Show SO BIG 0 FIL P U by EDNA FERBER 0 doubleday fast Z co C CHAPTER XV continued 20 north shore hos hostesses hoate vied for tile lionor honor ol of entertaining these notables lindula pretty clever moneyed often emerged from contests thu the winner her latest infest catch wits estille Et tille gaguet oen gen oo go aguet here of Cham champagne doguet of lie stiff white beard the empty left cont coat sleeve und and the score of medals Ine duls lie ile was coming to america ostensibly to ile ijo tile guest ot oc tile american ill dl vision which with Gogu ets french troops had turned tins tile gorman on maught Jau glit nt at champagne but really it was whispered to cement friendly re intsons between lits lita country onda diffident united states and guess thrilled paula guess gucas chos coming with jilin him dirk I 1 that wonderful itself pool the french pre mell sculptor I 1 what ayou mean french tort tori lies no moro more french than I 1 am ile he was born within a couple of 0 miles of my mothers farm ilia people were dutch truck farmers ills his father lived in high until a year ago when lie died of a stroke when lie ho told old selina site flum blushed lied like a girl as sho she sometimes still lid did when she was much excited yes yea I 1 saw it in the paper I 1 wonder site she added if I 1 shall see ailin that evening you might have been see in tier sitting silting lingering fingering the faded shabby ahm worn objects the saving of which dirk hd bull denounced its 8 sentimental the crude drawing of tile the the wine red cashmere ch merB dress sonic borne faded brittle flowers llo paula wits waa giving a large but not too large dinner on tile second night sho was waa very animated about lt JJ excited gay they says she told dirk that doguet eat cat anything but hard boiled eggs and kuslis husks oh well the others wont object to squabs squats unit und mushrooms and things and ilia his holiby hobby Is ills his an fn farm rm in III brittany pools stunning dark and somber and very white teeth 11 paula fac very gay these days too guy it beeme seemed 1 I to dirk that tier her nervous energy was inexhaustible and exhausting dirk refused to tr admit to himself bow irked lie he was by alo sallow heart shaped exquisite face tile the itan an brown clutching lingers fingers tile the air 0 of ownership lie he had begun to dislike things about tier her as tin an unfaithful spouse la Is irritated by quite innocent mannerisms of his unconscious matr site sho scuffed tier heels beels a little when site she waltzed walked for example it maddened him she hall a way of alt bl ting the rough skin around tier her carefully tended nails when she was nervous dont do eliat I 1 I lie said dallas never irritated him she rested ailta he told himself ile ho would arm hini himself self against lier her but one minute utter meeting her lie would sink gratefully ond and into tier her quiet depths sometimes imen lie thought all this was nn an assumed manner in tier her tills calm of your this lie said to tier lier one day Is a pose lose it anything to get tier her notice partly 11 dallas had find replied amiably its ft a nice pose though dont you think what fire are you going to do with a girl like here wits the worn an who could hold him film entirely and who never held out a finger to hold him ile he tore nt at the wall of tier her indifference though lie he only cut und and bruised ills his own hands in doing it la Is it because im a successful bustness business man that you dont like me file but I 1 do like you I 1 think youre an awfully attractive man dangerous wot olt oli dont doat lie the wide eyed you know d d well what I 1 mean youve got mp me and you dont want me ine if 1 I 1 tind find been it a successful architect instead ol of n successful business man would that lint have made tiny any difference good lord no not I 1 some day ill probably warry a horny harny handed son soil of toll bud and it if I 1 do be the horny blinds that will win tile me if you want to know I 1 like cm III with their scars on them theres something about n man who lias fought for lt it 1 I 1 dont know what it 1 is a look in its ills eye the feet feel of ahls alls hand ile he have been sue suc i though ho he probably would be I 1 dont know I 1 only know lie he well you havi ont n mark on you yau not n tin im not you hut of lf smooth I 1 like cm bumpy that bounds terrible it what y l I menn nt lit all it 11 olt oli never mind dirk sold said wearily I I 1 know what you mean listen dallas it I 1 thought id go tl back ck to mills spragues and begin all again ut at forty tt a week it if I 1 thought 0 O ud dont chapter XVI XV goguel slid and boelt pool hafl br b r li r lil ong night and vart part of a day dirk had bad not met them was to meet them ut at paulas dinner that evening nang lie he bias wua curious about pool hut but not particularly interested in the warrior unhappy wanting to see BOO dallas ole ho admitted it bitterly lie he dropped into tier her studio ut at an unaccustomed hour almost immediately after lunch and heard guy voices und and laughter dallus dallas in a grimy amuck and tile scuffed kid wua was entertaining two truants from chicago society gen emile floguet und and itself pool they beemen to bo be enjoying themselves thema elvea immensely she bho introduced dirk as casually us though their presence pree ence were a u natural and expected thing which it was she had never mentioned them to him yet now th la la Is dirk dejong JonKO gen ea emile doguet we wore were campaigners together la in france itself pool so were wo we wo we It oolf gen K N i doguet bowed formally tor mally but ills it were twinkling ile he appeared to ue as having a very good time itself pools dark face had lighted up with such a glow of Bur surprise primo and pleasure as B to transform it lie ile strode over to dirk clasped hla his hand dirk de jangl not why tiny buy dont you sou know ino 1110 im itself pool I 1 V 1 I ought to know you said dirk oh but I 1 mean im fin I 1 knew you when you ou wore were it kid youre Se gelinas Sell linas nna dirk arent you my aly selina ini ill driving out to seo see tier her this afternoon mile ches a one of my reasons for being bere why ini im lie ile wits was laughing talking excitedly like it a boy dallen all agrin was enjoying it immensely run uway away she explained to dirk from the elaborate program pro ginni that was arranged for them tills this afternoon I 1 dont know where the french got their reputation for being polite tile the general Is a perfect boor arent you and scared to death of women lies iles the only french general in cap cal who oer ever took tile tho trouble to learn karn Engil sh 11 were till all going announced dallas and made it dash for tile stuffy little bedr bedroom oora off on tile the studio well this was a bit too informal Inform lil going where inquired dirk the general too appeared bewildered bewilder el itself explained delightedly its a plot were till all going to drive out to your mothers go wont won it you you simply imply must go co now put in general doguet where Is it that we go I 1 thought we stayed liere here quietly it la Is quiet here and no reception committees ills ilia tone was wistful itself attempted to make it clear mr dejongs mother Is a farmer you remember I 1 told you ou all about tier her in the still ship coming over she was wonderful to mo ilia when I 1 was waa a kid she was the first person to tell me inu what beauty was Is ashes magnificent slie she raises vegetables ah I 1 A farni farm I 1 hut but yes 1 1 I too am a farmer well ile iio shook dirks hand achin lit lie appeared now for the first time to ind find blin interesting of course ril ill go does mother know youre coming silo she has been telling shed see you but she thought grown so grand 11 walt wait until I 1 tell her about the day I 1 landed in paris with five francs franca in my pocket no she know were coining but shell be there wont sha blie ive a feeling shell shall be there exactly the same saine she will wont site she shell ishell be there it was early spring tile the busiest of seasons on tile the farm they were down the stairs and off in the powerful cur car that seemed R b be at the visitors disposal through the loop up michigan avenue into till tho south side chicago Clil cago often lowering and gray in april was wearing gold had and blue today the air was waa sharp but beneath tile the ot it was a gentle promise dallas anti and pool were much absorbed in paris plans paris reminiscences nees and do you remember the time we only seven francs among the lot of us and tile the dinner was youre surely coming over in june then oils youve got the thing I 1 tell you ou bo be great dallas remember reni ember what elbray said study work dirk was wretched lie ile pointed out objects of interest to general doguet sixty miles ot of boulevard park system finest in the country grand boulevard drexel boulevard jackson park illinois central trains terrible yes but they were electrifying gorng to make ein cm run by electricity you know things look so dirty after that halsted street longest street in the world and ali ah yes yei said ald tile the general politely ali ah yes cs quite so most interesting te the rich black loam of high prairie A hint of fresh green things just peeping out of the earth hothouses Hot houses C Cold fromes tho the farm hut but I 1 thought you said it was a small farm I 1 said general doguet Us as they descended from the car lie ile looked about at the acrea acreage it Is small dirk pastured him only about forty acres ah well you americans americana in france wo we farra on a very small scale sen le 3 ou understand we have not the land the great vast country ile II 11 waved tits his right arm you felt that it if the left sleeve halt lia il not been empty he would have made a large and sweeping gesture with both arms selina was not in tile tho neat quiet house she was not on the porch or in the yard meena bras phlegmatic and unflustered d came in from the kitchen mis dejong was in tile the fields silo she would call her this slie she proceeded to do by blowing throe three powerful blasts and again three on a horn which sho she took from a hook on the wall she stood in the tha kitchen doorway facing the fields blowing her red cheeks checks puffed outrageously outrageous lr that rh a I 1 brings her meena aleena assured theta them and went back to tier her work thel came out on the porch to await selina hellna bhe wall out on tile west sween sixteen the west esl sixteen that used to be unprolific half drowned muc auckland muckland kland dirk felt a little uneasy and ashamed that he ha should feol so sa then they maw baw tier her coining a benall dark figure against the background of nun find and sky ky and fields she came swiftly yet ploddingly for the ground was waa heavy they stood facing tier her the four of them ax ai site elie caine nearer they saw BOW that she ahe wn was wearing a dark skirt pinned up about hur her ankles to protect it from tile wet spring earth find and yet it was spattered with a border of mud spots A rough heavy gray sweater wag buttoned closely about the straight slim body on tier her head wan a buttered battered soft black hat her feet in broad toed sensible shoes site sho lifted high out of tile the soft clinging soli moll her hair blew tt a little in tile the gentle spring breeze her cheeks were pink she was coming up the path now she could distinguish their faces she bile saw dirk smiled waved her glanco went inquiringly to the others the boarded bearded man in uniform the tall girl the man ailin with the dark vivid ald face then she stopped suddenly und and tier her hand went to tier heart ns as though sho she had felt a great pang and tier her lips were parted and tier her eyes eis enormous As came caine forward swiftly site took a few quick running t toward him like a young girl ile ho took tile slight figure in the mud sputtered spattered skirt the rough gray sweater and the alie butt battered f bred old hat aliat into ills arnis they nley lind find had tea in tile the farm sitting room find and dallas had anade if a little moaning over tho the beauty of the dutch luster set selina had entertained with tile sil shining laing air of one who Is robed in silk and line fine linen silo sho find general gaguet lind laid got on famously from the meeting on the co common ninion ground of 0 asparagus cul culture but how thick lie ho had demanded for lie too had tits ills pet asparagus beds on tile farm farin lit in brittany how thick at I 1 alio hot base as 07 selina made if a circle with thumb and forefinger the general groaned with envy find despair ile he wits wai very com coin fordable for tuble table the general ile he partook largely of tea and tin cakes ile ho fluttered ellna with his eyes she actually dimpled pled flushed lu shed laughed like a girl but it was to hoeff slie site turned it was waa on r f A am Y hb H picked up Se Sell linas nas rough work worn hand and kissed it itself that tier her eyes dwelt and rested it was with him she walked wilen when slie bile was silent find the others talked it was as though lie he were tier her one son ion and had come home her face was radiant beautiful goatee next nest to dirk dallas said in a low voice there what I 1 nican mean what I 1 mean when I 1 say I 1 want to do portraits not portraits of ladles ladies with a string of and one illy liand hand half hidden in the folds fold of a satin skirt I 1 mean character portraits of nien men and women who are really looking dla american for example like your our mother dirk looked up at her quickly half smiling its aa though expecting to find tier her smiling broiling too but slie she was wag not smiling sint ling my imy mother mo therl yes it if shed let nie me with that line flue splendid fuce all lit up with the light that comes from inside and tile the jaw line like that ot of tho the women who came caine over in the mayflower or crossed the continent in a covered wagon and her eyes I 1 and that battered funny gorgeous bum built old hat and the white shirtwaist and tier her hands 1 ashes beautiful shed make me famous at one leap seel dirk stared at tier her it was as though lie he aoud not comprehend then he turned in his chair to stare at his mother mothe selina was talking to itself and youve youe done all the famous men inen of europe you ou itself I 1 to think of it I 1 youve seen the world anti and youve youe got it in your hand little itself pool and you iou did it till ill alone in spite of everything leaned toward her ile he put hla his hand over tier her rough one cabbages are beautiful lie said then they both laughed us at sonic some exquisite joke then seriously what a tine fine life youve had too selina A full life and a rich ono one and successful it exclaimed selina why ive been here nil all these years just juat where you left me when you were a boy I 1 think the very hat and dress im wearing might be the same I 1 wore then ive been nowhere done dona noth ing seen been nothing when I 1 think ot all tile the places I 1 was going to seel meet all tho h things I 1 was wa going to do dot I 1 youve youre been everywhere in th tb world said ald itself youve seen been all al the doncea of great beauty and light you remember you told me that yow you father hod find once said when you were fl a little girl th it there were only two kinds of people who really mattered in the world one kind was wheat and tile lie other kind emeralds neralda ei youre wheat and youre emerald said selina quickly the general was interested but uncomprehending lie ile glanced now at tile the watch on tits his wrist und and gave a little exclamation but the dinner I 1 our madame storm I 1 it la Is very fine to run uway away but one must come coma back our so beautiful hostess hoB tesa he had sprung to tits his pet she isho la Is beautiful lent sher said eald selina no roelf replied |