Show H I. I LOVE By Ry AND AND Margaret Wood DISHES I I BEGIN HERE Bonnie Harrell guiltily goes oes dancing with Gregory Long junior partner o othe of the attorney for whom she Is 15 s private secretary She promised Bill whom she loves and intends to marry that she ahe would stay atay home But Bu Bill Billa a struggling atrue young draftsman can never take her nay any in place b because he heIs Is III digging at his work all aU the time and Bonnie lon longs for the flowers am and ent entertainment nt and attentions that Gregory showers on her After the dance driving In the coo cool evening t air alt Bonnie Ronnie wistfully thinks of Bill wishing he might enjoy the outing with Ith her Gregory suddenly aware ware of her preoccupation asks her what she is thinking about I I Im I'm In love Bonnie admits to him So am I Gregory returns That makes It 1 unanimous C CHAPTER APIER THREE I Having Havin told Gregory Long she was in lOIn love w was not quite telling him i that she was also engaged to marry 1 Bill a poorly paid young draftsman Bonnie thought she was waz coming to that But it was difficult to go on Her face burned In the dark She scarcely heard what Gregory was saying They were out of traffic now flow spinning along over smooth open road Gregory slipped one arm about her expertly managing the wheel with the other She drew away from him But you said you loved me Sweet No no Gregory I. I I. I You did We love each other and nothing else matters can ever matter maUer Well We'll be happy Bon happy You are arc not the sort to plod along in inan inan an office The word plod forced Bill back Into her consciousness Bill plo plodding right this minute over his drawing board for or extra money money so to o necessary if she would give up her work when they married Bill plodding plodding plodding plod plod- ding along through h the years ears Nailed had said She to toa a drawing board he didn't want to think think- about that She liked d to think Bills Bill's star would rise high and bright beckoning him on and up to success She wanted more than anything in iri the world to make Bills Bill's star her star And she was conscIous conscious con con- of that wish now but in spite of It and almost pushing that thought out of her mind was that inner voice urgently whispering that Gregory was offering everything everything NOW NO PLACE FOR BILL His words interrupted her thought Tell me again Sweet Say it again She must tell him now that she had meant Bill It If Vias v Bill she loved and would marry She should tell Greg now right now nO but Instead she laughed Still StUll persisted It overshadowed overshadowed overshadowed over over- shadowed and md dulled the tempting picture picture pic pie ture Gregory Gregor painted for her an in interesting interesting in- in picture glamorous shining Inviting but the perspective was all wrong In it there was no place for Bill Tell me mc now Sweet Ive I've been making the most beautiful love and you haven't paid m me the slightest at attention attention attention at- at What's the answer Ive been thinking about something something something some some- thing else I I love you Bonnie You wont won't turn me down cold will you Gorgeous Gorgeous Gor Gor- Bonnie smiled wanly Tomorrow Greg I. I Ill rl tell you y u tomorrow Gregory talked on and on not y waiting wait ing lag to hear her answers I 1 want you OU to have ever everything travel clothes jewels furs the sort of furs that will make your hair ev even n lovelier than it is you know like Jike burnished copper Dont Don't you want those things Bonnie Of course course And endless leisure Houses town townhouses houses and country houses servants and automobiles Well We'll spend our time getting au all there is out of life lile and Ill I'll tell you baby theres there's plenty for the picking Bonnie smiled Tomorrow at lunch suggested Gregory Not at Dt lunch She was lunching with Bill BilI She had promised to listen to his schemes to see his sketches Ill need more time than that Greg she hurried on I cant can't see you then Gregory walked with her to the door rind nod waited while she fished her latchkey from the small silver bag She watched him climb back into the car and waited for him to turn the corner then went quietly up to her room SHE S E MUST THINK Cold Bo Bonnie mie shivered Mrs Williams Wil ViI hams liams banked her fire lire at t what she termed termed-a a decent hour and three- three thirty n ii Mrs Williams' Williams opinion was not even respectable The clock mocked Bonnie Sh Shed She'd d pay for lor the night nil all right all right The old clock would see to that she thought as she set the alarm for the latest minute she dared She wanted to get into bed bcd to lie In the darkness and think to figure out if she could why she had been tempted by Gregorys Gregory's proposal Was it his wealth Oh no she told herself hersel quickly arc are not nol like that Still she questioned if Bill ll had d Gregorys Gregory's income would she be in interested in- in for a moment in Gregory But I do like Gre Greg Hes Heo He so different different from any an- an man Ive I've ever known She t turned out the light and pulled the tho covers about her tier It was good Mood to relax but Bonnie Bon Bonnie nie was not conscious ons of relaxation Her mind went round and round its circle Could she be happy happ as M Gregory Longs Long's wife knowing that she had ruined Bills Bill's life Ure and wrecked th the fu future future future fu- fu ture that until tonight 11 had d seemed tremendously Important and interesting interesting interesting inter inter- esting to her She pictured herself as Mrs Gregory Long Living with Greg in a well-ordered well apartment servants moving movine noiselessly through beautiful rooms announcing meals the domestic ro routine Une running smoothly smooth smooth- ly without even cven a superficial order from her HER IIER 1 MOTHERS MOTHER'S ERS ER'S SACRIFICE CE The vision of herself married to Bill would collide with that of Gregs Greg's wife and present another act in hi the familiar Harrell drama much love labor and happiness faith and hope rising again and again from flom the ashes of always a blurred horizon with love the only sure thing in its scope Her mother 1 invaded the scene In Inevitably Inevitably Inevitably In- In thought of marriage brought back to the sacrifice marriage marriage marriage mar mar- had meant to that courageous uncomplaining w woman Sh She remembered remembered the prayers she had learned at her hel mothers mother's knee and her mind wandered off in memories of her childhood How l long lS had it been since she had said her prayers Why had she stopped pra praying ing regularly Were the spontaneous breathless little supplications supplications supplications' sup sup- she offered now and then thenn in n emergencies emergencies' just as effectual with God How long had it b been en Ii since nce she attended church She must mail maila a check for her annual dues to the little church tack home Why must she come back to the thought of or mone money Two 10 long years it had taken her to save just and her salary was more than the average better by 10 each week than Bills Bill's With Bills Bill's salary how long would it take them to lay layaway away enough enouch to live comfortably coni- coni corn com How many years before they could afford a servant a car a baby And wh why must she be harassed harassed harassed ha ha- with all these thoughts of economic economic eco ceo nomie well being Why couldn't she close her mind to Gregorys Gregory's millions and walk blindly with Bill into his halter of love a and poverty and 2nd labor HER SISTERS SISTER'S DRUDGERY Because I I know I 1 know what it means she cried rebelliously She couldn't help remembering Grace Her sister Gr Grace ce had done just that With her sweetheart a n small town school teacher she had bad gone valiantly to the altar with no no thought of self selL Blindly happy they had settled in the rented cottage and now with their f four ui ur children crowding crowding crowding crowd crowd- ing the walls of that same r rented cottage cottage cottage cot cot- tage Grace courageously isly accepted her herlot lot She had swept and cooked and cooked and washed dishes with the best of them saving and pinching corners corners corners cor cor- ners in iIi order to combat the additional expense of se serving ing women d doctors and hospital bills when the babies came ame Grace Grac lovelier th than n Bonnie at atthe atthe atthe the time tim of her marriage was vas an art an old woman at 35 Her lIer life and thought were submerged in ill the drudgery of her family and housework Her music was was' neglected at first and then forgotten forgotten forgotten for for- gotten th the thc pia piano o. o supplanted by the was washing ing machine the physical care of her children crowding out her and ana in rightful pride participation their heir mental growth Bonnie doubled her capable hands into nto fists She didn't want to be like II Grace and she didn't want to be what Grace would think her if loving Bill she married Gregory for luxurious ous case ease She S e didn't want to hurt Bill She didn't want anything at the price she must pay She w would uld like ike to forget it all She w wished hed she could stay forever i in that fresh white bed cd with the night wind blowing in through her window A SUDDEN REALIZATION She envied d the white ruffled cur- cur tales ains Tied back blek they bulged in the breeze and Idly swayed at its will No complications for them Like children children children chil chil- dren they played ed got dirty then somebody washed them and set ct them back jack to play again What service a mind i it it ran aro around nd in a track of oX familiar landmarks landmarks land- land marks narks She knew the hazards of that hat track the smooth stretches the hedges walls and water jump Over and over she followed the course Accepting Bill dreary days monotonous lous nots drudgery empty efforts futile hopes lopes temperamental differences glared at her Love compensated for formost formost formost most of these but Bonnie had known of love that gre grew v shabby and petulant petulant petulant lant and duty bound After all marriage marriage mar mar- singe with Bill meant a choice between be be- tween veen constant friction or the servile indulgence of his liis whimsical notions about Her mind was fagged She wanted everything and she didn't want anything anything anything any any- thing but to sleep for hours She was vas lured into nto wakefulness by the vi visIon vision vision vi- vi sion of herself hersel riding in Gregorys Gregory's tin fin fine cars free at last to select her clothes from the exclusive shops and Paris dressmakers her furs without thought of expense with Gregory always in inthe the offing to approve her extravagance and to applaud her taste She toyed with the Idea endlessly sleepily confusing Bill and Gregory in her thoughts when a new and horrid horrid horrid hor hor- rid realization drove everything else from her mind and left her sitting upright in the middle of her bed Gregory forgot to ask me mel she whispered to the ceiling He didn't ask me rae to marry him CHAPTER FOUR Gregory forgot to ask me she sheh shely shely ly h- and md earnestly of love loe and leisure of country houses and servants automobiles automobiles auto auto- mobiles jewels jewel and furs furs' But there hadn't been been-a a word about aboul marrI marriage mar mar- rI ge Bonnie stirred impatiently Of 01 course Greg had forgotten to ask her Didn't love inevitably tably lead to marriage Something told her that it did if iC the persons concerned were of the right sort Wasn't she the right sort Wasn't Gregory And anyway she was engaged to Bill Sh She loved Bill She should not have listened to Gr Gregory gory What t terrible thing had kept hez her herc from om telling him hun right at the start that he had misunderstood that she had meant Bill Bill w was s trying to tell ell him about her engagement Greg should have known she would never have him baldly that she was wasn in love with him even if sh she had been mad about him himl tA time long had been talkIng talking talking talk talk- ing about what he called his philosophy philosophy philosophy phy and the admiring group around aroundhim aroundhim aroundhim him had seemed to think it smart When Greg said Marriage is old- old fashioned Bonnie recollect recalled that her own reaction to this philosophy had been a faintly amused embarrassment embarrass embarrass- ment Her very definite ideas about marriage in general and about marr marrying marry marry- tag ing Bill BiJl in p particular left lefther lefther lefther her out of the discussion Had Gregory Gregory Gregory Greg Greg- ory revised his code and meant her herto herto herto to take it for granted as she had that he intended led to make tier her r Mrs Gregory Gregory Gregory Greg Greg- ory Long Or was she the simpleton simple simple- ton she felt fell herself to be lying there therein in the dark trying to choose between love and riches So Marriage is old fashioned And he didn't ask me Suddenly it seemed strange ridiculous ridiculous lous bus that anything so obvious should have puzzled her at all What did it matter After all aU what could jewels and furs and houses and servants have to do dp with Bonnie Harrell Disgust and pained self tion swept over her What Gregory Long intended was all b beside side the point Now and for always she would choose love She would cast aside this inordinate desire for things this urgent childish longing that would not wait for Bills Bill's success Trash she whispered Trash Sh She could wait walt for Bills Bill's success and she could and would help him on the Hie wa way Infamous that Bill should work so hard for so little and that Gregory should have so much for working hardly at all If she she hadn't gone out with Gregory tonight she could never have come to Bill so freely she thought Her heart wo would ld h have ve rankled at the sacrifice Sacrifice Bonnie laughed in the dark That broken promise the late date had clarified her thinking brought her closer to Bill She smiled New perspective Bill would call caU It ill iU Now she was ready to stand with Bill to shoulder they would work out their problems Like her herm m mother Grace and all women who choose love In their youth and serve it the rest of their days she would walk with Bill blindly but unar unafraid lid into the future RIGHT AS USUAL Tired but no longer perplexed she whispered a little prayer and determIned determined determined deter deter- mined to go to sleep silly not to tobe tobe tobe be a able lc to get to sleep so comfortable so happy so sleepy so 50 so late latel But sleep eluded her She tried to concentrate on the sonorous legal phrases she had written for the Old Man Nothing like legal terminology ogy to put you to to sleep Bonnie gig gIg- The said party to be designated and known He didn't ask me rue meto meto to marry him hereinafter as the party of the first part Must have thought though though Id I'd know he meant to Entered this day into agreement 1 I dont don't know mandamus or care habeas corpus Ill I'll never love anybody dy but Bill this writ to be Im I'm all washed up with Gregory Long Iong dul duly attested and sworn to before me this day Ill I'll never e deceive Bill again Never And Bonnie h honestly nestly thought that decree as true as the stars Full of the glow of righteous s satisfaction the warm gratification of a lost and wear weary traveler at finding the open high road Bonnie tucked another fragrant fra fm- grant pillow under her left cheek and dropped into untroubled and ind exhausted exhaust st ed slumber About 20 minutes later Bill laid away his tools and leaned his drawing drawing draw draw- ing ng board against the wall of his cheap room He had made a good start oh on his extra work N Numbed from IS 18 hours' hours grind he stood and |