Show WE tm FICTION COWER corar masquerade by ESTHER AND WARREN HALL ANET S lips opened in a sound less exclamation dred swiftly in one breath taking instant all her mingled memories of dred cum merged and rushed to meet him as he came across the waldorf lobby he was older she six years older janet reckoned quickly and his face was burgeoning slightly with the subtle promise ot of another chin but he still wore his custom made charm as debona rily as his well tailored clothes janet jant flicked down he glove and looked at her watch three twenty five live this certainly was no time to be r renewing the past she leaned back in her chair and turned as though to speak to the small boy standing at her elbow perhaps dred t recognize her per haps he wouldn t even see her and geoff janet light of my elifet somehow she managed a casual smile gracious she said lightly sit it must be old home week how are you dred he grasped her outstretched hand and held it tor for a moment between both of his the cummings tech she could remember how that ardent pressure had thrilled her the first time they met and how hollow it had seemed the day they parted the day she was leaving tor for beno reno I 1 swear he said you re pret tier than ever if that s possible but of course dolls never age do they particularly dresden dolls with sp spun gold hair and the bluest china eyes in the world and that a what you were you know the little dresden doll I 1 brought to life it was kind of you janet told him let there be life and there was life I 1 should be eternally grate tul ful she wasn gasn t bitter about it now not very bitter anyhow but he must never guess her desolation when she first realized that other women were as indispensable to dred cummings as his brushes and palette he must never know his memory had left a pall that not even little geoff s sunny affection nor his father a kindness could dispel come come my dear he was saying that a hardly fair I 1 wish you d pose for me again just once do you know since our divorce I 1 ve hardly been able to touch a brush to canvas except tor for that one man exhibit tion at the andersen anderson galleries janet said wryly and those mu rals at the fair and oh I 1 suppose I 1 ve managed to struggle along he agreed but how about you for the first time he noticed geoff why jan you haven t this isn t i janet hesitated the flush bush on her cheeks deepened this Is my job she said reaching out and hugging geoff close to her side did you expect me to go into a convent cummings studied the boy a mo ment you ire a handsome little tel fel low at that he admitted grudging ly how old are you be five tomorrow geoff boasted that s why daddy s going to meet Us here he a going to buy me a fire engine the biggest one in the biggest store in new york five cummings reflected aloud I 1 must say jan that isn t very flattering you waited just about long enough for the ink to dry on the decree what a your name son I 1 im m geoffrey Geo firey G huxley jr geoff said 1 where she belonged belong ed with geoff and the man she knew now she loved you ve taken awfully good care of jan she heard cummings say she never looked better not even when she was mrs cummings well we try to keep her happy huxley responded smiling smiting warmly at janet don it we geoff they are good to me janet said and her voice was suddenly ansky geoff slipped his hand band into hers how about my present he wanted to know true enough cummimgs Cum migs put in I 1 austn t get in the way of a fire engine and I 1 H leave you sir to guard an old flame goodby janet he pressed her hand a moment and was gone janet turned to huxley I 1 in sorry she said wearily I 1 didn dian t intend to to to pretend you were geoffrey s mother instead of his governess he finished tor for her I 1 realize that janet but if you only knew how 0 11 joe r i somehow she managed a casual smile gracious she said lightly it must be old home week cummings whistled softly THE geoffrey G huxley standard oil huxley you did pretty well jan janet nodded yes shed she d done pretty well up to now but any nun min ute she rose quickly I 1 austn t keep you dred its it s been nice seeing you again almost like having a lock ot of your hair I 1 her voice trailed off she might have known geoffrey G huxley sr big hearty and peren mally rumpled was striding toward them an eager grin on his tanned face hello son he stooped and tousled the boy s hair affectionately hope I 1 haven t kept you waiting long he said to janet she shook her head and raised her hands in a slight helpless gesture mr cum mr huxley dred cummings huxley asked with obvious interest the other man nodded that s right your wife has told you about me I 1 suppose huxley glanced at janet s strained face the papers have been full of those murals of yours he said Q easily janet stood very still listening to their conversation watching their faces dispassionately she noted deeds conceit his pomposity he was suddenly a stranger who should be on his way leaving her long I 1 ve been pretending exactly that besides if I 1 were a little boy who had been motherless since the day he was born I 1 in sure I 1 d like a mother tor for a birthday present al most as well as a fire engine per haps if you approve we can give geoff both |