Page:Jackson Gregory--joyous trouble maker.djvu/95

Rh displease her. She had been spoiled in her childhood through being the single child of very wealthy parents; she had been spoiled in more recent years through being an arbiter in many affairs in which other hands than her own found it poor policy to lift themselves against her. In short, very largely for the simple reason that it didn't pay to seek to thwart her, to Bill Steele remained the distinction of being the first man to bring home to Beatrice Corliss the full sense of a word she detested, defiance.

Though she had played the part of a bountiful hostess until a very late hour last night, though if Hurley's call had not awakened her she would have slept on until nine or ten o'clock, she now gave no thought to further rest. Dressed a great deal more quickly than was her custom, she went through the quiet house while her guests were still sleeping soundly and came quickly into the dim light of her office. Set in a row in her table top were three electric push buttons. In turn she set her finger to each of the three, holding it tight down until a bell in Booth Stanton's cabin had jingled ten seconds, another in Bradford's room still another ten seconds, while the third gave its insistent message to Miss Corliss' maid. That she had not so much as thought of her serving woman until after she had dressed herself was in itself significant.

Though Booth Stanton was the only one of the three not in the house, he was the first to come to the office, his rudely laced boots bespeaking his haste, the question standing in his eyes testifying to the novelty of a summons from her at such an hour. As his form