Show winter by KAY WARREN 1 by mcclare syndicate JUST what got into william blodgett traynor after be married victoria none of his arlenda seemed able to decide he was thirty years older than ehe a bale and vigorous fifty to her fragile twenty he was good look ing successful in a large way in bust ness be had social background and great personal magnetism victoria was beautiful she was young she was well bred in the best sense of the term though her family had no money she had been well edu bated and bad traveled a little and met the right kind of so that she was perfectly able to take her place as head of traynors Tray nors big house that where the trouble lay he had kept the house open for two or three years alone since bis moth ers death she had been one of the social leaders of her day victoria stepped into his mothers shoes so far as social graces went everybody talked about the reign of the new mrs traynor as a foregone tact victoria really loved traynor he knew it he of course adored her everybody knew that and they seemed ideally beautifully happy the gracious old house glowed with hospitality of the best sort victorias young friends and his older ones aln aled in charming groups that may have been where the brou trou ble started one of her friends was jack orcutt he was an artist poor biot more than twenty three one night william traylor and vie torla were alone in their big library he gathered her unresisting into his arms and as he held her he was sud denly painfully conscious of her youth of his greater age if one of those its that change destinies if victoria had lain there quiet ly tor a moment in her husbands arms life would have smoothed out for them in a few moments william traynor 8 mood of bitter resentment so ready to turn into raging jealousy would have passed as suddenly as it had come leaving no memory be hind it but victoria did just the wrong thing she loved her bus band she put a soft creamy hand up to her husbands face william she said ive been thinking we have so much ive everything he drew her jealously closer ive been wondering if do something rather big to make me happy ahe went on you know jack or cutt hear vell he a a genius I 1 know it but he needs a vear in paris and he s well he cant manage it you know he has an invalid sister to ibok after hes a portrait and somehow or other he ought to be given bis chance see what im getting at dearl I 1 think so said traynor in a hard low voice but victoria notice i bis voice she went on with her plea for jack well ive been thinking about him and I 1 wondered it you per naps do something to give him his year abroad weve got so much and be has so little I 1 thought maybe we could look after his sister I 1 mean find a place where she could stay in exchange for tutoring some place in the country ashes a lovely girl and awfully bright and then you could commission him to paint a portrait of me next summer when we go to paris but you could tell him he must have training there before he does it and you could pay him in advance more than it 8 worth and that would fix things up she stopped flushed and delighted with her plan getting no reply from traynor she asked him you like a portrait of me done by jack orcutt traynor rose pushing her roughly away from mm he stood his back to the fireplace his hands on her shoulders he laughed harshly A picture of you tor me done by jack orcutt A beautiful idea A lovely thing of course A sort of con sol atlon prize given by spring to win ter hell go to paris on my money and be waiting there for you when we a pret go over next summer ty idea he iddo your portrait for me you 11 keep your old and his money and have your young traynor said no more victoria her face whiter than her dress stood fang him she stiffened under his hands and he took them away she said nothing as she turned and left the fact she never spoke to traynor again arrangements were made through others she left the bouse that night and in the course of time a divorce was managed victoria really loved treynor A couple of ye irs later she married jack orcutt of course nobody got the story exactly right people said victoria had tired of traynor lt was another cae where youth sought youth and age was left with nothing but memories she bad got most of the blame though after along doing illustrating in new york orcutt and victoria went to paris they managed it somehow traynor keeps the big house but it Is lolly and unused sometimes when he musing before the 1 brara fire he seems to see a soft S atle figure come pleading up fo his side explaining and explaining but when he turns the figure has fad ed away |