Show I t C 1 fAr ci i i rn r c r I i 11 4 h tf KATHLEEN NORRIS COPYRIGHT KATHLEEN CATHLEEN NORRIS MORRIS SERVICE CHAPTER Continued Continued 17 17 And all the while Larry harry was close perhaps playing golf on the Pebble Beach Deach links his white shirt open at his brown throat his dark head bare The blue sea rippled In In a dazzle of spring sunshine and the gulls flew about crying their shrill piping cries and the fluttered about like Ilke gulls too pleased when the guests admired the wide porch and the view so urgent with the little damp sandwIches sandwiches sand sand- and the fruit punch It was a n hot hoOt day a n rarely hot day for tor the ocean shore It had brought forth an eruption of ot picnIcs picnics pic pic- and excursions cars twinkled J In black lines along the cliffs every every every ev ev- ery little cottage was gay gny with guests If It tomorrow were like today Joe would have haYe heavenly weather for his housewarming Ruth Mrs Patterson Patterson Patterson Pat Pat- terson Caroline would be there there there- not Dot Larry He was going back to the city he did not dare come he did not dare risk meeting this girl girlIn girlIn girlin In white who was so dutifully amusing the so respectfully raising blue eyes to tiresome old Dr Bly my at the head of ot the long Jong table Tony ony had another night with Brenda another adoring morning with Anthonys Anthony's bath and bottle and nap On Sunday morning Joe came for forber her ber in the car and anil she and RuSh Ruh and Caroline and old Mrs l Patterson Patter Patter- son were carried off oft into the hot still saUa satin blue blue world of or beaches and water towering eucalyptus and crouching cypress trees Now listen dont don't expect too much Joe warned her Its only 5 r 5 a shanty really rea really but Ive I've sort of If fixed fired it up up- up Ill Til love it it itHe He turned In at a field gate following following fol foJ- fol- fol lowing a wavering dirt road toward the shore brought them triumphantly triumphantly to a n small bare white house that stood ridiculously square and harsh upon the edge edse of ot the cliff Joe enthusiastically displayed the square four-square rooms that he be had lead had cleaned cut Into more spacious proportions This wasn't t finished this this was going to be great but butt It t was hardly started of course Here was where the bath was going going going go go- ing to be wouldn't be-wouldn't wouldn't that be great And here this here this was all in a mess the man who had been doing it had bad broken his leg but look Jook bookcases bookcases bookcases book book- cases here here wasn't wasn't that swell Outside they heard the same story Seeds had llad been planted all an along here and there the roses all were In but you had to keep the sacking gunny over them Carrying chops and buns and coffee down to the rocky shore Joe said to Tony ony Come down here and run it and Ill I'll tear the whole place down or buy you Yu the Alexander place over I at at- Pebble Beach I like It just as it Is is' is I Tony laughing as she stretched a hand to his stepping carefully over o the boulders he be took like a stairway stopped and corrected herself I could like It she said Id tile the the floor of or the big room and put a abig abig abig big terrace off toward the north Well blast it those are Just the things I want you to tell ten me mel I 1 Joe protested They were vere down on the damp sand now among the big rocks there was shade here from the that ran out to sea on the south the waves were creaming In fa in lazy Interlocking cir clr- cles Joe Joe Joe darling Mrs Sirs Pol- Pol heD ls murmured established in her Scarlet stripes and scarlet hat against a n great g boulder her strange black eyes staring far out to sea Its too beautiful Your house house- yes It could be Improved in minor details But this this this-this this is matchless matchless matchless match match- less We ell Wee ell e-ell this is what I bought after aCter all Joe reminded her well pleased The rotund buns were toasted the coffee cortee poured lII like e smoking amber umber amber am um- ber Into the white tin cups the chops were sIz sizzling In the last stage of perfection when there was wasa a hail hall from the cliff The four women and Joe looked up It was Larry Tony her ber hands occupied with her ber chop and her cup merely waved at him as aa he came down the rocky stairway she could wait walt now I got homesick for tor all of ot you driving In lu last night so BO I telephoned telephoned tele tele- phoned Arnoldson and we had our talk at breakfast this morning and andI I 1 started right off ocr again I I thought Id I'd like to have a look at Joes Joe's housewarming and then maybe we could all nIl have dinner at the lodge t But nut Ive I've got to turn In Int r t early and get bet an early start In Inthe Inthe inthe the cool of the day tomorrow Or mu maybe be Ill I'll go up tonight The conversation was happy de de- They were all relaxed into comfortable positions the tho food was good Presently Tony and Larry had their moment It came when Ruth J Joe c Caroline and Larry had started started started start start- ed up the beach to a n certain rock pool that Joe said was unique In Inthe Inthe inthe the entire world He had taJ taken en enmore more than fifty specimens from it and believed there were more Tony washing cups In the tide tlde edge had told the others to go on she would stay with Mrs Patter Patter- son But now the old lady Jady was quite frankly asleep and when Larry came back for Ruths Ruth's camera camera camern cam cam- era ern It was quite natural for Tony to say that she would go on with him and Join the others I How goes it Tony Badly the girl answered with witha a brief little rueful laugh Yes Tes I know It goes badly he agreed seriously They walked along Larry wavIng waving way way- ing tug the camera at Ruth a hundred yards ahead who had stopped to look back Oh dear dearl 1 Tony said in youthful youth youth- ful despair After a minute she went on In n a different tone Then Ill I'll tell teU you what Im I'm going to do Larry Im I'm going to New York Its It's a long Jong way away and I would have e to work terribly hard there I could get on a newspaper there I have to get n away nay ay Larry Theres There's no ness happ ness here bere The man said n nothing They were crossing a rise of rocks now and he stretched a hand to berAnd herAnd her ber And I t hope Tony said finishIng finishing finish finish- ing log her sentence that I will forget forget forget for for- get it t all aU I am afraid you will he said In a hard bard voice Ah Larry my dear never be afraid of that 1 Im I'm not like that Ive I've never cared before not for anyone Ill I'll never care again this way We have to to-to to to separate and to to-to to to get over it It- It Tony said sam under under under un un- un- un der her breath well wel not see each other Larry not hear bear each others other's voices 1 I And then after a n silence Larry do you think I ought to go The man hesitated a moment and then said briefly Yes I do It will kill me Tony said If you go at least you shant shan't worry about money salary money salary he said Ive newspaper friends Z k l F r I Ir r 1 i I n na nr a r I J I Am Afraid You Will He Said In a Hard Voice there Ill I'll take care of ot that Grant and Kate and Odd and Mabel Mabel- wonderful people people they'll they'll keep an eye on you Larry 1 she burst out dont dont don't ever forget me mel I Therell never be anyone else else else- Weve We've no time now Larry said hurriedly when are you you going back to town Tonight Brewer of ot the ChronIcle Chronicle Chron Chron- icle ide and his wife wICe and some cousin cousin cou cou- sin or sister or somebody are goIng going going go go- ing up and I meet them at the botel hotel ho ho- hotel tel at five fi Could you get out of ot it with the others and drive up with me Tony considered her color When would we get Into town About past half one Oh Larry I would love It t so sol 1 Get out of ot your engagement then and Ill I'll pick you up op at the hotel at past half-past nine You can get some som dinner there Surely But Dut Larry Larry- But what he asked In the un- un encouragIng the almost harsh manner manner man man- ner nor he be had used throughout I I shouldn't Howd you mean you yon shouldn't I mean Tony said hesitatingly hesitating hesitating- ly that I wont won't tell Bendy That sort of oC feeling I see he said troubled Its uIt's Just driving up tip to town with you And Ruth thought nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing of our driving up from Santa Barbara I 1 the girl argued Yes but Its It's different now Larry reminded her honestly in a atone atone atone tone that brought the color suddenly sudden sudden- ly Jy to her ber face But ut we wont won't see each other much from now on I Igo Igo Igo go to Los Angeles on We Wednesday night And Cliff Is to 10 be married five c weeks from froni yesterday and after that yes that yes then Ill I'll go East Tony sam said Life is ahead of you yoo my dear With your beauty your wit wit the the something that makes ever everybody body love lo you that makes you Tony Dont talk that way the girl Interrupted steadily Youre very beautiful In that white outfit Tony If you think I am nm I 1 stop at the hotel anyway at thirty nine-thirty tonight Her blue eyes met his for tor the fraction of ot a n second there was time for tor no more They scaled a slippery rise of ot black wet rocks rocs Joe reached down a bracing hand to Tony they were at the pool CHAPTER MYSTERIOUS movement m mys mysterious s 's colors pulsed in it t as they all looked down Ribbons of seaweed In every shade of ot purple metallic blue scarlet cream color shell pink waved in the green clear water Starfish and anU baby crabs anemones violet prickly sea urchins and huddled colonies of blue black mussel shells were all there set in a Botticelli background of tiny sea flowers starry sea blossoms and polished bits of or rock When they all walked slowly back across their own earlier footsteps In the wet sand the tide was going goIng goIng go- go Ing down and a rich blanket of fog tog was pushing In against the hazy western sunset Stiffly wearily wearily wear wear- Il ily they went to the cliff and stood for a moment to look Jook at the wide panorama of the glittering sea and packed Backed themselves Into the car Where to Tony Tons please Joe Tony said Ruth we all an drive up Tuesday Could you ou stay Ruth Id I'd love Jo it But Im I'm gooIng goIng go goo Ing back with Ith the Brewers tonight they pick me up at the hotel at five fi Ive I've got to turn In a column tonight Come up and have ha dinner with us Wednesday night Tony and play bridge Ruth said at Brenda's Brenda's Brenda's Bren Bren- das da's doorway Joes coming In be in Los Angeles Wednesday I think I J could In a great rocker on the porch inconspicuous behind a pillar Tony watched the pleasant intermingling streams of hotel life come and go Her suitcase was at her feet The Brewers came and she went down and talked to them came back to her secluded chair The Tile die was cast now At six o'clock the wide drive the porches and steps of the hotel were deserted ever everyone one was dressing for dinner Her heart rose Into her throat It t was here now Larrys Larry's car now car now before seven o'clock o'clock- Thank goodness youre you're here l he ic said big bib and businesslike In his bis big brown overcoat and driving cap H Here re give glYe me your sour bag hop bag hop in I wouldn't have known what to do dof If f you'd happened to be inside havIng having hav hay haying ing dinner or something I 1 By the luckiest ch chance nce In the world Fitch telephoned they want me in there round eleven Ruth took the mes mes- sage They were in the car They had bad left Del Monte 1 behind them and were smoothly moving north If Tony had ever any doubts any misgivings misgivings misgivIngs mis mis- givings they were gone now the world was all heaven In the soft sort twilight with Larrys Larry's big shoulders beside her Well have to face It Tony that we love each other and that we cant can't have each other Im I'm not going goIng goIng go- go Ing to tell you what hat you mean to me I have no right The only thing to do is to face It and work it out somehow One of or the things he added after a n space that holds me to her She's not stron strong she did dm ever everything ev ev- everything er for me before I got a start we had a boy and lost Jost him Any talk of or our separating now would break her heart she's not done anything mean or small to tobe tobe tobe be treated like that She loves me And your little finger he be went wenton on as ns Tony was silent Is Ills more to me me than anything else In the world The way you ou pull on your hat lat the way your mouth works the whole of you you brown brown and Ion long lying as ns you Sou were today In the sand sand sand- He stopped For a long time neither spoke Then Tony said staunchly Well Wen Im I'm going away I dont don't v knO know how I can My be he belike belike like a stretched piece of or elastic between here and New York I cant can't stay where I see you or could see you or could telephone you If It you were divorced Tony said even then Id I'd not have an easy ow to hoe People like Ruth too much they feel teel too much against the younger woman who draws a man away from an older I wife wIre But nut at Ila least t Id I'd wu make you yuu youa a home Id I'd have hove children wed we'd travel The other way Id I'd hate hat m myself and you'd you hate me Id never hate you Id I'd want fant to togo togo togo go home to you darling not not from om you There seems to be a blight on me Tony sHill said somberly I dont don't seem to do things as other girls do Ill tell iou you what you on seem to tome tome tome me the man said You seem to tome tome tome me the most won wonderful woman In ID Inthe inthe the world a woman who is going to bo be admired 1 loved followed wherever she goes Youre You're In ms mj heart and my mind and my soul all aU day ay and nIl all night Tony yours young and brown and beautiful Its too b had bad d Tony said after a while In a wistful echo of her own voice Its uIt's too bad Larry could we we-I've we Ive I've Just thought thought could could we tell teU Ruth Tell Ruth Ruthl I INo INo No I suppose not It HIt would be a n thunderbolt to her tier It would shake the very foundations foundations foun toun of her life Ilfe No Ao woman ever evel felt so married as Ruth And she loves you ou next neat I believe to her he r mother and me That perfectly logIcal logical logical log log- ical mind of ot hers would begin working on It Imagining things fearing things Shed She'd lose Jose you and m me too Ruth's Ruths you Ruths you know her and you love Jove her he added restlessly restlessly rest rest- lessly but Ruths Ruth's not not not-not not easy i I a There Was a Smell of Grass Gras and Earth about things like that I dont don't know that any woman would be but she's the last Jast one one to to see our side Im I'm hers as much as her emeralds are or her car or her Income Income In In- come and she cant can't see It an any o oth oth- other other er way Funny thing marriage isn't I It Larry Id I'd never want to hold an any man mau like that Oh Im I'm so sorry my dear Im I'm not sorry that all aU this thU happened Tony said after a moment mo mo- ment went Its taken talen all the Joy out of my life Ilfe but Its It's put something else In better than Joy Ill I'll never nevel lose that an anyway way that I love Jove aman a 8 aman man want him want to belong to him him him- Steady I Larry said Im steady Ive I've been thinking it all aU over Ive I've come to see howit how howIt It Is that's all alb I cant can't compromIse compromise compromise compro compro- mise and you cant can't get free and so Im I'm going away Larry cleared his throat I Its too bad it has to happen happeD I this way he said mildly Tony |