| Show PROBLEM WIFE by Louise H Holmes Jan and Speed Across Country Bound for lo Iowa a and the Parson CHAPTER TEN Jans Jan's racy little car sped across New Jersey Pennsylvania Pennsylva Pennsylva- nia and Ohio They slept Friday Friday Friday Fri Fri- day night in Dayton grumbling b because cause the sheets were not linen because the ic ice water tasted flat was in a a. a mood to grumble But not Jan She thought the hotel wonderful the ice water delicious Starting out early the next morning she gloried in the sunshine sunshine sunshine sun sun- shine and the rolling fields she thought the filling station attendants remarkable boys Crossing the Mississippi at atRock atRock Rock Island she heaved a a. a great sigh Iowa I salute you she said it a gorgeous state state- Its ns good for corn if It that's what you mean A Aid d' d parsons Jan added Does the young man know were we're t coming oming Oh no Did he ask us to come 1 Oh no no drew In her chin and straightened her mouth Jan Tan she said youve always always' been willful and hard to handle but butI I never knew you to do a downright downright downright down- down right naughty thing before Oh ket keep p still stilt Nineteen years of mothering Jan of nursing her herr of policing her had given a definite freedom of freedom of of speech She adored h her r young young charge would have willingly laid down her life for Jan The love ov gave her certain rights and she took advantage of them You keep still until Ive I've finished finished fin lin- she said crisply iI I I know what ails you This young minister minister min mn- ister is the first firstman man who hasn't fallen at your feet You cant can't stand it it You cant can't rest until you bring him into line And when he falls you'll laugh and go merrily on your way It n It aint kind aint kind Jan Jam Its It's selfish and ugly Jan hesitated a moment then said very said very low I 41 love him Mip Mip- py Im I'm not playing I I-I I I love him Turning her head looked at Jan her sweet clear profile the strong little chin the luscious luscious luscious lus lus- lus- lus cious curve of ot her cheek the l la lashes She was still baby aby the adorable pink and white morsel who had snuggled close dose to her flat breast Never had the profile been so serious never the yo young ng voice so grave You only saw him for a few hours she said confusedly One hour would have beene been e enough ough A girl knows when she meets the right man Something clicks inside her its it's like a a. little bell After that everything without him is flat He gets between you and the sun you are in his shadow She laughed with a touch of embar embar- Im talking like a romantic sap she s said id Ignored the last remark If that's the way it is why did he he- leave you Jt It didn't occur to that any man could withstand the charms of her beloved child Well hes he's a little stupid Men are you know He isn't in inlove inlove love Jove with me Then why are we taking this wild trip Tart Jan answered airily I I should have sa said d that he isn't in love with me yet or that he doesn't know it yet was aghast Do you mean to tell me young lady that we are chasing a man who doesn't want us what it amounts to to It aint seemly seemly seemly-it it aint womanly worn worn- anly sputtered Who wants to be seemly or womanly Look if if I Im licked licked all all right Ill I'll take it on the chin But Ive I've got to put up a fight and 1 I cant can't put up much of a fight 1500 miles away Now can I It was after five They had scudded around Davenport and were on the last stretch The car carat carate carate at ate up the miles swallowing them with amazing ease Very soon they would hurtle into the final hundred In two days the speedometer had clocked up something over 1400 miles gazed at the fleeing landscape in thoughtful silence Jan had a convincing way about her but there was something wrong with the whole affair At last put her finger on the flaw If It youre you're in love Jove with the young man man and and if hes he's In love with you you that that would mean marriage marriage marriage mar mar- wouldn't it Jans Jan's heart skipped a beat Yes But hes he's a minister r i Jan tone placed Terry somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where among the celestial bodies What has that to do with it I dont don't know how to explain it it but its it's simply out o of the question You couldn't be a mn- mn ministers minister's ministers minister's min min- ister's wife and he couldn't be bea a debutantes debutante's husband nd Id like to give it a atry try Jan said saucily gave up as she always gave up tip She ended the discussion discussion discussion discus discus- sion with a bit of f caustic advice Watch your manners Jan Try to behave like you'd had a little bringing up up Jan laughed Her nerves were tightening Excitement made her giddy They stopped in a small city and dined hastily Jan had Continued on Pale Page Twenty SERIAL Problem Wife Continued from Page Eighteen the gasoline tank filled for thelast thelast the thelast last time Did you ever hear of Bridgetown Bridgetown Bridgetown Bridge Bridge- town she asked the attendant Yes indeed One hundred and fifteen mil miles s due west Shall I check the oil He regarded the beautiful car lovingly He regarded regarded re regarded re- re Jan with open admiration admira admira- tion Please Jan stretched her tired muscles she opened and closed her stiff hands They were on their way again Dark fell as they hummed westward westward west west- ward Jan kept saying Only 80 more miles only mlles only 50 more to go 30 30 miles and well we'll be bein bein bein in Terrys Terry's town Twenty minutes minutes minutes min min- utes after the last report she said Wonder what place were we're nearing Looks like a city Terry said Bridgetown was just a berg Roads Roadside de cafes and filling stations stations stations sta sta- lighted the highway The rolling hills of a golf links appeared appeared ap- ap on the left they crossed paved streets sheets made a swing to the left and descended a hill They were in a line of traffic now obviously approaching a city Suddenly a glistening sign met metr Jans Jan's eyes The Fortress Bridgetown's finest hotel Terry was spoofing me Jan mused A little of her excitement subsided Up to that moment Terry had been a lump of m most mist st desirable clay Her self appointed appoint appoint- ed task Was to mould the clay clayto to her liking All at once nce he took on new personality He had been laughIng laughing laughing laugh- laugh Ing at her herIn in New York poking fun Iun at her playing a little game of his own Jan had thought him transparent transparent trans traItS parent endowed with masculine stupidity Now she wondered Busily she rearranged Terrys Terry's setting Mentally the she he had constructed constructed con con- constructed a tiny village a small white church with a steeple a sleepy rural atmosphere Quickly she took on a new set of impressions They crossed a abridge abridge abridge bridge one of the many concrete structures and followed a busy street A sign twinkled ahead Fortress hotel Jan headed for the sign When she slid up to the curb a doorman doorman doorman door door- man stepped forth bell boys shot from the revolving doors Jan suddenly aware of her at attire attire attire at- at tire pulled the scarf from her head and stuffed it into her pocket find the bags in the back she told the doorman Here are the keys Please have someone look after my car She and entered the attractive lobby and crossed to the desk Jan ran signed the card Miss JanIce JanIce Jan- Jan Ice Van Walter New York Miss Prue Doolittle maid The clerk looked at the card and b blinked inked his eyes Was not Janice the number one glamour girl of New York Hadn't her picture appeared In last Sundays Sunday's pap paper r and hadn't his wife wite copied her dress The clerk became positively flurried We are happy to serve you Miss he said Other clerks heard the name There was vas a whispering buzz The switchboard girl tu turned ned in her chair the cigar man man l leaned over his counts counter whistling softly Can you give me a suite Jan asked Two bedrooms and a parlor two parlor two baths of course Yes indeed Yes in indeed Jan looked about her unconscious unconscious unconscious of the staring eyes This was Terry Carlisles Carlisle's town It was wasa a nice town beautiful She would Terry see in the morning 11 11 tomorrow morning She smiled at the flurried clerk who thought he had never seen such dazzling eyes To be be continued Friday The Register and Tribune Syndicate |
