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Show Tony Cuts Dances, Seeks Quiet Away From Gay Party Telegram Serial i Tony CHAPTER 13 Tony rose. She didn't want to see Hyacinth's return to the ballroom. ball-room. Nor did she want to dance with anyone. Whose dance would aha cut If she vanished for a little? It was good to be alone. She felt confused by the hours of noise and light, by the unwonted meetings meet-ings with strangers. Her part In this dance had not been as she had Imagined It She hadn't thought that she would have so many partnersonly part-nersonly Jacky had been sure of that. There was peace here. No sound of music came from the ballroom. Tony's thoughts wandered to the past as they so often did. It was summer and yet these June days seemed so much less real than the winter that had gone. Surely those frozen weeks when she had been free to see Alan and to believe foolishly that he cared to see her would prove to be the happiest of her life? Where was Alan nowT Was he lying In bed. bored and an-fry. an-fry. as she had found him on her first visit to Holme DaceyT If he could have been hre tonight would he have been glad to aee her a success T Yes, that would have pleased him. He would have hoped that someone would fall In love with her. He wanted her to marry. Ah, but there, she knew, his wisdom failed him. She smiled a little. There he was no wiser, Veallzed no more than Jacky. This longing for one's greatest friend one's only love It was more vivid than the dance, the She couldn't remember and she didn't care. She thought of poor Philip Raften's eager boy's face. She remembered the stricken look In Hyacinth's eyes, and she felt as If she were lost in some strange landscape. In the long gallery couples were sitting out She wandered past them. She turned off down a deserted de-serted passage. Here a sitting room hsd been prepared as a card room. Hyacinth had prophesied to her mother that no one would find K and Hyacinth had been right Jt was empty. Tony entered and pushed to the door behind her. One light only waa lit The cards, untouched, un-touched, were strewn In fan form on the tables. By the window was a tray wltfi sandwiches, a great silver bowl of punch, a ladle and wine glasses. "Miss Tony will be served with no alcoholic drink," so Mrs. Queme had Instructed Potter. "Won't she, by George!" thought Tony now. The heat of the ballroom had made her thirsty. She was hungry. She ladled herself some punch. Taking, a aandwlch, ahe perched on the arm of a chair. She sat there, looking look-ing out through the French window Into the garden where the trees were black against the darkest vaulted blue of the sky and the brilliance of the stars. dreamt of Alan and wakened to this same paint "My poor little) sweet" The words were distinct enough. The voice, so familiar, echoed In her heart She moved her head a little. It rested on something not soft enough for comfort Then it was that she realized that ahe lay on Alan's knee and In his arms. "Then it Is true," she murmured. She didn't see his smile. Her eyes wandered around the room. The moonlit garden was no longer visible. visi-ble. Alan had drawn the curtains. She put her hand to her forehead where wet curia clung. "You fainted, Tony dear," he told her . "I've been sprinkling you with water. I was a fooL I came without warning." "No, no!" She clutched at his cuff. "It waa like heaven suddenly sud-denly " she stopped. She had said too much. She was only his little friend, nothing more. "H-how did you know I was In here?" she asked. Her voice fluttered, though she strove so desperately for control. con-trol. She met his eyes, looking down Into hers, and something cried out in her as If she knew that he could read her heart "My darling," he said. "I had been watching you from the ter- (OoaUsiMS tm tin Following Fast) : music, all one's surroundings. "If only I could be with him do things for him" It didn't seem very much to ask; Just the chance to serve him. But of course It was everything. One couldn't ex-pect ex-pect paradise on this earth. "Very few people have the lives they hoped for." One could only repeat re-peat In one's heart the stiff words of Alan's letter as If It were a charm to bring one courage. For a little she sat there gazing out into the oulet night Then she rose. She must return to the ballroom . But first she would have some more drink. It tasted good. It made one cheerful. She ladled the punch. She lifted her glass "That will do, Tony." From the window a man spoke quietly. "One doesn't drink punch by the half pint" She dldnt look up. Her hand was shaking. The drink was spilt She set down the glass. It clattered clat-tered on the tray. She turned. A man, tall and motionless, mo-tionless, stood In the long French window. He was smiling a little. She could see his face clearly. At sight of It her heart stopped. "Alan" her lips 'were dumb. Only her heart cried his name. She stumbled toward him. "My little love" She wavered. Her head drooped. He caught her In his arms. The singing noises ceased In Tony's head. The blackness withdrew with-drew from her eyes. She gazed In silence at the loved face above hers. The tears rose and lay on her lashes. For she knew this could only be a dream. How often In the, past months had she no( Telegram Serial: 'Tony' (OoatkroeS Wnm FmaSlns Paa race. You were very still. And not very happy T" She didn't answer. Her mind played with those words, "my darling." dar-ling." But perhaps they hadn't meant not what they sounded like. She flushed a little under his smile. "Are youu,ulte strong again now, Alan?" she asked. She tried to be ordinary seeming. She tried to escape from his arms. "I am -quite strong. And you will have to stay where you are," he told her. In wonder she turned her face to his. Suddenly there was a sound. She leaped in his hold. Someone tried the handle of the door. There came a tattoo of knocks. Alan rose without haste. He set Tony on her feet. She leaned, shaking, against a table. ' "It's aU rlgh Tony," he said, and she looked up at him and knew that, as she had once told him, she could feel no fear of anyone while he was near her not even of Hyacinth, Hya-cinth, whose voice now cried: "Open this door." Alan crossed the room. He unlocked un-locked the door. Hyacinth stood in the doorway. She did not see him. She gaxed at the drawn curtains, cur-tains, at her young sister standing stand-ing before her with damp, disordered disor-dered hair, still trembling a little, still feeling Alan's arms around her. Alan spoke from the shadows near the door. 'How nice to see you. Hyacinth." "Ah!" In days to coma Tony was to remember the strangs little move ment that Hyacinth madea move' ment of recoil, as if. she had seen a gulf at her feet. An Instant later her face had changed and Tony, who had learned to be aware of all moods and expressions even when they showed, as now, only for a flashing second, saw hope flame In Hyacinth's eyes. But It was pure pleasure only that could be heard In Hyacinth's voice. "My dear Alan!" Her hands were outstretched. This Is lovely! I've never been so glad never so nappy-' Alan took Hyacinth's hands. Tony dldnt look at his face. She saw only her sister's beauty. . "How dear of you to come us!" said Hyacinth. "But what a surprise!.! sur-prise!.! Mnthtr ii SYary nns.miirf see you." To Tony It was as If she herself were no longer there. But of course Alan would not look at her while Hyacinth's beauty claimed him. Had he not loved Hyacinth? And he would love her again. Tony felt like an unwanted super, caught by some accident on the stage when the curtain rises, having to pretend that she Is meant to be "on" In the big scene. No, she thought as she saw Hyacinth draw nearer to Alan, It was as If one were a wraith, looking on at the warm loves of real people, he turned away. Her hands made a little movement aa If she would have pulled something around her some protection from this cold. Alan spoke. His words were deliberate. de-liberate. "What a kind welcome. Hyacinth. Hya-cinth. And I am already happy-tor happy-tor Tony Is going to marry me." (To be continued Tuesday.) |