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Show VMKarryputfh Smith flS CHAPTER X Synopsis Since her husband's death, Anne Phillips has worked to sup-!)ort sup-!)ort her children, lterenice, the eldest, is married to Bill Carter. Jim, Anne's son, has let his Infatuation In-fatuation lead to an encasement with the rich Helen Sanders. Anne silsiects that Cathy, widowed widow-ed littles dancer, is 111 love with Jim. Janet, Anne's younger daughter, is unhappy because her well-tollo friends: jieprlect )ier. She is commissioned by Tony-Ryan Tony-Ryan to help him restore the old Phillips estate which he has bomtht. Janet believes Tony is getting it ready for Priscilla Leigh and himself. "He was nearly grown and he must have missed me terribly at first, but he ended by tearing me right out of his heart. He didn't mean to let me hurt him any more by not being there when he needed need-ed me. He ran away three days later. I employed detectives. I was frantic. They found him at last. He'd been killed riding the rods on a freight train out West. He died, Anne, putting as much space between us as possible. A lot of me died that day." "I'm so sorry," she whispered, putting her hand over his. "That's what I am doing down here," he said. "When I get to where I can't stand the blankness any longer I look up Tony Ryan. He is a lot like the boy I lost. Hard-boiled on the surface and proud as Lucifer, but with a big ache inside him. You and he are the only persons I've ever told." Tears were sliding down Anne's cheeks. "Thank you for telling me," she said. He put her hand to his lips. "I knew the minute I saw you that I'd be able to tell you." "I'd as soon be boiled in oil," said Jim fiercely, "as get stuck on a party like that one last night." Cathy smiled. It was the next evening and Jim was taking her for a little drive into the country before she had to go to work. Danny lay sound asleep doubled up on the seat between them, his curly head on his mother's lap, I his chubby legs across Jim's knees. "I like people," went on Jim, "but I can't go the asinine round of empty flourishes that's called society. It's so Infernally futile." Cathy's slim fingers caressed Danny's moist brow. It's so much wasted effort." "I'll say!" cried Jim. "Principally "Princi-pally it's keeping up with Lizzie and fawning on people you dislike, dis-like, and I'm not clever at dissembling." dis-sembling." Cathy nodded. "That's why people peo-ple depend on you. You are sincere." sin-cere." Jim grinned. "The judge says, contrary to the general opinion, honesty is the best policy even for a lawyer." "He's getting so he depends on you a lot, too." Jim frowned. "The Judge's not so young as he was. Naturally it's a relief if I can shoulder the routine rou-tine jobs. I owe him so much." "I thought you had about finished fin-ished paying him back." "I have," said Jim and laughed. laugh-ed. "Another week and I'll own1 my education, only you can't pay j back intangibles like the Judge's faith in me." j "No," said Cathy. She hesitated j and when she went on her voice quivered. "Just the way I can never pay back how kind you've been to me." Jim stared at her in astonishment. astonish-ment. "Kind to you? Heck, Cathy, it isn't charity to have you around, you and the kid. I like you, see? I don't know anyone I like more." "Do you, Jim?" whispered Cathy. They took Danny home. Jim carried him upstairs without waking wak-ing him. Jim drove Cathy around to the rear of the night club where there was an employee's entrance and he waved reassuringly reassur-ingly as he started off. It struck him that she looked as if she were about to cry. "Poor kid!" muttered Jim. "Life's never given her a chance. I'll hang around the office and pick ,her up afterwards." However, Jim did not see Cathy again that nla,,t. When he came into the buffing which housed Judge Hetchcote's office Jim found a telegram pushed under the door. The signature leaped out at him like a blow from a hammer. '" " . "Am passing through Bay City tonight at nine five on the way to New York," the telegram read. "Must see you. Come down to the station sta-tion and ask for Father's private pri-vate car. (Signed) Helen." The old clock on the discolored wall behind the Judge's desk pointed to six minutes to nine. It was eleven blocks to the station and the esplanade was crowded with machines waiting for the express ex-press from New Orleans. Jim did not have time to look for a parking park-ing space. He left his battered old flivver leaning against a "Don't Stop Here" sign and raced into the depot. The train to New York was heading In. Jim galloped down the track beside it. "Jim!" called a clear impervious imper-vious voice from the observation plati'orm of the rear car. There she stood, leaning out to beckon him. Somehow he was beside her on the platform and she was in his arms clinging to him, her lovely red mouth lifted to his. He kissed her, and it was ecstasy and it was torment, just as it had been in all the dreams he had dreamed about her. "I've missed you so!" she cried. "I ran away from you and every day I've wanted to come back. I love you!" Jim was certain he would not lift a finger to save himself if Helen Sanders ordered him to get down on all fours at her feet. "We've only ten minutes here," she explained breathlessly, "and you have to see Father." She caught his arm and pulled ,him into the car. A stout bald man with a harassed face and snapping brown eyes was sitting in a large wicker chair dictating to a solemn young fellow wearing wear-ing thick tortoise-shell glasses. "Father!" cried Helen rapturously. raptur-ously. "It's all right! Everything's Every-thing's all right! This is Jim. We're going to be married!" She kept her arm about Jim's neck as she shoved him forward. He was horribly embarassed. Mr. Clive Sanders cleared his throat. "So this is Jim," he said with an amiable though slightly rusty smile. He put out a strong chubby hand. "Congratulations, my boy. You seem to have successfully suc-cessfully harnessed this young typhoon ty-phoon of mine." Jim swallowed painfully. "I er " Helen interrupted. "We simply haven't time for the customary conventional speeches," she said impatiently. "We've got to go on to New York tonight, but we'll be back. In about four days." . Ahead the engine gave a warning warn-ing blast. "Oh!" wailed Helen. "We'll be pulling out in a minute. min-ute. Oh, Jim, darling!" She began to draw him back to the platform. Jim's head was whirling. He tried to murmur something respectful to his future father-in-law, but he was prevented prevent-ed by the sweet delirium of Helen'- lips again pressed to his kisses. "Four days is forever!" she cried tragically. "How can we bear it?" The station was slowly sliding past. Jim nervously disengaged himself from her embrace. He stooped and kissed her. "Do you love me?" she cried. "Yes, yes, God knows I do!" he stammered. "But I I've got to gq. dear. I can't afford to be carried car-ried along. Good-bye, good-bye, my darling!" he cried a little frantically, and dropped off the end of the observation platform. He was whistling when he came into the flat, whistling unsteadily because his head was still whirling. whirl-ing. "Dearest," Anne cried, "I have not heard you sound so cheerful in ages." Jim swooped her off her feet, held her up suspended in mid-air, kissed her soundly. "Prepare for a shock!" he cried gayly. "I'm going to be married!" mar-ried!" "To Cathy! Oh, Jim, I'm so glad!" cried Anne joyously. Jim stared at her as if he had walked off into nothingness. "To Helen Sanders," he corrected her roughly. "If only she makes you happy," said Anne in a broken voice. "What more could a man ask?" demanded Jim. It was the next day at noon. Janet, on her way home from school, had encountered her sister on the corner outside her office. "Jim's going to marry the daughter daugh-ter of a multimillionaire? I can't believe it!" exclaimed Berenice. "It's true, worse luck." Janet glanced at Berenice curiously. "What have you been doing to yourself? You look terrible, as if you'd been to the" wars or something." some-thing." Berenice flushed. "I'm doing nicely, thank you." "I still say you don't look it," persisted Janet. |