| Show Telegram Short Story HORNETS HORNET'S NEST NESTBy By Gertrude Robs Robi Robinson son oll 1 At the crossroads John Kay stepped down from the bus and bag bagin in hand climbed the bars bus into the pasture Smell of ripe strawberries red c cows ws wading in the brook the bent cedar tree at the the- foot of or the lane Jane behind which lay his camp camp- camp camp- there w was s even even the tho hornets' hornets nest hanging like a misty little balloon from the cedars cedar's one twisted eastward eastward east east- ward arm It all made a shameful sick feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing come como up in his throat He was wasa a fool to have come Then ho he saw that there was somebody inthe hollowed hollowed hollowed hol hol- lowed out seat in the gray boulder across the tho brook somebody with a Do ruddy h head hed d smooth as in the sun sung Dropping his bag In the tall grass he crossed the brook on stepping stones It was all the tho same even Jane By th the time tune he had reached her his speech was on the tip Up of or his tongue I didn't dream of finding you finding you here Jane Just ran down for the week week- end Instead he stood before her mouth foolishly open It was Jane who spoke the same upward quirk at tho the left lett corner of ot her mouth Why Kay who'd dream of it You tearing yourself I from your office and business humming humming humming hum hum- ming again And Im I'm using your r camp Sho She spoke regretfully I took your word for it it about m my being free to come here but of course course- The same dragging slur to her vowels the tho same husky maddeningly maddening maddening- ly y dear catch in her low voice Kay dropped on the grass Im I here only for an hour or so to get some books books' I want he continued to in invent invent invent in- in I vent thanking hi his hie lucky stars he had left his bag out of sight Ill In Inbe be catching the 5 G o'clock bus back to town Well VeIl have tea before y you u go Kay winced at the charming hospitality hospitality hospitality hos hos- of her tone Just so would she speak to old Dr Thorp Youre not going abroad r He managed a smooth casualness Click of knitting needles above his head I III decided not to Things came up A man man Not that rye Ive any business business business busi busi- ness asking If It it its it's that asinine donke donkey Wayne Wayne he caught his breath in a hard thre thread d You ou haven't and its it's not Jane slid from the rock with a cool swish of smooth linen draped the scarf she was knitting over her shoulders and went rustling through the tall grass But it is a man and Ive I've come down here to try to decide what to do about him she called over her shoulder The clock on the village church tower struck four long notes An hour and hed he'd be on the way back to town on that confounded bus On the way across the brook to retrieve his bag he heard Jane scream The next moment he had turned and was wa pursuing a a. a slim elim gray figure flashing past the old cedar cedat tree In n Its w wake waS was a gray misting snarling snarling snarl snarl- cloud ing-cloud ing cloud Past Post the Juniper thicket past the cedar tree treo where a 8 red scar scarf hung from the swinging hornets hornets' nest at last he had her In his arms arms' and was making for the tho mud hole by the brook The little gray demons swarmed for a a. moment about his hista face ta e and then a merciful whiff whitt of wind swept them down the meadow Ho put Jano Jane down on the the- grass There were no stings on her face or her hands hand but h her r lips were puck puck- ere ered d. d Like a child too top proud t to cry My my my feet she gasped John Kay snatched off the red sandals On the bare ankles were angrily swelling g lumps One moment moment moment mo mo- ment he was scooping up tip handfuls lbrown sti sticky ky clay y mud and plastering plastering plastering plas plas- it it over over the tho slim feet teet The next he was peeling off oft his his' shirt rending it in silken strips and binding binding bind bind- ing tog the long rags over the mud plasters plas plas- Jane sat on the tho ground two feet like enlarged and badly sculptured sculptured sculptured appendages thrust stiffly in front of her stopped hurting s 8 she Ie e said d at last Maybe I can an walk to th the camp For answer John Kay lifted her herand herand herand and went tramping into the lane that led through a honeysuckle hedge to the tho lodge On the threshold threshold threshold thresh thresh- old of the living room he ho hesitated The anger that had been seething in hi him ever since he saw Jane on the their boulder boulder their boulder where he first made love to her her boiled boiled over There Thero was the fireplace laid for lighting the big wicker chairs the table table set set for two Unceremoniously he dropped Jane on the window box So youre you're havIng having having hav hav- ing him here That's too much Jane Jane had slumped eyes closed He felt for her pulse It beat like a husky little engine under his hand Youre putting i it on Jane What in heavens heaven's name do do ao you ou mean If I should miss that bus bus If Five clear notes from the town clock A shrieking of ot brakes down the hill a 8 flash of brown and red from the tho state highway Jane was sitting up You have I was put to it it though to make you rou do it you pig-headed pig donkey donley She began unrolling the mud ban ban- dages Kays Kay's eyes swept from the table set for lor two back to Janes Jane's mouth with the upward quirk The shameful shame shame- ful sick feeling slid out of his throat He recalled a red scarf over the hornets hornets' hornets hornets' hornets hornets' hor hor- nets' nets nest a cloud of shrill singing mites i He caught Jane in one arm and with the other pulled the telephone toward him You knew I Iwas was coming coming coming com com- ing and you came first Janes Jane's voice was wa muffled against his coat Do call Tompkins and tell him to stop those divorce papers papers papers pa pa- pers she said Copyright for tor The Telegram |
