| Show I LOVE By B AND Margaret w wISHES Wood DISHES I CHAPTER TWENTY SIX SIX Bonnie glanced at the morning pa- pa per The announcement was prominently prom displayed The judges were named and the amount of the award was given as five Twenty thousand dollars Twenty five thousand And even after ater that Bonnie could not be sure what she felt about Bills Bill's participation tion in the Long Memorial contest He would have to decide without Interference interference in in- from her hel She should not say one way or the other Bill came to her smiling Hows this Sugar Gregory Long is going to build a memorial to his father Its It's to be a sort of temple to house his fathers father's art collection and it will be open to the public Pretty fair tair sort of or memorial isn't it she commented taking the toast from the oven Hes offering a prize of ol 25 grand for lor a suitable design Spose you could win it Dont you think I might Certainly if you tried INTERESTED It says here the judges will decide the winner whiner from unsigned entrants I. I on their merits you know Bill shook the paper tho thoughtfully good board of j judges too tool Sounds fair l' l doesn't it s x i 1 guess so 50 about as fair as such a thing can be bel Do you know Sugar doggoned if I dont don't believe believe be be- lieve Ill I'll try for it Im I'm nearly through with the thing for lor Croesus I can finish it up and put all my spare time on this memorial If the names are sealed scaled Long wont won't have a chance to throw me out on account of ot prejudice Bonnie was politely interested But you mustn't let anything interfere with your exam Bill right Ive I've got to get that behind me Spose well we'll have th the jack The same old two hundred is Ls right there for the purpose ol 01 son Well IVell if Croesus crashes in accordIng according accord accord- Ing to expectations I wont won't h have ve to use your money Baby but I appreciate elate it all the same You know that dont don't you When Bonnie left for tor her office she c carried the paper with her and on the way downtown read the announcement announcement an through carefully With such imposing names on the board of judges there could be no chicanery And why should not riot Bill have his chance along with ambitious men of his craft the country over What if any should be her part Inthis in inthis inthis this new problem Funny about Bill BUl He r reacted acted almost almast invariably contrary to her expectations Funny too about Gregory No sooner had she definitely shelved him than up popped another situation to bring him back on her horizon She tried to work it out Could it be fate or the stars Maybe she thought with an amused smile our stars or horoscopes or something are mixed A CHANCE FOR BILL Anyway such a contest was just the thing to interest Bill to to call forth all the creative genius he was continually con continually having to stifle for the sake of his clients client's economy This would be something really big something rare raise rare and beautiful into which he could pour his whole soul And he must have his fling at it without advantage or dis disadvantage e help or hindrance from Gregory Long When Miss Mull went vent out to lunch that day Bonnie was still at her desk dreaming of Bills Bill's big chance Gregory Greg ory came in softly and stood above her u. u u Happy She met his eye eyes Of course Did you see my announcement Its splendid Thank you ou I thought so too rather he smiled Was interested interested in in- by any chance say she evaded Oh come now Of Ot course you ou know Bon Boa Why should I 11 Because you are an intelligent person per pert son and youre you're in love with him I He leaves early for tor the office Does he read the morning paper Yes of ot course coursel Well I hope it caught his eye Id I'd really like him to try it Bonnie I might use my influence I thought the entries were to be sealed I IQ Oh Q that I What do you mean I mean that naturally I am to have some say about the proper sort of memorial to my ray father I want it to be the thc kind of ot house howe he would have liked for for- his treasures The judges will decide on the fine tine points of architecture arch archi lecture cull the best from the lot and submit them to me with their recommendations That's fair tair isn't it it- it Youre paying for it iU Bonnie was militant Oh it isn't that Bonniel Bonnie I 1 want it to be stately and clean of line line majestic and simple something le e would h have ye liked Dont Don't you s see sec e 1 Bonnie Gregory was plaintive He wanted her approval Yes I see Youre You're right of ot course With that sort of inspiration it should be beautiful but what are arc you trying to tell me GREGS GREG'S SUGGESTION I am trying to tell you again that thai I love you and I cant can't help loving you youl You have chosen the other fellow and I don't dont w want nt to seem a cad Bon Eon but I cant can't go on any longer seeing you plod in this office for a weekly wage I cant can't stand words tumbled upon words heedless of ot Bonnies Bonnie's exasperated interruptions and of the horror written in her eyes Yes I want to shall wo we say endow I want to endow your husband bus hus- band decently Bonnies Bonnie's defiance was unmistakable tak- tak able Decent You have no such word in all aU your your elegant vocabulary Decency to you means to humiliate my ray husband and me to have us ever everlastingly lastingly under an implied obligation even j if he should honestly win that award No No thank you Mr Long And that's not love she flared I she shuddered I 1 dont don't know what that is Bonnie you ou arc are beautiful ul and fine tinel I want you to 0 have all there is in life 1 I And I don't dont want anything you have to offer Grgory Long I wouldn't exchange one jot of my hus bus bands band's self respect for tar all the Long millions I Do you understand that definitely You must know Bonnie winning this award assures assure success There Is so much more to it ft than simply winning the money There Thera will willbe willbe willbe be the contract a as at supervising archItect archi architect teet on a commission of the whole cost the publicity which will pull other big Jobs Wont Won't you encourage en encourage courage him to enter Never Is that final Final A DECISION Miss Mull came in and the conver conver- ended abruptly Twenty rain min utes ago ngo she had had almost hoped Bill would win that award and arid now the only important thing was Wa to keep him out of the contest Endow Hateful word Hateful thought that Bill might honestly win winand and nod have that honor cheapened by Gregorys Gregory's mean suggestion that he had arranged it beforehand And she could not even warn Bill Should she ask shim hIm not to enter offering some sonie vain pretext of her old association with Gregory and play Up tip on his jealousy That seemed too unworthy If It she continued to ignore Long and Bill should win on the merits merits mer mer- it its of his hi plans could there be a suggestion sug sug- estIon el tion of patronage She finished her work and closed her desk Her mind was made up She would take takeno no part in Bills Bill's final decision She could not demand that he hc miss this opportunity to pit his llis skill against all comers no not even after Gregorys Gregory's mortifying suggestions suggestions So absorbed was Bonnie with this new problem she had forgotten torone for tor forone one day to wonder what Mother reaction to Bills Bill's letter would be Today a letter was due and Mother was a punctual soul Her letter today must answer Bills Bill's plea for economy the purposeful affectionate at af letter Bonnie had composed I the w week e before A N NEW W ATTITUDE When Bill came in in-he in he waved aid aid- ter and I called to her You win Bon Boa Mother is Is' cutting corners right and left leU Listen to this thu Things have changed since my day dear It was inconceivable then thai thaia a married woman should work outside outside out out- side her home unless her husband were were utterly worthless Of course all that thatis is different now If It you find your salary Inadequate and Bonnie wishes to togo go go back to business I think it very admirable She would oi ol course use we her own money only for personal things which would not be beat beat beat at all the same thing as supporting herself hersel I I 1 am letting my nurse go this week and shall watch expenses very carefully I am nm glad you wrote meso me rae meso so frankly son You may count on mother always to understand And my dear dont don't overwork Please try to remember you were taught to keep the Sabbath for lor other things Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars Caesar's and to God You know the passage my child Remember ber Sunday ia is Gods God's day sw et said Bonnie and she thinks Im I'm imposing on you even willing for tor you to go goback goback back to work laughed Bill BUl Bonnie blushed She Sh must keep the he nurse Bill Write her not notto to let that hat nurse go till the doctor says she's well enough to get geton on without her And wed we'd better write the doc doe doctor tor tar too tool Right The bills are arc coming along arent aren't they Croesus will wipe em out Arid And the berries What'll we do with that Bonnie smiled at Bill while she lapsed into her old refuge of ot silent prayer in emergencies too big for human frailties Oh Lord Hes He's really going to try for it Dont Don't let Gregory Long know about it please please But In spite e of her prayer over and over oyer oyer the th hateful word sear seared her mcm memory ry Endow endow r. r en endow en en- dow and back of that memory stronger than her resentment was the thought that it should be her Iler fight her fight tight for Bill To be continued Copyright 19 1932 the the Register and Tribune Syndic Syndicate te |
