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subjects. Besides, she’s come to Bellville for rest and relaxation.”
    This time Tod wasn’t superfluous; he was adamant. Apparently gossip about Bell Mansion didn’t come under the heading of “Boost Bellville.” There was no mistaking the silencing glare he gave his wife. And then the smile returned, the nice, shiny, pearly-teeth smile that went so nicely with the waves in his hair.
    “And we didn’t come to disturb that rest,” he added, “but to make it more pleasurable. We like to welcome our distinguished residents, Miss Bancroft. We like to make them feel right at home.”
    “Oh, I feel quite at home,” Lisa said.
    “And we like to include them in our activities, make them a part of things. The very day you came by the office for the key and I took you up to this house, I got a marvellous idea. Told my wife about it that very night, didn’t I, honey? ‘Ruth,’ I said, ‘that Lisa Bancroft’s a woman of culture and taste. She’s just the one to fill out our committee for the award this year.”
    Lisa was following as well as she could, but some things needed clarification.
    “Award?” she echoed.
    “The Martin Cornish Memorial Award.”
    “Tod is chairman of the planning committee,” Ruth explained.
    “And maybe you don’t think that’s a job!” Tod added. “Last year we had over 15,000 visitors during Memorial Week. Had to turn them away in droves the night of the award performance.”
    “Fifteen thousand visitors in Bellville?” Johnny echoed incredulously.
    “In Bellville. Every hotel, motel, and rooming house was filled to capacity. Every restaurant and sandwich stand had line-ups three times a day.”
    “I’ll bet the people even heard a little music,” Johnny suggested, but Tod was too deep in his subject to get the point.
    “Had the high school athletic field filled to capacity every night it didn’t rain, and that field holds nearly 10,000. Bellville Township embraces a good deal more than what you see here on The Bluffs and downtown, you know. We have one of the largest high schools in the state, and three consecutive conference championships for football.”
    Boost Bellville. Tod Graham’s tea was getting cold, but not his enthusiasm. Lisa rather enjoyed it except for one important detail.
    “I’m very flattered,” she said, “but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be of much use to you. I know very little about music.”
    “Oh, that doesn’t matter. You don’t have to know anything.” Tod paused to temper his words with a little discretion. “About music,” he added. “That’s all taken care of. We’re getting Sir Anthony Sutton to do the judging. You’ve heard of him, I suppose?”
    Lisa smiled. “Oh, yes, I’ve heard of him.”
    “And that means a lot more people than last year. We need people on the committee who realize the importance of these things and will go along with progress. Our leading citizens are already on it: Dr. Hazlitt, Stanley Watts, the banker—you’ve probably met Stanley, by the way.”
    “Briefly,” Lisa acknowledged.
    “Curran Dawes—”
    “Professor Dawes?” Suddenly Lisa was interested. Across the room she caught Johnny’s eye.
    “—and, of course, Nydia.”
    Lisa was still thinking of the professor. It required a few seconds to assimilate this last bit of information.
    “Nydia Cornish? Is she on the committee, too?”
    Ruth Graham smiled tightly. “Nydia Bell Cornish
is
the committee,” she said.
    “Now, Ruth.” Tod looked unhappy again. “Nydia’s not so difficult if you know how to handle her. After all, she is Cornish’s widow. Her position’s purely honorary, Miss Bancroft.”
    “As mine would be?” Lisa suggested.
    “Well, no—”
    “Purely honorary!” Ruth Graham had little hands. They placed an empty teacup down on the serving table and then folded primly in her lap. She didn’t pursue the subject, but there was an obvious difference of opinion between her and Tod on the matter of Nydia Cornish’s