Show AX 1110 I 1 k Is U E I 1 S U m CHAPTER continued 14 the girls behind him he presently inferred we were members remembers of the company not playing this evening they talked otia ofa coast which the company I 1 was to make during the autumn autum nand and early winter jim listen listened ed ming filling in thet the time im e before the performance commenced has jeremy con descended to sign up for the trip it was the tall girl who asked the question IL Jeri jeremy orthe on the roadam the answering voice hid had a lyric quality qu allty light lilting clear you insult hm darling our jeremy has his eyes eye on bigger and better things his HIJ girls papa is going to back a play for him it at least that is what he modestly mod estly intimates sol A low how throaty laugh something romantic I 1 suppose costumes perhaps he will need to look very beautiful not to waste papas money money iamont it wont mont matter whether he can acton act or not V I 1 think think he can at leasther least leas thes hes terribly effective I 1 sahl A jong gong rang the deep blue curtain slithered open dis disclosing closing the stage the performance began jeremy was effective jim realized that as he saw him make his first entrance dressed in evening clothes a silk hat held negligently in the aroi crook of his arm ile he felt the reaction of the audience allence ad lence largely feminine and aid I 1 knew ti that IS t the girl behind him was was right it probably made no difference whether jeremy could or could not act the play was a broadway success of a few seasons past jeremy played the role I 1 of a young italian opera singer who meets in a speakeasy in new york blittle a i little southern girl do doing ahe town with her fiance flance a surly young prig from east orange the girl was small and dainty by contrast jeremy appeared tall and and romantically handsome his voice was caress ing his ic accent cent authentic his profile undeniably handsome but was vas it acting jim did not know ceal cecily ay thought fie be had bad genius But Cecily giai was in love with him jims imi curiosity was being satisfied but beyond that the evening was being wasted he made no startling discoveries clyde was effective in a role that might have been written espee especially I 1 ally for bior him birri the theater was stuffy jims legs felt cram cramped ed he left his hii seat as the lights came on for the intermission mission i n at the end of the first act acts 1 sicily cecily too had hid risen was walking up the aisle she sa saw w him and waved they met in the small crowded lobby Hel dellol lol she said 1 hello bow i how about a breath of air what im looking for 1 I thought perhaps you were looking forme for me no sh she e smiled you are a I 1 nice surprise I 1 they stood on the steps of the theater jini jim ht her cigarette lit his own flick flicked edthe the match away are you interested in the drama miss iVaughn vaughn j she laughed we are being polite a arent re nt we thais so stupid sim jim do you want to s see ee the rest of the play IY 1 I can lakeit take it or leave it lets leave it then ive seen it ii tour four tim times es this summer its one ot of the best things jerry does her voice brightened lets run over to dutcha t how about jeremy well be back here by theotime the thel time th the e performance is over jim took her arm all rigi right it he said lutgo lets go 11 they walked to the fawn colored roadster win will jou you drive she asked I 1 want wani me to please im awfully tired she settled into the seat with a little sigh of relief relict ive been driving all afternoon we went aoto up to new hope and along the canal cagial I 1 adore jerry jerri but I 1 wont riddia I 1 in a af car he bb drives there were only afew a few scattered groups in dutcha garden two oi or three couples moving about the floor A waiter led them to a secluded stall at some distance from thi the orchestra want lidi to dance jim asked when the waiter waiter had taken theiron their order She shook her head im weary I 1 just want to sit youre so restful jim I 1 thank you he said 1 I mean it 1 I like to be with you 11 she pulled off hildat her hil hat rested her head bead against the trellis behind her she looked weary wiry jim thought dispirited there were faint shadows under her eyes what Is ii it cecily jim asked what ahat is troubling you do you lantto wan want tto to tell me of course course why 1 I you will you listen jim my one accomplishment the I 1 waiter brought tall fail glasses cecily took a few sips and sether set her glass aside its jerry 1 she said after a mo moment feht you astonish me hebald he said sald 1 I thought it was the new issue of i gover government run ent bonds she smiled faintly I 1 do you mind ry aind if D itala about jerry she asked 1 I mein mean aft after erthe the night we danced wm it hurt you jim that important 11 1 I think it Is she glanced up a at him fleetingly looked down at her fingers snipping snapping the purple and scarlet pod jim bent toward her across the table cecily he asked gravely will Y you ou try not to think of what happened that night you cant entirely I 1 suppose neither of course can I 1 but dont let it spoil our well friendship formant for want of a more adequate te word anything that I 1 can say will make me sound self dicing and noble I 1 dont feel especially noble its really selfishness perhaps I 1 want you to talk to me the smile vanished her espre s sion was weary again ive had bad a an n exhausting day ive bein been trying to make jerry see that he should go with the cherry hollow company on their tour I 1 this tall fall you see ive talked to father he cant put money into a play for jerry now he e explained it all to me I 1 had no idea how much hes lost during the depression but im afraid jerry wont understand hell think its prejudice pre iudice or something and im afraid he has talked about father backing a play for him jim knew that her apprehension was correct jeremy had talked the conversation he had overheard in th the e theater made him aware of that he waited in silence tor for cecily to ionti continue nue 1 I dont like the idea of not seeing jerry all fall and halt half the winter she went on ill miss him awfully but I 1 think its a splendid opportunity the company company has a certain amount of prestige pristine stige wesley north no rth is an excellent director the experience would be valuable jerry T rry like road trips jim asked for an instant her eyes flashed with indignation what it ll he she said sharply 1 I dont suppose you really liked picking beans and changing tires lp jim was surprised and touched he felt and controlled a feeling of elation but Ibaven lt artistic temperament he said lightly jerry has of course the in m dig nation was gone her eyes held a brooding ex expression presson hes either flying among the stars or sunk in the depths of gloom he acts at times like a spoiled little boy A note of affectionate indulgence la in her voice softened the criticism and I 1 do nag him she added jim disposed of 61 the ugly word you nag anybody 1 I do she s said ald thoughtfully 1 I cant seem to help nagging even when I 1 know it irritates him I 1 w want ant him ia to do the fine things of which he is capable I 1 love him and believe in him jerry like spurs he get on very well with wesley north because mr north digs the spurs spurs in too jerrys beenson been so accustomed to praise and flat flattery teri im just finding that out you see see iv ive ne never val been with him io so she broke off with a rueful smile and a quick glance at jim that was fathers idea of course he thought if I 1 knew jerry better your idea jim reminded her feeling again for foi a nio moment ment that lifting elation 1 I know she sighed im making mountains mountain sout out of mole hills tonight im making you think that jerry is petty an and id selfish andun and unreasonable he is attires at times who but hes splendid too im tired and disappointed and a little exasperated I 1 was dinean Ii I 1 mean nean I 1 feel better now naw ashe she breathed deeply smiled across the table at jim thank you she said 1 I done anything youve let me talk I 1 can talk to yow you do you remember when we hated each other 1 I can just barely remember IJ jim im smiled you haw hated me longer than I 1 hadid you her eyes were soft and bright with amusing memories Yoi youre lre a disconcerting young lady you arent sorry are douthe yo you uThe the laughing lights died out of her eyes what happened the evening w we d danced a i aced made you yow regret be ing at meadowbrook Meadow brook were wera aleso all so A fond fand of you father J Su susan sll torr tommy I 1 v t na 6 vm not sorry jim said this cummer ha has i been a break tor for me i he paused looked do down at his glass it 9 he could talk to her indirectly without hurting her or antagonizing i her ho he felt terribly inadequate if he were wi wiser and more articulate it if he gewere not so deeply in love with i her she looked at him with sympathy i arid inhere interest st how especially has it been ai a break tor for youl she asked 1 I think liv living everything ais Is a question ot of values he ha said slowly there are times when wi wa dont see clearly its like being in a place of shadows shadow sa a deep forest a lamp lit room distortions falsifies falsities seem true because we have no 60 measure of comparison then after avitie a time we comenout come out into chisun the sunlight do you understand amnot good at symbolism but the tho thought aught beneath it estrue ihnow it is true beca because tise ailt it I 1 has happened to m me e 1 before you came here she asked yei there was something I 1 thoughts though tI tl 1 could do something false and distorted then I 1 came here when one lives and works in the sun shadows seem unsubstantial I 1 have tor for a time atlease at least re dished my scale of values wh why Y I 1 im in not sorry youve given me something to think abow abom sometimes her eyes glanced thoughtfully across the garden jim watching her waiting tor for the conclusion of the sentence saw her suddenly startled expression theres the nolan girl from the theaters thea terl she said what time Is it jim jim consulted cc his watch ten minutes past eleven good heaven sl jerry Is waiting for met mel she caught up her hat and her purse come on jim lets ILA jim sent the fawn colored roadster speeding eding along the return route to cherry hollow he had felt tor for a moment very close to cecily now he be had lost her again beneath her comments and 4 X come on jim lets eions he felt her anxiety when he brought the car to a skidding stop in 14 the theater drive she was out before he could make a motion to assist her the headlights revealed a small group of people standing on the steps jeremy detached himself from the group as cecily walked quickly toward the steps and came to meet her jerry darll darling ngi I 1 rm im so corryl sorry cecily slipped her arm through his in a conciliating gesture are you the arm she held was unresponsive tim jim and I 1 went over to dutcha her voice was quick and light you been waiting long have you it was stuffy in the theater you were marvelous in the first act how did the other two go you arent particularly interested are you darlinge Dar lingl cecilya Cec ilys voice was coaxing a little exasperated more than a little alarmed ive seen that play four times this summer do you want to stop at dutcha levs lets go home and have scrambled eggs 1 jim took a step in the direction of the car goodnight good night he said cecily turned to him goodnight she said witha with a gay little gesture of firewell farewell thank you goodnight jim goodnight good night fielding jeremy said on a curt note of dismissal driving back 6 to meadowbrook Meadow brook jim made plans forthe for the future he would put a cot in theoffice the office at the riding academy and get a kerosene stove in the village he gong ing to hang around while clyde was there he would keep out of it none of bis bs business anyway the fellow disliked him disliked himl there was something more virulent than dislike in 16 his voice valce when fyhen he hea said good night what right did he have to 0 o take that superior tone with ith cec BY ly of what was she guilty unintentionally hurting his pride perhaps that was all the third week in in september mr vaughn went with a party of friends on a fishing trip ao to maine he sent for jim the morning of his bis departure jim arriving at meadowbrook Meadow brook to in answer to the summons found hl his employer in an ile eleventh hour hub hub bub of packing and final In instructions rose were I 1 scurrying about the se second floor la I 1 eating cating garments which had hi d been packed away since thelast trip they think thinkie thin kIm im going to little america mr vaughn fumed good natu indicating the array of garments piled on the bedana bed and thit th sofa in his room mr vaughn was in high good humor excited genial jim went with him to 6 the game gama room I 1 where the fishing equipment ready beady aa to be packed covered th ping pong table ilhan 1 I had to work me like the devil to io get the doctors permission to go he said tenderly un jointing rods laying them flannel wrapped in ina a leather traveling case the time very convenient id rather not lea leave ve home hoine while Ce clellys Cec ilys ellys guist guest is hero here will be busy getting th the youngsters ready for school st still I 1 suppose theres nothing to worry about 11 nothing at all jim assured him these flies files are beauties pretty fine collection mr vaughn said with a certain degree of complacence pack them carefully jim well ill be I 1 chos been with this mr vaughn va aughn was examining a bamboo rod which had bad been broken and mended jim laughed im afraid im guilty of the mending he said the day I 1 came here susan was fishing in the thi brook I 1 startled her she sh fell off the bridge and broke the rod I 1 had to make maka an attempt to repair the damage since it was partly my fault not a bad job mr vaughn was in too high a state of anticipation to be annoyed by a broken rod so how you wormed your way into susans esteem isthan a pun he twinkled at jim 1 I suppose it is funny he added laying aside the bamboo rod ashes the one of the children who seems to have inherited my passion for fishing ill have to I 1 take ake t her with me some time ashes as game gaine as a brook trout and that reminds me I 1 ordered some casting rods from new york they come this morning ill leave you the address of the camp in maine will you come up here s some ome time tomorrow and readdress address rc t them hem for me yes sir jim replied are you comfortable at the riding academy mr vaughn asked oh yes jim smiled im becoming an excellent cook now that I 1 have electricity and a telephone iveel I 1 feel as though im living in a suite at the ritz kitz well keep an eye on things what time is it past elevell eleve nl mr vaughn thrust his watch into his pocket strap up these things for me will you and take them out to the car mr vaughn finally got off a little after twelve in a flurry burry of affectionate farewells the trunk rack on the sedan piled high with luggage jim did not linger at meadowbrook Meadow brook after the sedan had disappeared around the curve in the drive he returned at once to the riding academy avoiding any conver conversation bation with cecily and C cyde yde who had dashed in from somewhere at the last minute to see mr vaughn off on his fishing trip it had not been difficult to avoid cecily and her guest the afternoon following the last performance at the theater they had paid him a visit at the riding academy at the moment of their arrival jim had been converting the office into living quarters with susans enthusiastic but somewhat officious assistance the visit had been amicable on the surface at least mutually friendly and paa pleasant sant cecily and jeremy had inspected |