided. "When you get
ready for action, I'll be glad to
help."
"We'll wait until after the first
of the year," Martha offered un
expectedly. "Friday will be
Christmas. It will be just an
other day for us, Mr. Quinn, but
I'd be pleased if you would have
dinner with Audrey and me. If
you're going to be in town."
"Thank you, Mrs. Swan. I shall
be glad to come." He was more
than repaid for the simple an
swer by Audrey's eyes.
After considerable thought, he
decided upon a modest gift for
each of his hostesses, something
to which no sentimental value
could be attached. He was glad
that he had when the mail
brought him a little parcel a
woolen muffler from Mrs. Swan,
a dozen fine handkerchiefs from
Audrey.
The dinner, too, was saved
from being a momentary ordeal
when Audrey took occasion to tell
him in a matter-of-fact fashion:
"You're sitting in Dad's place,
Vic. We thought it would be
easier."
If only he could have read a
particular meaning into that! By
this time he might have hoped
for some encouragement in his
suit. But Tony Swan stood be
tween him and his desires as in-
inexorably as death itself. The
affair had been grimly ironical
from the beginning. Falling so
desperately in love with a strange
girl. All their contacts shadowed
by another man. And a man now
married and supposedly out of
the picture. There was many an
occasion when he could have
echoed Jeffrey Castle's sentiment
with whole-souled fervor —it was
terrible to be a gentleman.
At this same time. Jeffrey was
being put to it to uphold a rep
utation of that sort. For Olive
had undertaken to punish him
for his Parville trip by remaining
coldly aloof. Jeffrey had done
his best to ignore her attitude
and to maintain a friendly foot
ing, although some instinct warn
ed him that he would be making
a mistake in going too far in the
matter of a reconciliation. An
abject surrender would make the
future more difficult than ever,
and if there must be another un
pleasantness he was in favor of
postponing it as long as possible.
This might be a propitious time
to go after that job on his own.
Accordingly, he presented himself
at the general offices of the cor
poration and sent in his name.
He waited nearly an hour before
a secretary advised that Mr. Har
rison could give Mr. Castle a few
minutes.
"Well, Castle," he said, "what's
on your mind this morning?"
"A Job," was the businesslike
reply. "Olive has told me that
you believe you can find some
thing for me. I'd like to get to
work."
After dinner that evening Jeff
rey strolled into his wife's bou
doir. "I've got some news that
may soothe your nerves," he said.
"Well?" Olive reached for a
cigarette and lighted it. She felt
that it would emphasize her atti
tude of complete indifference.
"Nothing startling, dear. Your
old man's going to work. Had a
good confab with your dad this
morning. I'm starting in on
Monday. Have my pail packed,
will you?"
"What are you going to do?"
Olive's dark eyes narrowed a
trifle.
"I don't know. Going to take
the usual course for salesmen . . .
a matter of studying, more or
less."
"What did Father offer you?
How much?" ,
"No figure named. He did in
timate, though, it would be the
same as the other recruits get.
Doesn't want any hard feelings."
"In other words, you gave him
a story of wanting to work up
from the foot of the ladder with
out any favors."
"Not at all. That's the story
he gave me."
"You seem to be going out of
your way to humiliate me of
late."
"For Pete's sake! I can't loaf
all my life, Olive, and I don't in
tend to! Besides, it was your
idea in the first place . . . where
are you going?"
"I'm going down to have a lit
tle talk with my father. He
doesn't seem to understand.
Quite."
* * •
Audrey Swan opened the door
leading into Judge Castle's outer
office. "Good morning, Judge
Castle. I was looking for Mr.
Quinn."
"Why, bless my soul! Come in,
Audrey, come in. I haven't seen
you for a long time." He brought
a chair to the side of the desk
with a courtly gesture. "Sit down,
my dear, and let me look at
you."
"Mother asked me to stop in
with some papers that Mr. Quinn
wished to see. He has been very
kind about looking after things
for her."
"Of course. He should be."
Judge Castle's face grew suddenly
grave. "Life brings bitter trials
to all of us. Do you .mind if I
speak of your father, my dear?"
"Of course not," she replied in
some surprise.
"He had one child, the same as
I. I have watched you grow up,
my dear, and I am confident that
your father would tell me that
you never had caused him an
hour's grief."
"I hope that's true," Audrey
said softly. "About my fathfer."
"I had one child, too," the
Judge remarked grimly. "I said
that before, but you can draw
your own conclusions."
"Aren't you Just a little hard
on Jeffrey?" Audrey asked, as
tonished at her temerity. "After
all, he married the woman he
loved. I will never believe that
he willingly gave up his prospects
here with you."
"Nevertheless," said the Judge
stubbornly, "his place is here. I
have been reminded of it daily by
seeing young Quinn in the place
that should be Jeffrey's. Not that
I grudge him his opportunity. Not
only am I exceedingly fond of
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him, but I have found him toya!-
uable. He is A very remarkable
young man, Audrey."
"He is nice."
For tiie first time, the Judge's
face relaxed. His eyes twinkled
under their shaggy brows. "Is
that the best you can say of him?
You should be nice also ... to
him. And you should find it
easy. By the way, did you notice
the door as you came in?"
"The door?"
"Yes. The outer one. There's a
rather new sign on it. It says,
Castle and Quinn, Attorneys at
Law."
"Oh! Isn't that splendid!"
"He's earned it. I need some
one here who can take complete
responsibility of the local prac
tice, and it did not take Quinn
long to show me that he could do
that to my satisfaction." The
Judge chuckled.
"I am very glad for him," Au
drey remarked quietly, getting to
her feet. "I wonder if I may
leave the papers here. I must be
running on."
Aft y
j»werfD). 095
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Phone 250 . Elkin, N. C.
Certainly, my dear." He ex
tended his hand and held hers
for a moment when she gave it
to him. "Audrey, I wish very
much I might have had a daugh
ter like you. If I can ever be of
any service to you or your moth
er, you have only to let me know.
Please convey my respects to
her."
(Continued Next Week)
ESTIMATE
The U. 8. Department of Agri
culture has estimated the 1940
cotton crop at 12,686,000 bales,
nearly a million bales above the
1939 crop of 11,817,000 bales.
Mattie Mae Powell
NOTARY PUBLIC
Building * Loan Office
Main Street