CRIMSON MOUNTAIN by Grace Livingston Hill Page A

returning with a couple of suitcases and some bags that belonged to her.
    And all this time she was listening for a possible phone call. Would Pilgrim find his lawyer and be able to call her that night?
    It was not until she finally turned out her light and slipped into bed a couple of hours after the bridge party had gone home and the house was quiet and dark that she remembered Adrian Faber and the party that was even now probably at its height. And her mind was too busy with the thought about tomorrow and its possibilities to dwell long on Adrian and his plans. Well, there was one thing pretty certain—she wasn’t going to have any time tomorrow to call up Adrian Faber and make her peace with him for not attending his party last night. That would have to wait.

Chapter 6
    U p in the woods at the Hunt Club the dinner was over and the dancers were beginning the night of revelry.
    Over in the far corner of the great ballroom, two young men were standing. They had just come, not having been able to start in time for the dinner.
    “I don’t see Laurel anywhere, do you, Rainey? Have she and Faber had a falling out, or what?”
    “
What
, I guess, is the answer, Winter. I’ve looked the ground over pretty thoroughly and haven’t seen a hint of her. And look at Faber, devoting himself to Genevieve. He hasn’t been seen with
her
for ages. I wonder what’s the idea? If he’s on the outs with Laurel, there might be a chance for a few other poor devils like ourselves.”
    “Oh yes, try and do it,” said the other, letting his intense gray eyes rove restlessly about the room again. “It can’t be she’s coming out later, do you think?”
    “Don’t ask me. I guess she and Faber would be the only ones who could answer that question. But say, I wouldn’t have wasted my time coming up here if I hadn’t thought she was coming. I’ve got work to do.”
    “What work?” asked Winter, bringing amused eyes to bear for an instant on the other’s face. “You haven’t got orders yet, have you?”
    “Well, not exactly orders, but I’ve been told to be ready, and that means checking over equipment. Got to establish contact as soon as we get there, you know. Has your appointment come through yet? I’d hate to think anything would go wrong with our plans; we’ve talked them over so thoroughly.”
    “Yes,” said Winter. “Say, Rainey, any idea what place we’re headed for?”
    “A little,” said the other, lifting shifty eyes and glancing nervously around to make sure no one was near enough to listen. “Yes, a little,” he added in a lower voice, “and I don’t like the layout. I tell you I
don’t
. Little dinky town called Carrollton. Know where that is? Neither do I. And it isn’t even in the town. It’s up in the wilds somewhere called Crimson Mountain! Gosh, I wish they’d put somebody with some sense at the head of this outfit. A fat chance we’ll have to play any sharp detail work in a place like that, in a town in the backwoods somewhere. When we get really started, how often can we get off to come up to town and see any life?”
    “That isn’t what we joined this expedition for, is it? Seeing life?” said Winter coldly. “I guess our job is to attend to business and trust to luck for any good times that come along. Who did you find out the location from? Dexter? Did he say it was certain?”
    “No, not exactly certain, dependent on some backcountry lad who owns the land they want. But it seemed fairly likely it would go through all right.”
    “Yes? Well, what’s the idea? Airplanes, or gunpowder or steel? Funny place to select for making anything like that. Did Dexter say?”
    “Well, I guess a little bit of all three perhaps. Dynamite, anyway. Isolated spot, you know. Safe from intruders and all that. But I gathered also that there is to be some secret invention made there that is important to the country, and the outside world won’t be allowed in on it.”
    “Yeah?” The gray eyes made a