Show r TA i INi II VI AL I L W V A U fl VJ E y J o SERVICE 19 1959 INC NEA NEA Continued ed from page 3 c thought as the thie ceremony ceremony was being concluded was was' for th the man who was was b becoming her hr husband She had always Ys thought o of him first v vI s I LI pron pronounce rice you you man mah and nd rife wife It was s those words had been sp spoken p kent that Nan wrenched wrench d her yes eyes from the merry fat face of the tIie Justice justic and forced them to look lookup up up Int into the he face fice of the man she had married o To oher he her amazement ment John Curtis M Morgan was smiling An answering smile began to flicker over her own pale hale face before she discovered that his was was only a ghastly imitation of a a smile which could do no more than spread his mouth nd l left ct untouched his de deep deeo p set bla black k eyes in which thi there ther e w wa was s such tragic pain paia that the girl inVoluntarily in in- Voluntarily Uy shrank from him But his lean strong fingers closed more tightly ov over r her her cold old little hand She felt herself drawn toward him him saw lila Ills head bend- bend Ing Ita He was wasP going to kiss her In lU a thousand d day y dreams she had pictured herself in his arms his black head sprinkled with silver bending closer and closer his lips Ups finally touching hers gently at first then crushing her mouth with fiercely exultant passion But Jn n n none of her dreams had nad nada hada a fat bald bald m men with obscenely merry eyes eyes' looked on on applauding Pride a and da d-a a det determination to togo togo togo go through the farce as as' as gallantly as her husband m made de' de Nan lift her Lace face fac She wondered if his lips would be as cold as as hers For Por Fora Pora a a. moment black eyes gaz gazed d deeply into brown Drown and the girls girl's heart gave a sudden n throb of Joy as she saw the imitation smile become a on one tender Ofle tender whimsical fond She closed her eyes and In a moment moment mo mo- mo- mo ment t. it was over His lips had brushed her forehead Well sir this Is ls a proud day C for r Doheny Do ny I never thought it t would be my luck to tie the knot ot for the biggest lawyer lawyer lawyer law law- yer in the state state and and the pr prettiest est girl The Justice of the peace gleefully chuckling his bis pretense pretense pre pro tense to solemnity shook hands heartily with the couple he had Just united In marriage All over overn n now w but the shouting eh Well let ct me be the tha io wish you u both a ion long lang and happy married life UCe Thank you D Doheny heny John Curtis Curtis' Morgan answered gravely Shall ve we we wego go now now Nan Whoa T The 16 justi Justice e stopped them thOrn with a Jovial bello bellow V of la laughter r. r Aint you something Ill I'll bet the missus wants the the certificate even if It yo you OU dont Wont Won't take take-me a a. minute o fill it out L Lets Let's es s see e September 12 aint It Rec Reckon on onA A that's one ona date you'll never never forget elT eh Mrs 11 Morgan Morgan Mor Mor- r- r gan gan Mrs Mrs' Morgan Involuntarily Nan st stated started ted guiltily and gJ glanced nC d over over her shoulder halt expecting to s see seethe the real reat Mrs Morgan IrIs Morgan Morgan- M k Then she remembered Sh She She Nan Nan Carroll was Carroll Was M Mrs Morgan n now w Mrs Irs John curtis CurtH Morgan Iris tris was now now only Mrs Mrs' I Iris lif M Morgan rg n. n Nan was was startled d out of lier her reflections reflections' re reflections re- re b by br bya a bellow of f th the fat so sound nd of a at hand haTI Ii a fat tl thigh By golly I I sure ui ure get geta a kick out of wate watching em when t they ey first h hear r th their Ir new n name nae et All AlI right Mrs Mt Morgan j He repeated re r re repeated th the name with gleeful em an em Y You u sign ign rig Tight right t h liMe herer e and aM hubby bEir here f Ok Okeh lj hi Now Now oU you two vo ate are a e mard married d tight and dont don't let ni me me hear of or t either either- ori one ot of ot you YOU trying to get pet out of Jt it The blundering hear good ted Justice o of the the- pea peace must have hav rei re realized re- re i j Just sta a s second cond too late Jato a e that John Curtis Curts Morgan had b been di divorced dl di- from Morgn toe tile first Lirt Mrs M Mor or ra ragan gan on only y two two months months- l fore fOr b for r his Jolly face w was s scarlet as ash he shook shok- shok l hands hands' ards' ards again violent I heartness heartiness Nan and her her herh husband band spoke p ke not nota a word aran nor did they enCh each eh dd at other as the cr creaky l y old elevator ele elevator elevator ele- ele vator carried them from the third to the street th the he Hall Hahl As A's As th the the car descended Nan drew dren I on h her rew brown French en h kl kid gloves the ingers gers ot of f ht her right han hand trembling Violently as s. s smoothed over the third finger of- of hand left hand which wa was how loo loosely ly e encircled led by a a narrow narron narrowband narow band of duIl duI gold 5 W Wh When hen n Morgan in arranging details de dei de- de details i tails ls of f the ithe marriage the day dalr before be besore be- be tore sore had nervously v brought up the thc subject tI o the wedding ring Nan Nar Jl had ad d settled the queto question swiftly I you If Y ii d don't dont nf mind Ill I'll 11 wear war r ni m my m hOth mothers th sr s. I 1 I know she would be bd bev v Id lad he had r. r really al y meant was lEd vas r know I know youl be glad gla you not to have to d darling have go Jo through the the agony ony gon of ot purchasing p a another mb all al tile the time Y your pride prId and Joy jay when you bo bought r d Ii d. d wedding ring for Iris Iris Iris ala always s' s Ir Iris r W Would uld they always Lays V YS be haunted as t they l y 1 were re today their today their their- wedding weding day day day-by by the ghost of th the woman whom Nan Nai still thought of as as' John Morgan's Morgans wife lre 1 If only he w uld say say- some something some some- thing thinS anything Of Or course coursO this wa ws s not or pla place plade e for him to th tt draw her her Into his arms arms and murmur sr My Myie wife ie That please se God Cod would c coMe come ne r later but butA fine fine- da n Curtis Mor Morgan Morgan A 4 fn John day JQ T Mor-T gan gan observed d' d In iri an n artificially cheerful voice as thy they stepped J ou ouinto ouinto out Into the brilliant September P sun sun- shine He took her hIr- nei arm hugged hugge it clO close cos' side s' s they d ds do s' s the thO long long flight of or dirty diry White marble steps I h hope pE Nan dear tha this o of ef sunshine Is isa a 3 goOd o d' d dom om th fr f n He s d fl hi future not ot our future But ut N Nan Nin n Hf lifted d her er head nead gallantly galanty smiled up up at him brilliantly bril bril- ty through gh a sudden a su den mist of or ort f t tears tes as H He He a tl t v kno n W she ws was hurt hutt H Hadn't dt t she known that being being- as they were were ev every everyday everyday r d day almost ev ev every ry hour Ilour must bring Its is hurts 1 1 And nd hadn't she elected to to be hurt rather ler u than an not have him at ajl al 1 Thank hank Jr you u Mr Ir M Morgan I I- I she began A A- corner corner of ot tile the broad broad mouth twitched he a arid d drew rew down Ji ip In the quizzical smile she loved 1 and watched Something drastic's Uc's got to be t this this Mr Mor Morgan g gan n nonsense he told her with mock lo k severity while th the f fond d light deepened and glowed In his black blackey blacke blackeyes e ey eyes e V l an nn n. n laughed d shakily How gallantly gallanty gal gal- lanty he w was was s trying to o play up She mustn't fail him ni no now no Youve b burn been fn my Doss so Ion loner I it doesn't seem eem possible to call possible you John ZOU-John you you- John ohn Id rd fe feel l frightfully Impertinent Her Jer ch chuckled and theta the ta familiar Ular sound was Was' rich with g gen genuine a amusement s me t. t Then well we'll wel pretend pre pee tend Im I'm I. I still your boss ard and that you'll be 8 discharged t a recommendation recommendation rec rec- omme If It r t catch 1 you calling caflIn caUn mo no o. o Mr r. r Morgan V again 5 b t the ghost Shot of f a J 7 the a wIfe v who ho was as not d dead ad had not nt been ben Q ern over thorn them Nan n w would uld have havo retorted gaily 1 I promised to love honor onor and ob obey obe Y dl didn't I n 1 AS it was was She she sIe answered ed with l' l exaggerated d meekness meek meek meekness meekness ness ness Y T Yes s s I. sir I I. I mean yes yes yes- eal v John John- ats at's bett better r I c Ican see youre you're our going goig to t be to a to b be bevery very docile docHe h her r n new w made husband applauded He cart bring himself to us use the word word Nans Nan's heart walled wailed forlornly for for- but but she was was' grinning at him with her i cJ cheerfulness as she stepped into his car their car their car cat pow pow jiow It I was s a new one Iris had hac hadie s 's by his lis side on oI th thOse these se taupe v velvet ie ies ie's cushions P Piled d' d In if the were their theix b bags gs packed for the brief honeymoon honey honey- honeymoon honeymoon moon moon- which Morgan had insisted upon Curts Curtis now 7 y years rs old was to b be left l t in itt the h roth motherly c caro care of OBrien The Tha The new nOw rR school term had started o on Monday Little Lite Pat and Curtis Curts were still sun the tho closest p of friends the the younger child glorying glory glory- gloryIng Ing lug In n being boss bossed d by the older lder- on one ond apparently not at atall all al disturbed by the fact a t that his his' hero was was only the coolers ks' ks son sop son V Why y youre you're ure going to th the o of office of- of flee fice Nan came to herself heisel with wih a ast st start rt as as the car car turned down the familiar familiar- farlar block on on which the S Sanderson Sanderson San San- n- n derson derot building building- was loc located ted So Sowe we pe are ape her husband agreed smiling Plenty of time t to catch our train tram The The the ceremony didn't take l long ng did it Less than half hal alf an hour altogether r. r Only 11 1 o'clock now no Wondering a alte little and hotly hoty embarrassed embarrassed embarrassed em em- at the tle prospect of facing Evans Eans Blake and the stenographer she she- had hired on Monday Monday to take talt care are 0 of the work worle during her and her hr husbands husband's absence on their wedding trip Nan Nan- walked Jerkily beside John Curtis Curts Morgan as they entered the elevator of ot the Sanderson Sander Sander- son building Seventh floor please he started startled star star- tIed ted her by saying saIng to the operator Where were they going Why Their heir o offices were on the ninth floor He He w was still sun smiling mUng and there was as a a. flush slush of ot excitement on his lean loan austere face as lie he took her her arm and marched her er down a long corridor To ToBe Be Continued |