| Show i SANDRA AND By VID VIDA HURST BURST DE BEGIN GIN HERE Sandra Hoffman HoUman is desperately In Inlove Inlove inlove love with David Merrick but his confessed confessed con con- love rapidly cools when she Is Implicated in the divorce of her employer employer em em- Dr Walker Though Sandra is innocent of ot Mrs Walkers Walker's accusations discharges her She goes oes to his office to beg him to clear clea her cr but he refuses and David comein comes come in unexpectedly The sight of Sandra there convinces him that she hc must no nobe not be entirely innocent and he refuses refuse to hear her explanations When Sandras Sandra's cousin Christine Christin Sanderson returns from a trip Which Sandra financed DaVid responds to her childlike devotion Sandra bitterly realizes that she Is losing him and to ChristIne who a few weeks ago was near collapse after Barry Holbrooks Holbrooks Holbrook's Hol Hoi brooks brook's elopement Even Aunt Min MEn Minis MEnis is unaware that her precious daughter loved penniless Barry but rejected him because she is ambitious to marry a wealthy man Sandra is vainly seeking a job and andone andone andone one day she bumps into Barr Barry who has returned to Los Angeles from San Francisco CHAPTER 29 Christine had been out She was changing her dress when Sandra remarked remarked re reo marked I I saw Barry today Christine's expression did no not change Did you What's he going here Looking for work They're livin living with the Hamiltons Christine buttoned a pale green gree smock and applied powder to he her pretty sun kissed cheeks Poor Hell He'll hate that Lucky for lor him they've some place to go with conditions as they are arc Oh I dont don't know Christine responded responded responded re re- re- re carelessly I imagine he hed he'd rather sleep in the street than go to live with his wealthy papa in I because youve you've never trIed trie I it it Sandra said cattily CHRIS WINS I It was queer how their most impersonal impersonal im im- im personal ll conversation was apt to cm end in an argument now Beneath their outward agreement they were at vIolent violent vio yb- lent cross purposes Jealous wary on guard for the slightest attack Christine said as she had man many times recently Gee youre you're crossWell cross Well its it's silly for you to pretend preten youve you've so much more pride than anyone anyone any any- one else Chris stared at her cousin am and smiled Both knew that the point o or of disagreement was far more involved than either was admitting But if 11 Sandra had hoped Barrys Barry's return might distract Christine's interest in David she was vias disappointed The very next morning she descended descend descend- ed to the kitchen to find Aunt Mm Min Mm with ecstatic arms about her baby o on whose finger glittered a new an and beautiful diamond Sandra turned white A deathly sickness assailed her A ringing Ilk like thousands hou ands of ot be bells in n her ears A beating measured tread like sand of ruthless feet above her dead heart She said nothing but her eyes had seen that flashing stone She knew Aunt Mins Min's tear were those of joy before before before be be- fore she announced Christine is en en- t V V SMILE SI SANDRA ISANDRA Steady Sandra Sandral Take the sword and draw it from your heart dripping dripping drip drip- ping with wilh blood but smile as you ou toss it from you To David Of Ot course coursel Aunt Mins Min's fat face was radiant If I it were myself I couldn't be beany beany beany any happier Christine lifted angelic eyes Please dont don't be mad lOad at me me darling dar dar- ling Mad at you Yes Everything was over between be be- tween you OU before I 1 even dared to le let myself think I ISandra Sandra la laughed mirthlessly Dont be De' ridiculous Aunt Min 1111 wiped the corners of he her eyes on a blue checkered apron what I 1 tried to tell teIl her Sandra Sandra San San- dra drat Chris has hus been worrying fo for fear you ou wouldn't like it V VI I 1 dont don't see why Sandra repeated coldly But the words chopped and uncertAin uncertain tain bin w were r falling like clods on the c casket of her dead love Oh DavId Davic how could you do this to me Teach me to love you then give me up And Am for Chris But had he taught her to love him No Not Love had come to he her unbidden at the first sight of him ii Inthe in inthe the darkness of or that far away dawnA dawn A bitter belated sense ol ot humor humo came to her rescue What she had hac thought was fate bringing David to her was really the beginning of his Interest in Christine At the moment that interest had weakened Christine Christine Chris Chris- tine h had ld disappeared to return more mOle alluring than before As usual it was Christine not Sandra But Christine really looked wor ried ned Frightened rather than victor victori ous S. She put pleading arms about abou her cousin and S Sandra could feel that tha she was trembling Please be sweet to me about this Sandra It means so much to me In spite of the theo o wound d in 1 her own heart icart Sandra heard herself whispering whisper whisper- ing You do really love lo him Yes Then The its it's all right Sandra replied Afterward she wondered how she I ever sat through the breakfast which i followed Uncle Ben had departed 1 long ong ago but the three women lIngered lingered lin bin I gored over coffee and toast until the I sound of Davids David's car was heard in inthe inthe I the street J YEARS OF AGO AGONY Y For one moment Sandra was in a I blind lind panic For one m moment ment she could not even see his tall figure as s asIt ast It t approached the porch She started to rise rise then fell feU back in her eh chair lir It II would be better to face him now and get it over No harder today than it would be tomorrow Anyway David would not be think think- lug ing ng of her It was Christine's face I he would be watching now and al- al ways Through all those endless years J to o come years Sandra could not bear bearo t tto to o contemplate f She sat like an image of stone as he I dashed up the st steps ps and into the liv- liv ing ng room where Christine had gone to o meet him An instant later he was clasped in Aunt Mins Min's arms f My dearest boy cried Aunt Min Mm V Over her motherly shoulder Davids David's Davids Davids David's Da Da- Da vid's eyes met Sandras He asked gravely gravel Wont you wish us w well too loo Her lifeless hand lay in his V I 1 do Thank you OU my dear dcarl Ive I've hoped you ou would My dear The most meaningless endearment he had ever given her le He could say that after holding her hern in In n his arms anns whispering huskily You look ook as if it all the the secrets secrets of love were r hidden in your our eyes As if she w were re drowning Sandra lived through all the golden moments moment of her past In tho those e few seconds The morning he had kissed her when he found Cound her washing on the back porch LIKE ME I TOO MUCH And then without realizing how it had happened she was in hi his arms That other night weeks later when he had stopped slopped to lo whisper Sandra I love you ou Ive I've tried not to but I cant can't help it Yet hadn't he been fighting her even then Hadn't he apologized for that kiss admitting miserably I I do love you terribly but Im I'm not at all sure it would be wise for me to marry you you Not one flicker of these memories showed in Davids David's unclouded eyes Nothing now but friendliness With his arm about Christine he smiled upon Aunt tin Min and Sandra in pre the same affectionate fashion WEDDING PLANS They were discussing plans for the wedding Christine thought it should be during the holidays and Aunt Min Mis agreed that she did not believe in long enga engagements David added Now that Im I'm practically practically practically a member of the thc family Im I'm going to ask a great favor of you Aunt Min Mba I want you to take me on onas onas onas as a boarder Sandra recognized it instantly as a gallant excuse e to give Aunt Min some money There are arc lots of times I wont won't be here David explained but It will mean so much to me to have a family to eat wIth v although I J. J know it will willbe willbe be a great inconvenience I Inconvenience repeated repealed Aunt I Min MilL Her blue e eyes e were already shining over the prospect of the wonderful meals she expected to cook for him Only Sandra was dismayed She did not say anything but after David had gone she slipped up to the corner drug drugstore store and called the Biltmore To be continued t |
