| Show I L Telegram Fiction B Bread rea d an and d Butter B U tt i er Ce Girl Ir I Rob By Eden CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT TWENTY One more night Paula said to herself One more night Yesterday Yesterday Yesterday Yes Yes- it had been Men two more nights and the day before three more nights but now it was one more night Tomorrow there would be beno beno beno no more nights By tomorrow noon she and Jerry would be gone Keystone with its wretched memories memories mem mem- ories ones would be left behind She and Jerry in a new life with new things to see to feel to hear The Theold Theold Theold old left behind In the Past PastAs PastAs PastAs As she looked around the familiar familiar familiar fa fa- fa- fa bedroom of Keystone she hoped she never would have to come back to it again nor see the house again Tomorrow when they drove out the gates Keystone would be in the past just as the lonely flat was She seldom re recalled recalled re re- called the flat any more It would be the same when she was away from Keystone All the unhappiness n ness ss she had had there brushed away as if it had never been f On the dressing table was a map of the Normandie with the suite of rooms the were to have marked with a red circle She took it up and studied it again and tried to visualize the big ship sliding sliding sliding slid slid- ing over the Atlantic she and Jerry Jerry Jerry Jer Jer- ry on it if she and Jerry happy on it Of course they would be happy it it was only Keystone the memories memories mem mem- ories ones that Keystone brought that had changed Jerry When he was away in new places he would be different He would forget She tried to imbue him with her enthusiasm at lunch but although he responded politely he didn't have haveth havethe havethe the th eagerness to be off that she had He had been on big ships before he had been to France where they were going he had been to Italy where they were to winter It was nothing new to him although he didn't say so Paula was disappointed in his at attitude attitude attitude at- at but she excused it When were we're gone finally gone hell he'll be glad too Hell He'll see what I mean After lunch when Jerry had gone back to the everlasting library li library li- li she went upstairs to her room instead of going out on the beach Because the trunks were there and the bags and when she saw Anna packing them so carefully carefully carefully care care- fully new happiness welled up in he her The bed was piled riled with frocks but jut Paula liked the disorder of it She liked the boxes on the floor fresh from the town shops this morning boxes containing things Gwen had sent her for the trip because Because Paula had no inclination to choose them herself and Nesbit still thought it unwise for her to tobe tobe be 36 seen in public Boxes Boxes on the chairs the chairs the biggest one held a mink coat Boxes piled in n the corners smaller boxes gloves handkerchiefs lingerie on the he tables Im all right Mrs Trevor I said dont don't need any help Anna Besides Gale is coming up Does that pink fringe dress fit without any alterations It does Paula does Paula returned happily hap hap- ply p but she was not looking at atthe atthe atthe the bed and the pink fringe dress dressin in n top of the others she was lookIng looking looking look look- ing at the bi bis trunks exultantly Going going going Glorious to tobe tobe o obe be going to be moving out of here She went out of ot the room a moment moment moment mo mo- mo- mo ment and peeped into J Jerrys Jerry's bed bed- room There was no disorder here only quiet packing Manners was packing things neatly in his trunks and ind bags No mountain of dresses on the bed no clutter of boxes lI I been thinking Mrs Trevor Anna looked up when she came back I been thinking Im I'm not going with you on this trip Not going with me r No o maam Ill I'll go into town with you tomorrow then Ill I'll leave Why Anna yesterday Anna yesterday I thought you said you would go Yes maam ma'am I know I did but butI I got to thinking last night that I really didn't want to go You Youcan Youcan I Ican can get somebody else Miss Gwen will get somebody else for or you if you call her this aft afternoon When you first came you ou said aid you wanted to go back to France Yes maam I did and if it was was just just you going Id I'd go but I cant can't the way things are Anna caught her breath sharply She hadn't meant to say that but the words had slipped out somehow and she couldn't recall them Things are going to be different different different differ differ- ent when were we're away from here Anna I Paula spoke kindly To Anna she seemed to be again the confiding confiding confiding con con- Mrs Trevor of the town townhouse house not house not the silent girl of Keystone Keystone Keystone Key Key- stone whose lips had remained closed these past four weeks I You think they're going to be different Mrs Trevor you think they're going to be different but they arent They're going to be I just the same always for you and if I went with you Id I'd worry about you and wonder what I cou could d do for you you and and I just cant can't do that any more You deserve better than this You try but he doesn't and he wont won't ever try no matter how hard you wish and pray hell he'll try try try- That will do Anna Paula broke in quietly I thought you'd Sy say that but butI I been wanting to get this off my chest for a long time I wanted to tell you and now Ive I've told you and its it's better that I go Yes And now that Ive I've told you that much Im I'm going to tell you some more Things Ive I've had on my mindI mind mind- I dont don't want to hear any m more re from you Anna Forget Him Well youre you're going to hear this Im I'm not working for you any more so I can tell teli you If I was you I wouldn't go on this trip either If you just go away by yourself and forget him you'll be better off He isn't going to change like you think he is is- is Anna Hes going to get meaner and meaner I can see his meanness in his eyes in his face I can see his hate hate of everything every every- body The way he looks at me when I pass him in the halls I dont don't know whether you lied for him or not about his alibi I dont don't know the truth because you never told me but knowing you and knowing knowing knowing know know- ing him like I do Id I'd say you did I lie for him And if you did lie for him ab about ut th that t ali alibi i you did the wrong thin thing thing- Call Ca I Gak Gale at once and nd tell teli her herto herto herto to finish the packing Paula walked into the sitting room but Anna followed h her r. r Mrs Trevor 1 I dont don't mean to hurt you you youve youve you've been so good to tome tome tome me but Ive I've got to tell teli you this For your own good Youre You're so blind All you can see is the happiness happiness happiness hap hap- you want want want-in in the future some place happiness youre you're never going to get with Mr Jerry If I could only make you see and believe what I see and be be- be lieve I I came here like y you u did thinking I was going to see you happy nappy and I And here you are starting starling out from here going some place else thinking the happiness is going to be in the train on the boat in France in Italy Feeding yourself with dream and hope Did you ever think that Mr Jerry might have murdered have murdered Dixie Muir Did you ever think of that I think of ot that a lot I think of it every time I see him I look at al him and say Maybe he murdered that girl maybe he shot her and hes he's free and walking around among u use usi That's what I think when I I- I Jerry Are you in the habit of ot letting the servants talk about your personal personal personal per per- affairs affairs' like this Paula Paula turned around startled and Annas Anna's words words died on her lips Jerry was standing in the doo doorway his face flushed and and anda a jagged line in the middle of ot his forehead deeper deeper than than his flush It grew crimson as the two girls stared at him Anna found herself first ShE fled n not t into the bedroom to fin finish fin ish her mistress' mistress packing but the hall and down the stairs Jerry cl closed sed the door and sal sat down on the couch Paula was wa still standing I asked you a question Paula Are you in the habit of talking over your personal affairs with wit th 1 f 4 Im sorry Im I'm not but Anna Anna- she didn't know what she was say say- ing She quit just a few few mm min minutes utes ago and then she she she- Sit down This wasn't the poite polite polite po po- po- po lite ite J Jerry rry of the past four weeks This was a brutal Jerry pointing to a chair sternly His voice was wa harsh and his eyes narrowed The mark on his lis forehead seemed to burn into his flesh Paula pushed some boxes off the chair and sat down Jerry got up from the couch went to the bedroom bedroom bedroom bed bed- room door which was open and closed it Then he resumed his seat on the couch Has it ever occurred to you to wonder whether I killed Dixie Muir M ir The girl looked across the room at him Continued Friday Frida l 1 Copyright 1936 for The Telegram |
