Show F Joan's Joans Holiday I By Julie Julia Anne Moore I. I Copyright 1031 1931 by the Independent Syndicate Inc CHAPTER THIRTY ONE Defeat And victory In one ona There hf in inthe the lobby of the hotel al almost almost almost al- al most within hearing of ot a dozen in indifferent In in- different loungers Joan ran up th the white flag In lag in the form of ot a very small and fragile white chief and chief and accepted the Inevitable Joan Jom h had hd d said at last I cant can't argue any anymore more Harry Ive I've said the same sam thing over and over They've never neve meant anything to you and they and they begin begin begin be be- gin to sound futile to me She was wa abruptly silent and the white kerchief ker her chief tightly wrapped about a finger was pr pressed ed to her lips Harry afraid of every word waited waited waited wait wait- ed watching her eyes anxiously She went on after a moment I Ido Ido do love you she said Ive said sale that so often In the last hour But Ido I Ido do Harry Barry I could never love anyone anyone any any- any I one else elsa If If- If He leaned toward her breathless expectant If you In you In spite of all Jl Ive I've told tok I you ou about myself you still want me The handkerchief t was at her lips Up again Joan darling You mean tt mean She turned her head quickly An elderly woman sat deep In a chair chaira i a l dozen feet e t away r reading a maga maga- zine zinc My dar darling ing You really will In Ina a fever of rising excitement Harry got to his feet teet Come on Weve We've got jot to get out of here But before she could answer he turned am and walked to the window windo and immediately immediately imme imme- came back again and stood staring down at her He dropped his head back and grinned at the ceil- ceil ing ng Am I happy He looked down at her once more smiling smiling miling Joan said Sit down a moment I want to ask you something He dropped to the couch his eyes never leaving hers Youve ignored everything Ive I've said aid against it it Harr Harry Youve You've pretended pretended pre- pre tended what 1 I 1 see as as-as as as a chasm between us doesn't exist But it docs does exist even even now Will you be pa pta tient with me Will you ou help me to toto toto toto to to be the sort of girl you want me meto meto meto to be bc He caught her hand in his and held heldt it t firmly When Joan Tonight You haven't promised what I I. I asked she said Of course I promise Anything And you wont won't ever ever ever- be sorry orry Dont talk like a little ninny he said aid happily Tonight darling She sank back smiling relaxed I I Not tonight We Wc have to do some some- thing ling first File intentions I think they hey call it Three e days later later- later He jumped up up eagerly Its late but nit theres there's a chance He hurried acroSs cross across the lobby She saw him speak to o the girl behind the desk and dive divento into nto an open booth Presently he came out and she went vent to meet him They promised to wait five tive min min- utes tes Lets Let's go The girls in the town clerks clerk's office were naturally curious Only th fact act that that that-he he had given his name over the ic phone had kept them overtime They hey wanted to see Harry Swift for foric foron forone on one ic thing And being women they wanted infinitely more to see the therl girl rl he was to marry They smiled at Harry They stared at t Joan Joan- appraisingly They meant to o be pleasant but to Joan they were critics critics and imperceptibly she cringed ringed And then they Were back In Harrys Harry's slung low black roadster and he was talking like mad And Joan knew 11 at once that three days das under cerain tam ain tain circumstances could be a very long ong time Well just have the famil family and anyone you want vant of course and well we'll send end out announcement cards and that'll be the thc end of that And then well veil give orders about our house housend and tt nd Our house Joan said Are we going to have a house Of course were we're going to have a ahouse ahouse house ouse exactly the sort of house you want vant and precisely where you ou want vont It But Ive I've never In my life even thought about having a house I wouldn't know how to start to tell you ou A house Incredulously A Ahome Ahome home lome that I can do what I please in Harry But Harrys Harry's thoughts were racing on n. n The simplest way of course Isto is iso isto to o tell Dad Dad we we wc want a house and then theno go o off oU and stay as long as we please and nd when we wc come back there back there it is and nd no worry Joan said quickly But If it we go goff off cant ff cant can't the house wait walt 1 Until we get jet back I 1 mean I I-I I I want a small house and your father wouldn't know enow how to give orders for tor a small house louse And I want the kitchen on onic the thc ic north side and a sun porch on the he south side in the back and a n garden arden back bf of the house and a asun asun aun sun un dial in a corner of the garden and and- nd Suddenly she was laugh laugh- Ing ng What am I saying Its It's gone gono to o my head Harry Im I'm actually la layIng layng lay lay- Ing ng out a house and and and- She was lost in his arms then and somehow It didn't matter that they were vere parked in front of the city balland hall ball halland and nd that the street lights tights were on and nd no less than a hundred persons who vho might bo be looking at themI them I 1 cant can't believe it Three days Joan oan hone honey where'll you stay Joan turned curious At Mrs Murphys Murphy's But But Three days Isn't very long You'll come omo to see me after work tomorrow tomorrow tomor- tomor row ow night Work Of or course I cant can't just quit I dont ont have to give notice fortunately but ut it wouldn't be rl right ht just to walk of off ff without a word But why not come to the house You'll have some preparations to make After a moment Joan said Yes I will You speak to your father and Merle tonight If its it's all right Ill I'll go with you tomorrow night Of course its it's all right Vh Why Why Why- But Jut he was WM silent then wondering Tonight he said finally Weve Vee Ve e got to find a away way to celebrate Where can an we go Joan laughed softly You know what Id I'd like Uke to do she sho asked Id like ike for you to take me rue home and let et me go to my room and be bo alone As I have been for tor weeks Youre serious You wont won't understand that Joan saId aid But Merle Merlo would Ive I've got to think darling Do you ou mind so much Not if that's what you ou want to todo do Only Only Only-Oh Oh I dont don't know Inow Naturally ally I dont don't want to let you ou out of ol J ny my sight Ever again And then I here's heres theres there's Shrike He Ho nodded gravely I Laughing softly she slid down I Ithe In Inthe inthe I the scat Beat and rested her head against his shoulder Hes more mora likely to show v up at your house she said salt Even the city cuy directory wont won't tell him where I live Uve Still two blocks from Mrs Murphys Murphy's Murphy Murphy's Murphys Mur Mur- phys phy's she put a hand on his arm Will WUl you you let me out here Th The whole nelc be talking 1 It if they see this car In front of ot th the house He grinned agreeably and brought brough the tho car to a ft stop by the curb She got out a and d closed the door Then she put her head end back In th the car Be sweet sweat darling she pored Im Tm afraid youre you're making a tragic mistake but I Im I-I'm Im I'm terribly h happy pp She Sho waited until he had turned th the car car around around and and waved at nt her Th Then n she stood on the curb and stared after afler the tho car until it had turned th the corner corner Lost in a n. delirium of wonder sh she turned now and walked on slowly wholly unconscious of the lines of o lighted windows vs on either side o othe of the street thinking only of Harry anti and the amazing thing that h had happened happened hap hap- penro to th them m. m Or to her because of ot him She had hod wanted him so SOL and had hat been so confident that she sho could coult never have him And now three now thre days No ono one day For tomorrow night he would come for tor her anc and he tie would be hers forever How Hou improbable it It all an seemed That night in the deserted tenement on North Main in tho the restaurant res rca when he he had tad p paid id for or he her supper the day when he ho had bad come for her and had taken her ber to Hartford and introduced her to Merle that unbelievable w week ek a at Litchfield oi Something Something she she did not know what at t t the tho moment moment had had suddenly made her conscious of or her surround surround- lags Ings of the empty street and the strange quiet She was barely barcly a a. bundred hundred hun bun dred yards from Mrs Murphys Murphy's and yet et she had the tho feeling that som something some some- thIng was wrong th that that that- tHad t- t Had something crossed creased her vision and ind had she been so completely lost lostIn lostin In n her thoughts that the reflection md had come to her after it had gone But she had seen nothing heard nothing She was sure surD of It Presently she sho shook herself and laughed softly She was home A Afew Afew few ew more more steps steps' and she would be turning into the tho walk She walked on rapidly puzzled by this eerie feeing feelIng feelIng feel feel- Ing ng that had come over her Something scraped on the sidewalk sidewalk side side- walk behind her hei She wanted to turn urn but she was suddenly afraid And then something touched her shoulder houlder and she wheeled about For one instant she gazed into linto I small mall sharp eyes s' s set aCt t in a like ferret lace face ace and was too frightened to think tink Then she jumped and drew her breath to scream But it was too oo late Shrike had suddenly hurled himself at her and knocked her er tt to the ground |