Show A POP 0 4 T T ax JE N DA L SYNOPSIS the he loss of 0 their family fortune Is accepted stoically by the bristol family including professor bristol invalid ar che his daughter rosemary and simmons a family fixture the only property salvaged Is peppertree Pep inn and the move to california to operate it rosemary experiences the turmoil of an Inn keepers existence and is grateful tor for the aid of bob elliot kent standish successfully manages the inn then envisages a string of hotels A after after fter recuperating from an attack of flu rosemary informs kent their engagement broken but continued as an experiment at t sirs mrs urging Is definitely off CHAPTER 1 I understand rosemary replied ill be in my own room kent if she wants to see me or ill come to her of course if she wishes an hour passed and there was no word from mrs standish rosemary tried to read but she could not concentrate on the printed page the lunch hour arrived and there was nothing to do but walk into the dining room and join kent and his mother at the small table they were a little late in coming in edith standish dropped a light hand on the girls shoulder as she passed her chair she met the worried blue eyes with a smile kent says hes told you that were leaving tomorrow or next day she began pleasantly unfolding her napkin im beginning to get used to his sudden departures I 1 wonder how it will feel to settle down again in philadelphia rosemary will you help me with my packing this afternoon ive not a great deal of it to do but I 1 thought you and I 1 might have a little talk then kents going to spend the afternoon disposing of his car rosemary swallowed id love to she said politely when they were alone in the standish sitting room she burst forth miserably 1 I know ive disappointed you but truly truly its best this way you know I 1 want kent to stay here all this time it would have been far better if you and he had gone right after the robbery he was to hush darling said edith standish if anyone is to blame its L I 1 As you said I 1 insisted on this experiment im glad I 1 did rosemary its cleared up a lot of things lor for kent and me yes and perhaps lor for you too dont feel badly child you were perfectly right there is theres always been affection between you two not love and will it t make you feel better about all chis if I 1 tell you ive come to see youre not the right girl for him not even the right type she raised startled eyes but youve always said youre too independent for him darling too determined to do your own thinking kent needs a clinging vine his father did before him I 1 learned early in our married life to lean heavily on him even when I 1 preferred to stand alone it if think back realize that it was your dismay over your financial affairs your worry about the professor your apparent helplessness that made kent rush you into an engagement ga it was the best thing that could have happened to him of course he had no job he had to get and hold one it if he was to marry you when he came out here all his latent ambitions his talent for organizing gan izing awoke but you rosemary woke up too you stopped leaning on kent I 1 dont believe you really did much in the first place did you and he resented your independence of him the whole story it no one is to blame everybody is happy she added lightly except perhaps kents mother who had set her heart on having a daughter named rosemary and the moral of that is she finished leaning forward to place a kiss on the girls cheek never attempt to pick out ones in laws now shall we get at the packing my dear my stuff will have to be shipped since were flying dying but the the car she stammered the car you gave me for an engagement present I 1 cant keep it now you know and the perfume bottles and the bracelet you brought me from santa barbara still engagement presents was the cheerful answer youre sure to need them sometime or other and I 1 always was a forehanded person I 1 thought id fill just this suitcase P hello rosemary its bob bob elliot feel like seeing a picture picture tonight theres a good one om in hollywood 1 graumans chinese chines are you with me 1 I will be she promised bob the Stan dishes left last night or early this morning of course they stayed all night in bob proves friend in need 1 I know my dear I 1 er mrs standish came out to say goodbye good bye to my mother and I 1 happened to see her its good flying weather it what time shall I 1 come for you have dinner with me here wont you the irm inn seems a little empty at the moment of course be seeing you she wondered a little at his calling her unless there was some sort of problem for her to solve or she was feeling depressed about something BobElU bob elliot ot usually ignored her existence but of course hed just said he knew of the departure of the Stan dishes he knew shed be lonely and in the kindness of his heart he she sighed it if bob always be so kind shed like him just once to do something for her to plan to be with her not because there was a need but because he wanted to As it was she felt that she belonged to bows bobs be kind to the needy club of which he was president it matter what was needed she told herself a little crossly food or advice or a job or to be wrapped in a blanket and carried out to his car it was all one to bob elliot she dialed bobs number with a resolute forefinger ive changed my mind about tonight she said crisply no nothing is wrong not at atall all I 1 never felt better in my life I 1 tell you I 1 a headache and nothing whatever is me its just that I 1 dont feel like seeing a movie tonight nor a drive no bob listen lisien stop trying to think up ways to amuse me this evening I 1 dont need to be amused and if I 1 did there are other im sorry to be so cross its that sort of a day I 1 suppose I 1 think IU ill have a tray in my room and go tight right to bed thank you again and goodbye good bye hell be a long time asking me to go out with him again she assured herself what on earth made me talk to him like that anyway the matter with me its not that im missing kent im relieved to have him gone if anything rosemary bristol get hold of yourself she put on her hat and went in to the village to shop there had been a frock in a window which she had bad thought well of it was very unbecoming to her when she tried it on but she bought it she bought a hideous pottery vase too and took it with her she stopped at a circulating library and selected a murder mystery though she disliked mysteries as a usual thing she returned to the inn at dinner time laden down with her packages and il if possible more out of sorts with herself than when she had left it the first person she saw in the lobby was bob elliot what are you doing here she demanded 1 I thought I 1 said 1 I was asked to dinner and I 1 ac arp 1 I 0 0 0 9 1 Z ive changed my mind about tonight n 11 cepter the invitation he explained blandly you tell me I 1 to come you know only that changed your mind about the movie what have you been buying tor for petes sake you look as if yo you intended to set up housekeeping bob I 1 said I 1 was going to have abray a tray in my room he nodded good idea you look like the very dickens if you dont mind my saying so she sank limply into one of the lobby chairs 1 I seem to have got out of the wrong side of bed this morning its not often im so cross truly if give me fifteen minutes ill be ready dinner movies and all good girl was all he said she was her prettiest self when she joined him at dinner she wore a white frock smartly banded in blue her white hat was massed with cornflowers corn flowers her c cheeks h e e k s matched the delicate pink of her nail polish and her mouth had received the most expert attention youre not a bad looking girl bob said thoughtfully and at her spurt of laughter he went on 1 I dont mean that as it sounds the first time I 1 saw you I 1 thought you were about fifteen you know and I 1 suppose ive gone on thinking that more or less still there have been times name three she commanded her eyes bright as stars her lips curved in laughter four if you like once was the night of the fancy dress party you really were something special that night and once was at ellens wed ling I 1 remember saying to the judge that you were almost beautiful at times and when you were ill and I 1 carried you to the car never mind she said hurriedly how is the judge and did your mother make up her mind about going to san francisco when he returned her to the inn some hours later he said in a businesslike nes way when do I 1 see you again she glanced at him in surprise oh any time she replied vaguely its been a grand evening bob and im all over my crossness thank you and good night no he said doggedly 1 I want to make a definite engagement with you may I 1 come friday evening we can think of something wed like to do by then bob elliot I 1 believe you think im grieving tor for kent and you grieving there was such genuine surprise in in his voice that she gave a little sigh of relief why on earth should I 1 think that ive known all along that you that you were just friends why you told me so yourself rosemary dont you remember when you drove put D af to the grove and talked a lot of nonsense about wanting to run away from mrs standish you she stamped her foot 1 I did not want to run away I 1 just I 1 only 1 I know he said soothingly dont get all worked up aga again in rosemary when I 1 had you so nice and calm ill see you friday e evening ve Is that okay good night he saw her friday night he dined with her on sunday and drove her to san pedro to see the fleet tuesday though he had made no previous arr arrangement an gement he arrived after dinner as cheerful and matter of fact as if they usually spent most of their evenings together rosemary was alternately puzzled and angry but not for a moment did she believe he was seeking her out bec because ailse he wanted to be with her for some reason he had conceived the idea that his attentions ware were necessary and despite her attempts at evasion her downright refusals her flashes of anger he pursued his self elected path rosemary irked by persistency by the end of the week rosemary was desperate she sent a telegram and received a prompt answer when bob came that evening she looked as gentle and innocent as a persian kitten but a kitten with claws the nicest thing has happened bob ellerf ellen carter no ellen hark less of course wired me today and asked me to visit her it at san francisco bought a home there you know it will be bonice to see ellen and ive never been in san francisco she wants me to stay as long as I 1 possibly can she was watching him closely there was na no mistaking the look of sudden relief in his eyes her heart dropped into her small shoes but she held her head high she had intended to stay at least a week or so but she returned to the inn in four days not that ellen and jim been glad to see her not that they done their best to amuse and interest her they had there were disturbing glimpses of a marital intimacy which set her heart beating hard ellens look when she heard jims step on the porch jims tone when he spoke his cifes name the glances which passed between them constantly radiant iterations of their love rosemary felt a sudden lone koneius iUs 3 hen kihen she intercepted one of these unspoken messages the professor welcomed her pla acidly uy he had established contact with several eminent men in his own field of research they came from stanford and from arizona to see him he conducted a brisk correspondence with many others the climate agreed with his health finances had ceased to concern him since he deeded the inn to his daughter simmons warmly approved of his present life everything going smoothly durham very smoothly he said with a hint of surprise in his voice 1 I hope you had a pleasant visit yes thank you truth revealed Q flu at dinner party after this sedate exchange of amenities she debated whether she should call bob or not it was only friendly to do so of course but she had been away such a short four days would not serve to turn him from the path of duty she stormed to herself 1 I wont be his path ot of duty I 1 wont I 1 wont c call all him uj up I 1 yes es I 1 will too 0 so she called him and was very gay and a little breathless with hurry and full up in the evenings tor for weeks to come he told her in his kindest voice that helas he was glad shed had such a cleant time in san francisco Francl co but what made you come back so soon any trouble at the inn oh no durhams just been telling me how peaceful everything is I 1 just thought id come back all how are the avocados flourishing ill tell you all about them when I 1 see you this afternoon but i but I 1 told you that tha t you are busy tonight yes why im coming this afternoon so she had accomplished nothing by going away he came as often as before he was brotherly and kind and entertaining now and then she caught his eyes upon her and they seemed to be puzzled bewildered wil dered she wondered if he were making a scientific study of girls with her as an example of the species she wondered if his 1 r had suggested she might be jw I 1 y without kent will you let bob bring you out tc ta dinner with us tomorrow night mrs elliot asked one morning the judge is pining for a sight of you he says and im nearly as bad bob will drive you of course he has to go to the village anyway during the leisurely meal the hostess chanced to say 1 I was sorry not to tell mrs standish goodbye good bye it if id known she was coming id have postponed my shopping but katie told me bob J had a nice visit with her bob did she turned accusing eyes on that young man placidly consuming his dessert why you said mrs standish came out to tell your mother goodbye good bye TO BE CONTINUED jf 4 |