Show f The Luck of Z By KATHLEEN NORRIS Author of The Story of Julia Page Heart of Rachael I I Wife Sisters etc 4 J I Copyright by Kathleen Norris Morris I I It was the most amazing moment of her life lite The memory of it nerved her to play her new part splendidly and boldly Dean had not known her ner nobody knew her ind indeed ed looking into the dimmed surrounding mirrors of at the slender pretty woman woman woman wom wom- an with the wistful face and the massed bright hair and the white hands framed in m immaculate cuffs Geraldine did not know herself Her lIer speech was not the speech ch of Floss and Miss Harris the words she chose were not the words the they would have chosen She talked to the best customers as if she he were playing an I amusing role she piqued them with a French phrase here and there she I used an odd word correctly She flattered flattered flattered flat flat- them subtly they were used to flattery but not of this sort She liked it it She liked to be slim popular and i useful She walked out Into the heavenly heavenly heavenly enly green springtide of leaf and blossom blossom blos blos- bIOS I som every day smiling and content Mrs Lucas proud of her own discernment discernment discernment discern discern- ment confided to her every detail of the business and raised her salary On a glorious June Saturday just justa a year from the terrible June that had begun it all she went back to Stockham Stock Stock- ham She was unannounced at the ranch but George was In the secret and met her with a car at the train She had told him that matters were far from satisfactory between her herself elf elfand and Dean and that she was working work work- ing George gasped when he saw her This this isn't new she smiled glancing at the straw-colored straw suit and then up at him from under the brim of the close feathered hat She had given him a perfumed and suddenly affectionate affectionate affectionate kiss George looked deliciously delicious delicious- ly familiar after the ton long months You look thin George said puzzled put put- I I was very ill She got composedly composed composed- ly Into the shabby car and they drove to the ranch Geraldine's face was I flushed with lovely color every inch of soul and body was crying for her children With a great laugh that was half a acry acry acry cry she sprang from the car and andI caught the warm bewildered little I I daughters to her heart kissing them pressing them to her holding them off only to catch them frantically nearer again Ah they Ah-they they were so sweet they sweet they looked so well and sturdy they sturdy they were so sweet sweet- Why its it's mother Deanie Deame said slowly in her deep voice Taney Janey tightened a small arm about her mothers mother's neck and Geraldine realized realized realized real real- th that t the childs child's dark eyes like her own were wet In a frenzy of love and delight they clung together Well she seems crazy after chill chilI children chil chil- l I dren whoever she is is' is Mrs Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick Fitzpat- Fitzpat rick said from the window But when she was brought face to face with Georges George's young lady a few minutes later the iron amazement of her gaze was slow to break Mother darling Geraldine laughed in her arms Her mother settled settled settled set set- her glasses to study her daughter in stupefaction Jerry Fitzpatrick what Fitzpatrick what have you ou oudone done to yourself she managed to say sayat sayat sayat I at last Linda eyes at their roundest could only say Well Well Geraldine Geraldine well Geraldine I Am I so changed Geraldine delighting delighting delighting de de- de- de lighting in the glances of every everyone one of j I them still holding her children settled down into the circle on the side porch for the beginning of the talk She I caught the baby nephew as he toddled I by for a kiss pushed up her veil eil freed a hand to hold old tight to her mothers mother's mothers mother's moth moth- moth moth-I I I ers er's hand I r was ill you know all allover j jover over the holidays holidays-a holidays a sort of wearing I think it had grippe I grippe was And Ive I've I this position in the the the-In in a sort of garment garment garment gar gar- ment place you know and one must I look smart there there- there there- Oh rarely must one one one-J I say George Isaid j I said screwing an imaginary monocle j jinto I into his eye and leaving his mouth idiotically open His sister laughed I gaily I am to talk that way j I she confessed honestly But it is be because because be- be cause the customers like it it- it I be-I The customers customers' ejaculated Linda What are you you I Saleswoman darling Where are you and Dean living I her mother demanded Something like I resentment rose in Geraldine's heart She had been free of this sort of thing I I she had for forgotten otten it Mother I I was going to tell you ou all an that part this evening when Clem was I I here she answered seriously Ive only seen Dean twice since I went to town and neither of those times did I I 1 he see me me I Youve been working In a shop and and separ separated ted from your Linda summarized after a silence in a shocked whisper What else could I 1 Ide do Linda Geraldine Geraldine Geraldine Ger Ger- aldine asked her cheeks reddening Why Linda was rapidly regainIng regaining regaining regain regain- ing her old attitude toward this surprising surprising surprising sur sur- and unfamiliar sister in Why Geraldine she said gently you went down to the city months city months agoto agoto ago agoto ago ago- to see Dean to come cometo to an understanding understand understand- ing with him didn't you you understand understand-I Yes I did I 1 discovered discovered- Geraldine Gerald Gerald- GeraldI I ine Inc felt it almost impossible to continue He had made other friends she be began began began be- be gan with difficulty Women her her mother supplied in instantly In- In I Well Wen in a way way way- But Geraldine Geraldine- Linda aghast persisted with her terrible glibness when you learned that Dean was unfaithful un- un unfaithful unfaithful un un- faithful to you why didn't you instantly instant Instant- ly come back here ere where you have havea A l home borne ome brothers your mother To t take l e a position in a a shop why shop why its it's terrible If people peopleS here got to know it it the It-the the tho childrens children's friends frIends- friends There are arc ways of bringing him to I his senses George said darkly No decent woman has to put up with that tha sort of thing I r suspected that you and he were having trouble all along Mrs Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick Fitzpat- Fitzpat rick contributed contribute disconsolately but yet of course 1 Ive I've we vo always thought you were to ether Geraldine felt an intense and deep boredom a chill smote her Oh how utterly tiresome tiresome tiresome-tiresome tiresome they all were how little they understood All I the glow an and sweetness of her ler arrival was gone as she went slowly upstairs She and Linda laughed and talked with a great air of naturalness she went up to the tho frail papery little grandmother and kissed the bloodless dry cheek and d there was more talk I But she felt that i they they y were leaving really vital subjects of conversation until Clem got home hom hornet J Linda walked down down- downto to the gate to I meet her husband and Geraldine saw them talking there ther earnestly and for several minutes Then Then he came came up brushed aside clinging g children kissed her admiringly and laughingly Well you have r made de yourself into a stage beauty Clem said He lIe helped them all to goaded platefuls there was a running gay conversation But when the children dren had trooped upstairs and Geraldine had comedown come como down from delicious prayers and hugs and good nights and had settled herself herself herself her her- I self breathlessly to finish her dessert he was grave They tell me youve you've not seen Dean JerrY Jerry I INo But No she said uncomfortably you know Cle Clem I rather like it Sometimes I women lose losea a lot who marry and never know what it is to stand upon their own feet Your good father would be proud to hear a daughter of his talk like I tha that t her mother mothe said shortly in in I scorn ij Ah mother dear dont don't be cross cross cross' j I Geraldine pleaded pleaded You know how i iI I 1 felt toward Dean and my home You know how I 1 grieved when when when-when when i all that trouble began last spring and how I wrote him and how I 1 cried and j I prayed But he didn't come back to j i ime me and now Im une of a million women who have stumbled Into business business busi- busi I ness and who like it it Im I'm successful successful successful success- success ful in a humble sort of way way way-I'm Im I'm saving saying sav say ing money and theres there's no possible 1 doubt that in tim time time I 1 can take care of the girls and m myself Self as well as he ever did 4 f I To this nobody answered anything but the atmosphere was charged with I utter disapproval Geraldine weathered weathered weathered I ered it somehow and spent the whole of the next summery sweet day in drinking in the joy of being with her I children again again- She looked at the Sunday pictorials pictorials' of the spring spring parade on the avenue and arid smart i little advertisement advertisement Geraldine advertisement Geraldine knew j the very gown that was photographed i ifor for it and in het he heart there was a ai j i sudden surge e of pride and satisfaction i that she belonged I to it It in her humble j I little v ay way was was beginning to be a apart part of It I At 5 o'clock she was In the train jand j i and had drawn a great breath of relief to be going back Clement had not I quite forbidden her the house she congratulated herself and Linda hadnot had hadnot not quite that she was j secretly leading a dangerous life And j I Ithe Ithe the girls had been sheer delight ht My Iy pretty little black haired girls she mused over her dining car supper sup sup- per The happy day had had its little moment of ot thrill too For Tor while they had been laughing In the green freshness freshness freshness fresh fresh- ness of the garden a motorcar had stopped at the gate rind arid nd the tho children had rushed Joyfully to welcome Uncle Louis Geraldine had gone out to stand I bareheaded and smiling in the young sunshine talking to him She remembered remembered remembered nothing but that he was an old and dear friend She saw that her unexpected appearance had shaken I him and being a human woman she had a t deep sense of triumph in seeing it although she had put the very I thought of Louis sternly from herBut her But he had last seen her forlorn and sorrowful and his bewilderment and I his generous pleasure in finding her so newly lovely and so poi poised ed could i inot i inot not but please her They talked tanked only for a few minutes He had been I passing on his way to the country club and had stopped to speak to Clement He asked her to come to the club with him but she decided to I decline explaining simply that she had but this one day at home and mu must mut t spend it with her mother and children I Youve seen Dean he asked flushing with embarrassment as he looked down at his big driving glove Not once once Not once once And And youre you're working I have a Job She smiled A good goon job 1 Youre very verv game Jerry he observed observed ob ob- served thoughtfully No Im I'm not game she answered quickly I was was was- ou say say-I you was you might say say pushed out of or matrimony I 1 didn't want to be Ive I've always been afraid And now Ive I've discovered that there I are extremely pleasant things about being a working woman woman that that lots of the old stories about humbly pleading for a Job and having to sacrifice I body and soul to get enough to eat are an bogies th that's ts all all' Tf If youve you've got got I ordinary Intelligence and will work worl hard they want yoU vou more than you vou I want them Im I'm not boasting But I 1 I believe Ill I'll have a shon Shen of my own on I Fifth avenue some da day Louis she i j added seriously there are plenty of I husbands who might well wen beware of I such an experiment as this this' To get tet your little pay envelope every Friday I to to work with other women all day dayto dayto to to pay for your meals and have I Iother other women cook conk them and serve and them thorn and more than all that that that- Geraldine Geraldine Ger- Ger I aldine looked off across the waving t I i ifield Ifield field of new grain beside the garden I and the white walls of the poorhouse I flooded with sunlight a mile away more more than all that Louis she said said to to feel that you are arc expressing I I self that your our personality is being belm contrasted with other women's and that every bit of energy an and originality originality I yr vou yu u h have e Is being used wall used that's better than moping in a kitchen with wath your heart aching over something something something some some- thing unkind that has been said II To be continued |