Show lt Restless Restless' by bra Vida H Thirst The Telegrams Telegram's New Serial Here e Today LI CHAPTER ONE Angela Heath was not asleep Wide awake vake she lay In the tle high poster four-poster bed b d which was wail flooded with moonlight watching the frilled white C curtains billow bUlow away from the I open open window The air was heavy heavy with th the perfume of ros roses rases s. s June dune roses which rioted In crimson profusion profusion profusion pro pro- fusion from the trellis below It was a night for romance The kind of night Angela thought When s something thrilling seemed bound bound to happen She had the feeling feel feel- ing ingas as she often did th that t she had the leading role In an exciting play It was the opening night Almost time for the curtain to rise When it did she would sweep upon the tM stage to take her part Inthe in inthe inthe the drama of a lIf life far removed from the one oM she had known as an inexperienced girl of 18 Unseen forces had been tutoring her for years ears Intangible desires stirred in her An urge for adventure which sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times frightened her was In her blood Trembling but determined she stood In the wings waiting for her cue Stealthy Sound A stealthy sound beneath the window window window win win- dow made her sit up in bed A moment later the rose laden trellis creaked with an added weight then thena a a. boys boy's dark head appeared between the ruffles of the dimity curtains With the silent swiftness of a young animal Angela flashed across the tho room Her voice was scornful but cautious What do you think yo youre you're re doIng doing doing do do- ingI ing I 1 have to talk to you he whisper whis whis- per d. d His hands gripped the window ledge His thin face strained and eager eager pressed against against the s screen reen reenI I I told you I didn't didn t want to see you ou again But you cant can't treat me like that What have I done Angela shrugged You cant can't just stop slop seeing me without a r reason ason he ho insisted Oh yes I can And Im I'm not going to stand here talking about it So get down from there before Aunt Anna hears you you I wont won't unless you promise to give me a chance charice to see you some other way You cant can't bully me the girl cried I dont don't have to listen I Ican Ican Ican can put the window down But you wont wont won't he pleaded Look Angela Ill I'll do anything Promise anything Only dont don't stop going with me me Trellis Snaps Sh She raised her arm to lower the window but before she could do doso dos doso s so the frail wooden trellis snapped beneath its added burden dropping the boy to the ground He lay there groaning and almost Immedi- Immedi lights flashed On In th the adjoining adjoining adjoining ad ad- joining room Now h hes he's s 's done it Angela thought She opened the door lookIng looking looking look look- ing like an excited child In n p pajamas pa jamas James and bare feet What In the world is th that the haired gray woman Inquired Im sorry Angela began cegan Someone is groaning Angela It sounds as Ils If they've b been en hurt Its Ws Louis Brown He fell from the trellis outside my wind window w. w The trellis 1 her aunt repeated Angela you dont don't mean I couldn't help It Auntie You see I quit him yest yesterday The round-faced round plump little spinster was fastening a dressing gown abOut her Put your slippers on and call cal i your father It was not necessary Milton Heath stood in the hall outside his room looking like a rosy faced copy of ot his older sister Plump gentle distressed I thought I heard voices What Is it Leaving Angela to explain Aunt Anna was already half way down down- stairs A fine thing to have happen In Inthe inthe inthe the middle of the night she mut mut- Unlocking the front door she crossed the wide porch and hurried around t to the side of the house But the boy was no longer alone His Ilis cries had attracted a passing motorist Robert Morris of all people President of the school board presiding elder in Aunt Annas Anna's church As well as the father of a daughter Angelas Angela's age Bitter Evelyn Morris was one of the nicest girls in town Nothing like this would ever happen to Evelyn Aunt Anna reflected bitterly But she w was s too loyal to her own motherless charge to desert her herIn herin herin In this hour of need Sternly she bent over ver the boy who had rECOVered recovered ered sufficiently to sit up Where are you h hurt rt she de de- de- de Hes probably broken a rib or two Robert Morris surmised Its a wonder it wasn't his neck Aunt Anna retorted The broken trellis w wit with i t h hits its crushed detached roses was Irrefutable Irrefutable irrefutable able evidence of ot what had happened hap hap- If she was to protect her niece it must be done quickly I should think you'd have too much pride to keep hanging around a girl who has quit you she said But scarcely had the words left lefther lefther lefther her lips Ups than Angela rushed to the boys boy's side bending over him with broken words of sympathy Louis Fouls darling Im I'm so sorry I do hope bope youre you're not hurt Anna Heath saw the older mans man's expression of doubt harden into dis dis- dis- dis approval It had been usel useless ss after all Like most of her attempts where Angela was concerned The girls girl's father was no help either He was as ineffectual with his as he had been years ago with her mother He stood there now looking at the culprit sympathetically sympathetically sym sym- pathetically Can you walk Louis he in in- Or shall we send for for forta ba a doctor Painfully the boy lumbered to his feet I can walk I guess f. f a d j f- f t j 0 N fJ t t I j jw 6 w 6 y s s' s t I R Ra Rf f a I 1 I s s I Ia k a a w s r it Ar S. S s r Y 4 y v- v 70 I i 1 l lt t r Y 3 a t r F Angela found Evelyn sitting on the porch I understand youre you're entertaining tonight she remarked Evelyn looked surprised Who told you Ill Til get the car out and take you home Milton offered O Or Or maybe Mr Morris wouldn't mind since it is on his way Fine Story Robert Morris consented to help the Jie boy into his car while th the other three walked across the wet grass to the porch Not a word was spoken until the door had closed behind them then Aunt Anna said This will make a fine story Angela The girl cried hotly It wasn't my fault get the blame for it If It r youve you've quit him why did you call cal him darling I was sorry for him Louis ought to have had more mor sense than to pull such a trick her father said mildly But theres there's no use discussing it now Wed We'd better go back to bed and get some som sleep That was the trouble with Milton Anna Heath fretted as she climbed into bed That had always been his trouble He was utterly Incapable incapable incapable in in- In- In capable of worrying about anything until it was too late As it had hat been finally with Rosemary How could he be so indifferent to the fact that t there ere were increasingly increasingly increasingly evident signs that Angela had inherited many of her mothers mother's tendencies tendencies ten ten- Not Upset born for trouble Anna sighed Tonight was just one instance instance instance in in- stance of it Angela had never cared for Louis Brown The in infatuation infatuation infatuation in- in had always been bem on his side yet the tenderness in her voice would have fooled a less suspicious person than Robert Morris Mr Morris would tell Evelyn and the he story would be all over town tomorrow She hoped Angela wasn't lying ying awake thinking about it The child hild might have been more upset than she admitted Stealing from bed Anna opened the he connecting door between the two wo rooms but Angela was asleep One ne arm thrown above her head Her face with its mop of auburn curls so angelic in the moonlight that hat it brought a a. lump into the spinsters spinster's throat Twelve hours later Angela was prancing down Main street serenely oblivious of comment Slim young and fiery with red hair hall deep blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes and a smile which would have been een worth money across footlights footlights foot- foot lights she neither cared nor suspected suspEcted suspected sus sus- what people said Her HOT temperament was keyed so 80 much higher than that of the average average average av av- av- av girl of her age She moved in n a world of dreams with ho no no conception conception conception con con- as yet of her own power Life in the shabby old house at th the theop top op of the hill had been kind to her Her father adored her Why shouldn't all men feel that way Other girls did not trust her but she was too popular with the masculine masculine line ine sex to b be ignored If It a hostess wanted her part bea success Angela Heath must be included It was an unwritten rule observed by those who resented it As she entered the post office she met Leslie Baxter son of the village banker Leslie had just returned from the the- state university j where he had been graduated a few days earlier eyed Brown and smil- smil smiling smiling ing ng he took her hand and held itI itI itI it I telephoned you last night he said but you weren't at home No I went to a movie but I Iwas Iwas Iwas was in bed before midnight Behave So I understand he laughed but she could sense the disapproval disapproval disapproval in his voice Why dont don't donty y you ou o u behave yourself Angela Sometimes I think you deliberately do things just to give the cats inthis in inthis this his town reason to talk Are they talking she inquired disdainfully disdainfully Are they I heard all about it before Id I'd been downtown an hour Angelas Angela's chin was in the arIs ajr ar Is it my fault If a silly boy tries to o cli climb nb the rose trellis with him But youve you've been going all winter Im not now now Can I depend on that he asked eagerly Because if its it's true truc Ill Il put my bid in now for Evelyns Evelyn's party tonight I didn't know Evelyn was having having having hav hav- ing a party Yes she called me this morning and said she was having all the old ok crowd Fine Ill I'll stop in to see her so se that she can invite me Angela said airily She found the other girl sitting on the shady side porch of a large house at the edge of town Evelyn was doing a word cross-word puzzle Neat as a pin in a cool blue and white printed house coat with fair hair and long lashed ey eyes s Evelyn surveyed surveyed surveyed sur sur- her friend with both curiosity and envy Angela was wearing light blue slacks with a white shirt open at atthe atthe atthe the throat Evelyns Evelyn's mother didn't approve of slacks Angela remembered remembered remembered amused at the idea Well WE'll Evelyns Evelyn's mother wouldn't I I understand youre you're entertaining tonight Angela remarked Evelyn looked surprised Who told you Leslie I met him downtown He asked me for a date Tonight Evelyn asked her face reddening as Angela nodded But Buthe Buthe he lie cant He promised to come to tomy tomy tomy my party He said you were having the whole crowd Angela confided Obvious Too late she realized her mistake Evelyn might be having all the rest of the crowd but she had not intended intended intended in in- tended to invite Angela This fact was obvious even without her falterIng faltering faltering fal fal- fal- fal explanation but has Im sorry Angela Papa put his foot down After last night He absolutely forbade me to ask you Prickles of resentment bristled up and down Angelas Angela's spine but tier per voice was composed as she drawled Oh really How funny I cant can't imagine any anyone one taking such a childish childish childish child child- ish trick seriously It isn't exactly childish for a aboy aboy aboy boy to climb up to a girls girl's window at midnight No one but a schoolboy would do such a thing Angela asserted loftily Not that it matters to me what anyone thinks Louis is only 17 That's one of the reasons he bores me Of course it isn't only that What I mean Is that isn't the only reason Evelyn sai sail said defensively Angelas Angela's blue eyes widened You mean there are others Well after all Angela it isn't as asIf asif asif If if you were like Jike the rest of us Youve You've always been different And just as Papa said with a background background background back back- ground like yours you ought to be doubly careful the matter with my back back- ground My father may not havas have hav as much money as yours but aside from that theres there's no difference Oh but there Is Evelyn cried eagerly Your mother She Sh clapped her hand over her mouth mout mouth Im sorry I I shouldn't have sa said that I promised Id I'd never mention It to anybody Mention what Angela demanded demand demand- ed fiercely My mother died b before be be- fore we moved here when I was a tiny Uny baby She was lovely and beautiful beautiful beau and charming Everyone adored adore her Evelyn looked at her with a satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction mixed with pity I know that's what they've a always always al- al ways told you but you see Papa Pap has a cousin who used to live i ithe In inthe the tho same town She told him th the truth Without another word Angela rose ros from the swing where she had bee been sitting and darted down the steps step Anger blazed In her eyes Tears Tear scorched her throat How dared Evelyn Morris talk to her like that 1 She would go to her aunt and Insist upon her calling Evelyns Evelyn's father fathe Force him to admit that he had lie lieLet lied Let them think Angela was wilful and unrestrained but no one cou could say anything about her mother and am get by with it Shed She'd show them That smug little cat of an Evelyn Evely should never ne be allowed to g go around spreading any such story a as that Anna Heath was sitting in the livIng liv- liv Ing room working on her needle needle- needlepoint needlepoint point as the girl white with rage rag bur burst t upon her ber Making no attempt to introduce the subject diplomatically Angela Angel blurted Aunt Anna was there anything anything anything any any- thing wrong with my mother Fear Fear blanched the spinsters spinster's fac facIt ace tace It was the question she had dreaded for 17 years Far better if It the they had told the child the truth in th the beginning ning but it had been her fathers father's father fathers father's fath fath- er ers er's s idea Sit down Angela Who has been bee talking to you Evelyn Morris said her ber father fathe has a cousin who Yes he would Anna said r re- re But Auntie you haven't ai answered answered an- an my question What happened happened happened hap hap- before my mother died 1 Try not to think too unkindly o ous of ofus ofus us honey boney We thought it was bes best For your own good Yo You see your mother didn't die Angela We led you to think so but we never neve really told you that she was dead Y You u told me she had gone fa far faraway faraway away and we would never see he her again The elder er woman o s sighed el e. e nt And nuu BU so she aue had u u my Iny ut dear l Sh on left your father for another man She had expected tears of shame sham but not the eager question which actually cameDo cameDo cameDo came Do you mean my mother is sti stil living So far as I know Angelas Angela's eyes glowed Oh Auntie really Just think thin some place in this world she is sti stil still 1 alive She was a wicked woman An gela She ran away and left you B a tiny baby But she's probably been sorry since the girl said Ive rea read d stories where such things happened d and in the end they always com comE e back After all I do belong to he heIm her Im I'm her own flesh and blood Aunt Anna shivered as if an ic icy blast of wind had blown across th the e room why you must watch yourself yourself yourself your your- self honey Nip your tendencies for evil before they have a chance t to develop What do you mean my tendencies for evil Voice Stern Aunt Anna |