| Show LEAP YEAR GIRL BY HI BOB EDEN BEGIN HERE TODAY Judith Avery has decided to marr marry her old sweetheart Toby Locke after his divorce is granted Judith had been heartbroken when he married Donna Herriot She had even quit quither her job at the bank where Toby is assistant teller because she couldn't bear to see Toby constantly and know he belonged to Donna But Donnas Donna's extravagances sent Tobys Toby's debts soaring He worried so much about them that he sought Judith for the comfort and encouragement encouragement encourage encourage- ment mont he should have received from his wife Then Toby speculated with money belonging to the bank and the stock crashed Afraid to face the music music mu mu- sic he came to Judith to bid her good good- bye But Judith wouldn't let him gOOd I run away She borrowed a thousand dollars dollars dol dol- lars tars from her employer Dr Craig Mitchell and gave it to Toby so he could start all over again Judith tried to forget Tob Toby And because she wanted to forget him she agreed to enter into a trial engagement engagement engage engage- ment with Craig Each da day she wore the bracelet Craig had given her meant that she was trying to love him The A Averys approved of Craig Even Rita Judiths Judith's worldly wise sister sister sis sis- sis sis- ter put her O. O K on the thc young doc doe tor But when Tob Toby told Judith he was getting a divorce and demanded that she promise to marry him Craig Mitchell faded laded right out of the picture picture pic pie ture even though Judith hated dreadfully dread dread- fully Cully to hurt him NOW GO ON WITH TilE THE STORY CHAPTER THIRTY THIRTY FIVE FIVE Its all so much easier than I thought it would be Toby Locke was saying Nothing to it at all I 1 need not even have been worried Why the lawyer said I 1 had every cause inthe in inthe the world to divorce Donna I told him just what had happened why I had left Hes He's going to draw up a complaint tomorrow and have it ready for me inc to look over in a few days Its It's simple Judith The girl stared at him with eyes that saw him and then didn't see ace ee him They were having dinner at a quiet restaurant She had told Toby she would marry him after he h had d his divorce and he had taken it so much for granted As if he had known she would all along As if it 11 were his right As if there had never been any my doubt in his mind He had nodded when she told him touched her hand that lay on the ta table ta- ta taw ble and started to talk about his conversation conversation con con- with his lawyer When she wanted to hear how much he loved her When she had so many other things to talk to him about Their own life lie together not the windup of his love for Donna Their own fu future Lu- Lu ture meant so much to her What they would do How the they would do rio it it Their love which was be beginning now and would last forever The past didn't interest her Tobys Toby's l love ve for Donna was gone She wanted to forget it She had to forget it if she was to have the peace she longed for Cor Now and then Craig Mitchell crept into her thoughts as she listened to Tob Toby Craigs Craig's eyes when he had come into the office looking at her wrist for the br bracelet celet failing to find it Craig when he turned away ay to his own room Craig when she went vent in later sending her away refusing to let her speak ILEASE PLEASE GO Please go o Judith he had said quietly I understand The bracelet bracelot brace- brace l lot let t on the desk before him the note beside him Her note The afternoon had been agony to her and as it had drawn to a close dose there them was no answer to her note She didn't know what to do whether h r to tc leave lea or whether to stay She lingered lin Jin- around after alter six hoping to sec see him Finally she learned from Doris Dori Benjamin amm that he had gone by his private private vate door The sooner I file you ou know the thc sooner we can be m married Tob Toby continued Mr Smith the lawyer I I have told me mc it would take a mon month monh I or ox so o before the ca case caie e came up in ir court That means seven mo months before before be be- fore we can be married It may be in June before belore we ie can make it Not June That was the month monti I T Toby Jy had been beers married before They p couldn't be married in June May Mayor o r Ju July y but not June Queer if I got the papers on tin the anniversary of my marriage to Donna wouldn't it Toby laughed Not so queer A tragedy I h haven't s een cen cn her Judith haven haven't even cen heard from her but shell she'll know p what Im I'm doing when she gets the pa pa- Legally she has to answer t them fm of course but I dont don't think sin she will I think shell she'll let the divorce m o by default That's what is usually f i done Mr Smith said and hes he's handled nan ban han han- died thousands o of divorce cases case Al AJl new to me though but its it's an ol oh old str story to him I TORE IT UP The divorce again Memories as o of Donna Judith felt discouraged Mr l Smith says its it's very simple Jn in court No trouble I only have t to hive have two witnesses and md then ge get on the stand for a few minutes my myself lt Then its it's all over providing over providing Donna dees rices nothing about a cross petition But then she cant She hasn't any cause came to enter a cross petition an and she knows that that Judith remembered the letter Toby ought to know about that an and his lawyer ought to know Maybe Mayb she had better tell him I hid had a nast nasty letter leller from Donna a couple of ot weeks week a ago o accusing me rae of or all sorts o of things Toby frowned Did you Jou keep H Jt No I tore it up Well it doesn't matter She cant can't do anything Funny f IC f he heto herto her herto to send a i letter thou though h She didn't 53 say anything to mc me about it ft but I Itell Ill I'll tell Mr Smith Hell He'll want to kno know all sides of oC the case I told M Mr r Sandbag about th the divorce orce today toda and he agreed with me sac that it was wa the best thin thing thine to doI do I If she could only marry him now If tI only they didn't have to wait so long Go through the sordid divorce Have to talk about it discuss it from all angles If It she could just ray fay Toby lets let's be married tonight and know they could do It They couldn't They had to wait endless months And yet they weren't so unlucky In some states a year elapsed before a i final decree could be secured I Jud Judith th Toby started hesitantly His eyes ces left leCt her face and fell on the cloth Theres something I want ant to Ic ask you OU and I want ant you to tell methe me methe methe the absolute truth Will VilI you Of Ot course His knife was tracing a pattern on I the cloth I want to know whether it will ever make any di difference to tc p you that I took that thousand dollars dollars' And Id I'd like to have you tell me the thc truth troth How do you mean I mean will you ever think about aboul I lit it and love mc me less for tor it Its It's peen been 1 b both ring me lately You know I wont won't Toby It never v make any difference She smiled i nto into his eyes and this time it was her herand h and hand that caught his and held it It Sure Very Verj very sure He sighed You see seCt youre you're the only o one ne who knows It it You and md I I. I I 1 h haven't avent told another soul and I never s hall shall You have not told any anybody ody h have ave you ou No Craig Mitchell l and Rita had g guessed but Toby needn't know that it if f it made his mind any easier not to k now know She had not told either of t hem them why he needed the money Its a weakness I want to forget J Judith udith You understand You and I Iare Ire Ire are a re the only ones who know about HIm It H. I m Im sorry I 1 wont won't be able to repay you ou f Cor or a long time time time- She changed the subject swiftly for forshe she s he saw th that t Toby wanted to dwell on o n it Do you ou love me You know I 1 do More l than you OU did Donna There s she he was bringing brining up Donnas Donna's name h D DONNA A DONNA A BARRIER Of course I 1 do A thousand times m more ore Would she be asking him often w whether hether he loved her more than he l oved loved Donna And would he always a answer her the same way Yet it m meant so much to her that he should l love ove her more than he loved Donna It I t meant every everything thins A thousand times more he had said H Her er lips curved into a 8 smile Donna s standing landing a barrier between them D Donna onna a cons constant comparison Well it t wouldn't be that way after a while A After fter they were married They could f Donna then They would have t to o forget her She Sho missed the shabby little roadster readier road road- roady s ier ter when Toby took her home on the s street treet car Otherwise it was nearly t he the same Not quite because of Donna D onna and the ever present subject o oC f the divorce orce It was ten when they r cached the house Toby said goodnIght good good- n Ight nIght lingering lIngerin on the porch for a while awhile before he left When she entered the living room h her er father and mother were still silting sit sit- sits ti ting ing ng by the fire Mrs 1 Aver Avery sewing o on in n a dress for Judith and John Avery r reading cading the last of the evening paper That wasn't Dr Mitchell who b brought rought you home Judith Mrs A Ayery er asked snipping her thread w with ith her scissors N No NoI No 0 I thought it sounded like Tob Toby L Locke ocke Looking up mildly curious TOBY TOnY CANT CAN'T CO COME IE Judith hesitated then answered It w vas as as Not Toby Locke Judith I had dinner with him downtown a and nd he brought me mc home Was Donna with you Hes getting a divorce mother mother- And youre you're going to go out with h him lim again Judith you ou arent aren't tell m me eyou you arent aren't z 1 But Mrs Avery gave her no time timeo timeto t to o reply I wont won't have him coming h here ere my dear until he has his di divorce divorce di- di v vorce orce and everything is settled I 1 want sant you ou to understand that I 1 dont don't m mean ean to be bc strict or anything like t that hat but I dont don't want him h here re while h his is divorce is pending I wouldn't f for Cor or the world have you talked about aboul S So o if H you'll tell him that he cant can't c come ome to the house again Ill I'll be satis satis- l fied Mrs Averys Avery's mild eyes were flashing flash flash- i ing ng and she hastily put her sewing i in n its box and closed the cover with i a 3 bang Im only doing it for your you OUr own good But mother mother- mother to After Aler all Judith you arc are living here with us and you must respect our wishes if H you ou continue to live livi here Im I'm not going to have ha Tob Toby Locke coming to the house white while hes he's still sUll married to Donna Herriot I ma may be old-fashioned old and narrow mInded about some things but I dont don't care Im I'm not going to see sec you ou involved iia ii in ina in ina a scandal There wont won't be any scandal scandal- scandal to How do you know Judith had never seen her mother so upset John will you please tell Judith that Tob Toby Locke cant can't come to the thc house until he gets his d divorce vorce Mr A Avery very took his glasses from his nose and looked kInd kindly I at his youn younger er dau daughter Im afraid mother is right Judith Tob Toby cant can't come to the house The girl walked slowly into her bedroom It had been a n long lont time since her father lather and mother had told her what to do and what not to do o. o Usually they let her have her own way How was she going to see sec Toby when he couldn't come home with ith her She didn't have enough money to take an in apartment by herself hersel To Tobe be continued |
