All Through the Night (Musaicum Romance Classics). Grace Livingston Hill

certainly, Mr. Granniss will bring the proof."

      "Well, if you are going to such lengths, I shall certainly have to call up the lawyer to whom I was recommended. Just excuse me, and I'll call him."

      "Certainly," said Dale calmly and then sat down and covered her tired eyes with her hands. How right Grandmother had been when she had warned her about this aunt and had prepared for all such contingencies as were happening one by one.

      Out in the hall at the telephone she could hear her aunt's sharp voice demanding to speak with a certain Mr. Greenway Buffington. Then the voice lowered into a confidential scream. But Dale resolutely held her weary eyes shut and, in her heart, began to pray: Oh God, be with me. Protect me through all this unpleasantness. Help me not to be a false witness. Help me to show these people, who in a sense belong to me, that I have a Savior who is able to keep me. Guard my tongue that it may speak the truth in quietness and peace, and not let anger come into the conversation. Keep me calm and trusting.

      In a little while, Aunt Blanche came back into the living room and announced, "My lawyer will be here to-morrow afternoon. That will make it possible for me to expose to him all the machinations of the man you say is your lawyer."

      "Very well," answered Dale quietly, without opening her eyes, and her aunt flounced down into a rocking chair and fairly snorted in anger. After a few minutes, Dale heard her get up and go upstairs. She heard her walk the length of the hall to Grandmother's room and try the door but failed to get in, though she rattled and shook it. Dale sat still. She had locked that door and had the key in her pocket. Moreover, she had gone through the adjoining bathroom and bolted the door from inside and then locked the bathroom, so it was impossible for her aunt to enter the room without actually breaking down the door. She sat still for a few minutes and then went up to her own room and lay down on the bed. She was very tired, and it just did not seem she could stand any more argument.

      She was awakened a few minutes later by a loud, determined knocking on her door.

      "Yes?" she said, sitting up sharply and trying to get her senses back from the deep sleep into which she had fallen.

      It was her aunt's voice that answered her: "Aren't we going to have an evening meal? Or hadn't you thought of that?"

      Dale got to her feet and staggered to the door. "I'm sorry," she said, putting her hand to her eyes and trying to make her voice pleasant, "I should have told you. I didn't realize I would fall asleep so soon. I really was very tired, you know."

      Her aunt gave her an unsympathetic glance. "We all are!" she said coldly. "And of course we are guests, so we couldn't do anything about it."

      "Well, if you don't mind foraging for yourselves this once," Dale said pleasantly, putting her hand up to her forehead, "there are sandwiches and salad in the refrigerator, also a pitcher of iced coffee and plenty of milk. You'll find an apple pie in the pantry, or if you prefer custard, you'll find some in the refrigerator, and there's a sponge cake in the cake box. I think if you don't mind I'll just sleep this off. I'm rather dizzy."

      "Oh!" said the aunt ungraciously. "Well, I didn't expect to have to do the housework when I came, but if you're really sick, of course we'll do the best we can."

      With a deep sigh, as if she were being ill treated, Aunt Blanche summoned her children, and they went out to the kitchen and certainly made a mess of Hattie's neat kitchen and pantry and refrigerator. But for once, Corliss had a chance to sample everything in sight.