Show 6 SAND j I ll V By Elen r CHAPTER 7 I You cant can't go Judith repeated In awed sl slowness slowness S She e moved nerI nervously nervously ner- ner ner I to the door Shall Shan Shall I lock It it shan shall I tell them 1 i iThen I Then Sandy began to laugh She laughed and laughed She leaned I I on the bureau hiding her face tace In her hands convulsed with hysterical hysten- hysten rl- rl I cal mirth i II Judith stood there holding I Sandys Sandy's little hat And presently I Sandy looked up with a trembling halt Half shamed grin Frighten you Judy of 01 dear She took the hat I quietly very carefully arranged the hair hall over her forehead I Then she went up and kissed Judith Judith but didn't look In n Judiths Judith's I face tace She s said ld softly sonly Dont worry wor wor- r ry of 01 thing Im I'm all an right now now I It seemed so gay to toss the beautiful beautiful beautiful beau beau- flowers over the old black banister ba banister ban ban- ister to come running down excited ex excited ex- ex I cited d' d dand and laughing She felt tears on her mothers mother's I face and wished to cling to ner I mothers mother's warin warm plump hands She wanted to say SlY Why I thought you were glad Isabella I But the rice and petals came at them In a shower Murillo caught her arm She waved a kiss back back- ward He was helping her Into baCk 1 tie the car He stooped down She felt the heat of ot his breath and suddenly ashe as ashe ashe he had in the church he pressed his lips full on her mouth Were Vere off ott he whispered exultantly I Sandy gave a little catchy laugh I and trembled I The road before them was dark Low trees thronged together In forlorn for for- I lorn shadowy concourse They drove swiftly I And Sandy sitting low Jow In the deep cushions held her hands tightly tight tight- i I ly clasped She felt her eyes burning burning burn burn- burn I ing and wide open her breath hard I to draw She was married now Ben Murillo was her husband She was driving away with him They would be alone a long while I I She said this Her hea heart t began to pound Married she Married she was married mar mar- I ried going ried-going going away alone They sped onward The trees grew blacker They were gaunt and I lonely looking Sandy stared at them She wanted wanted wanted want want- I ed to cry ClY out wanted to tell someone someone some some- some some-I one she was frightened She felt cold and forsaken I It seemed Incredible this this' quick wild ride she was taking She wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to talk but her lips were so stiff I She felt as though she were alone In the car and It were dashing into I Ian an sn unknown sunless region region away away I from the earth from laughter and warm warmth th If It she were only back In the garden gar gar- I den hiding len hiding In Timmy's arms on un she had If It were only Timmy chosen she could reach reuh out her hernand I hand nand now and say Gee Timmy Im I'm scared scared scared-I I I feel the queerest queerest- and he would look down at her In his ais sweet boys boy's way and answer Lord kid som I And they would laugh gaily and kiss each other She shut her ber eyes No she wasn't going to cry Brazen things out out out- that tha was the we weIn weIn In the darkness she could see Murillos Murillo's hands on the wheel She could see the white cuffs They showed Inches below his coat sleeves She stared at them Tears rushed down her cheeks cheeks oh oh at least he could have kept his cuffs up She felt elt terribly wronged by the sight of ot those cuffs curts She said aId with witha a gulp Why are you ou driving so quickly lIe He turned She could see his eyes ees dark possessive He laughed a n soft questioning laugh Why am amI I hurrying Sandy Ten minutes more darling Ten minutes Arent Aren't we driving to Riverside That's where you said Yes but not tonight Did you think wed we'd drive five or six hours on this night She couldn't speak A dry searing searIng searIng sear- sear Ing flush that seemed to pulse from her heart outward went over her whole body made body made her weak They drove deeper Into the foot foot- hills They were In a grove of ot oak trees Before them set on a little eminence was a long rambling structure built around a garden In Inthe Inthe Inthe the driveway were palms and a fountain that looked very ver chilly In Inthe inthe Inthe the moonlight said Here Sandy youve you've never been here Its It's quite the place She looked Yer very slim and tall In that dove colored colored outfit with the soft fur ag against her bright hair hall And he smiled like a a. courtier as he helped her hero o out t. t But her feet were leaden She watched him sign the register regis regis- ter ter B B Murillo and wife wite She felt like shrieking with laughter lIke laughter like running away But she followed him to a broad staircase They were shown to abig a a. big room furnished 1 i wicker Flowers were everywhere C There was a basket of ot roses roses taU tall a. amass a. a mass of ot white Long buds with white gleaming petals There must have been a hundred of ot those pearl- pearl like bUds bids Sandy touched them She said Arent they lovely It was an effort for her to s say a simple simple simple sim sim- thing like this Murillo J laughed softly You like them I had them put here my wife He l kept ept smiling He was coming toward her his arms ex extended extended ex- ex x- x tended his languid eyes half halt closed Sandy pressed her nose against the buds She watched him fasci fasci- The walls o of the room seemed merging together closing in inon inon inon on her and this stranger who wasso wasso was wasso so slight and narrow and who now came toward her with dreaming eyes and parted lips His hands touched hers Sandy come here Take off oft your hat hot you Sandy Sandy Sand you ou haven't kissed me yet yet yet- now now now- She gave e him a little shove She began to laugh hysterically Dont Donn be so silly Benny Benny Denny-Benny Benny Venuto Open your eyes eyes eyes' What do you think you are are are-a a sleep walker He steadied himself on the arm of a n chair chair chair-a a sudden flashing of ot white drained the color even from his lips I But Sandy went on in a high I strained voice What has my hat got to do with kissing Ill I'll keep on my hat as long as I like Did you send all an these flowers That's very nice of or you But Wheres Where's the suite I told you to get a suite for uslie us usHe us- us He lie surveyed her in n no silence silence noI no- no I i her hands that hands that she had them clinched hard but they were shak shak- ing Slowly a flicker of ot amusement came to his eyes He lIe tooK out a aI Do you mind If it I smoke e Sandy I She walked about the room touChing touchIng touching touch- touch Ing the flowers straightening flowers straightening the cushion on a chair In one corner corner corner cor cor- ner next to long French was wasa a writing desk She said as breezily breez- breez I I lly lIy as she could Smoke Smoke ot of course I suppose you dont don't mind either eitner 1 I If It I write a few letters I guess your letters Jetters' can can wait till I the morning cant can't they He sauntered after her Its past miot- miot nigh t. t But she was already seated the I pen poised at her lips He leaned over her pressed his hands on hers Let the letters wait walt Sandy The dark ark brows so c curved and so long the moist lips came very near to her face ce Sandy Sandy the letters can tf v wait She n felt ali limp and ana overpowered D But she said bluffly I promised s my mother to write AT ONCE Im I'm Iman Imi i an awfully prompt correspondent ent One thing tiling I never delay Is writing sletter a s aletter aletter letter I She could scarcely breathe reathe Her He HerI lips w were re drawn and white l I said Do you want a drink Sandy Ive I've brought some fine old stuff stutt- stuff No she said faintly I dons don want a thing thing nothing nothing This wont won't hurt yOU you He went over to the closet begar began opening his suitcase Sandy looked at the French doors She felt ill Ill ill-a a little mad She Shi thought wildly Lord Lord I I cant can't gel away away I I cant can't cant can't- She got up suddenly and gave th thi thEdoor door a push It opened on a bal cony She stepped out The next I moment she was running down J a shallow terrace The night air be blew gently In her face race I To Be e Continued A A |