Show I 11 A Y I 1 I 4 KATHLEEN N COPYRIGHT COPYRIGHT KATHLEEN NORRIS MORRIS SERVICE CHAPTER Continued Continued 22 22 He lIe saw her shoulders shake and knew that she was crying cryIng- suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly In a rage rag she was on her feet again How dared he how lie how dared he hc do do that I she said her eyes glittering gUtterIng dork dark blue In her white face How flow dares a man treat a woman who loves him that way 1 Ah but she wanted him Tony said crumpling speaking speaking- g gently hopelessly hopelessly hopelessly hope hope- lessly again ag She wanted him and Larrys Larry's so kind kind so so generous generous- generous It A silence during which the man smoked and watched her Then suddenly she slie looked up spoke quI qui- I etly as If It she were very tired cr Im sorry to treat yo you to these fireworks Joe Youre You're awfully Youre awfully kind to me Im I'm all right rIg now I think maybe you'd better take me to fo Bendy's s Ill I'll have to tell Bendy and Alvin will smile his smug little doctor smile at what happens hap pens to girls who fall In love with married men Ill get used to It after a n minute You do Even when a mans man's arm is cut off or his leg leg- they say he gets getsI I used to It like that that that-In In a n second I wish I could hate Larry I wish wIsh wIsh- l For or a moment her whole body was In revolt as If touched by a ahot ahot hot Iron her arms flung flun UP un her I head thrown back bad and her mouth opened as If It to find breath I couldn't do a thing like that thatto to a dog 1 she whispered collapsing again I could not Joe Its It's me me me- Its It's me this Is happening to no I couldn't do it to an anyone one 1 Im I'm sorry Im I'm really nil all right now Ill I'll get my things worry If It Im I'm too toola la late te No you ou Just lie there on the setI set set- ii I tie and think about It for a while and Ill I'll tell Brenda if it she telephones telephones tele tele- phones that the company's leaving and that Ill I'll bring bring- you home Lie there a while and get your breath and you'll be all right Big Hla big tig- hands punched pillows behind be he- hind her ber back as Tony obediently stretched herself on the fireside seat She lay there passive her eyes on the fire her breast still occasionally rising and falling on ona ona ona a great sigh It doesn't somehow seem like Larry Tony presently offered In a n weak little voice Larry was never what you thought he was It hurts me somehow me-somehow somehow it H hurts me horribly to have you say that I suppose It does docs Larry Is the only man the man the only one who one who ever whom ever whom I ever ever ever- everth th the girl began confusedly and stopped And lAnd that hurts me horribly so honors are even Joe said It Is impossible for me to believe believe believe be be- lieve that you ou think of ot me what I think of Larry Tony presently recommenced Were all playing a alone J 1 lone hand In this life Ufe arent aren't we Joe I dont don't think of at you what you think of Larry Joe said flatly Tonys Tony's ringed eyes moved to him himIn himin In weary inquiry Dont No uNo I know you Tony and you dont don't know Larry Im I'm not knocking him mind you Joe said But I Isay Isay Isay say you dont don't know him I do know you yon I know lenow every lovely inch of ot you ou I know that youre you're the woman for me mc and that Im I'm the husband for tor you ou Were We're alike We like the therome same rome things We talk the same lan lan- guage You and Larry arent aren't alike aUke Im I'm not saying this to make you feel teel any better I feel rotten tonight And nd you will feel rotten It'll take you a long time to get straight about It But I say that you love well love well this place and the ocean and the kitchen and Bendy's kids and the dogs and all that lIe He doesn't Hes He's Lorenzo the Magnificent Mag Mag- The girl Irl laughed weakly her face crinkled Into tears Oh he Is 15 she said In n a whis- whis 4 per Ruth was rich Larrys Larry's probably Inherited n a fortune She may have hll heft left a dozen legacies but hut Gran was rich and Ruth would have ha Inherited Inherit inherit- ed Grans Gran's money anti and he gets It nil fill or certainly most of oC It lies He's Hesrich rich now he be likes It that wp way Ah that's not quite fair Maybe not But Dut about things s lUke hike like that you and Larry never would would have seen eye to e eye e. Tony was not listening TIer Her Herlong lon long wet lashes glittering In the lamplight she was looking thoughtfully thou at nt the fire Oh Joe why did It have to happen this wn way Why did I have Ito to be the woman to live lh-e through this tills There was a long silence I dont don't know said Joe then pulling on his i IllIe Ipe and Tonys Tony's unhappy un tin happy little litHe laugh lauh died 1101 away awny Into another lon long pause when neither spoke Where his thoughts went the girl neither knew v nor cared To Tony all nIl the world was composed composed com com- posed of Just two persons a beautiful beautiful beau beau- woman sinuous and Jeweled In the exquisite thin robes of ot fine batiste and delicate laces that Carcline Caroline Caro Caro- Caroline CarcI I line especially loved a tall brown brownman brownman brownman man with his arms about her bel You women are strange said Joe Are we i You bet your life you are You know you know you know damn well that what you feel for Larry Is excitement curiosity You think it would be thrilling to have him carry you off oft to a suite at the Fairmont Fair Fair- Fairmont mont hotel make mal love to you Thank you Tony said as he paused pondering over his pipe Well isn't It true It lIt Is not true Knowing Joe continued as If It there had been no Interruption knowing that whatever lasts In marriage e that doesn't Knowing that It cant can't last It never ne does does does- whatever it Is that s-that that thrill that he be hires gives I es women that makes them say Td Ird rather have him mean to me meIn meIn mein In that magnificent mag way of ot his keep me waiting despise me throw me down than not have bavo him at atall atall atall all I Tony swallowed spoke lightly Is that the way women feel to him You Yon know Ih It It n nI I do not know It H she said In a alow alow alow low hurt tone She lay silent staring at the fire After Arter a while she stirred and find said that she must go and Joe making no protest she pulled on her old gloves and they went out Into the cold sharpness of ot the night together At the door she leaned against ag himI himI him I wish I could stay here alone with you forever and never see any of them them any any of them again Ig-aln 1 Why dont don't you You could go Into town of ot Mondays Mondays Mon Mon- days Joe and come back on Thurs Thurs- days Id I'd be completely happy alone with the dog dog- and Rita Shed She'd come over and sleep nights If It I was frightened Stay If It you like Joe said Youre so tremendously comfortIng comfortIng comforting comfort- comfort Ing to me said Tony her eyes shut her head bead resting against his shoulder for n a moment Im so sorry about all this Im going up to town tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomor tomor- row row early early about about nine Shall I stop for you 7 he asked 1 practically after after after aft aft- er a moment Will you I think Ill I'll not tell Bendy tonight Ill I'll wait until Alvin's Al- Al Ins vins gone tomorrow and tell her then Ill I'll have to face every everyone one one one- Aunt Meg Meg- Mary Rose shell she'll pity me so that 1 Ill I'll want to kill her Married Tony breathed to hersel herself herself her her- her her- sel self In an nn almost Inaudible undertone undertone undertone under under- tone out of her own thoughts On the trip to Brenda's house bouse she did not speak again ag CHAPTER 44 D T O 0 YOU still feel that you want to see him Joe again asked Tonys Tony's face dimpled as she looked thoughtfully down at the sand she was marking into even ridges es with witha a bit of ot silvery smooth driftwood d. d Not as I did she said colorIng colorIng color- color Ing lab a n little as she smiled Almost willing to take a chance that half haIt your children will be Dutchy looking little blonds Almost I love Dutchy little blonds Joe lay silent for tor a while In the warm sand Presently he lie said Well I Imagine you'll have your chance soon lI My ry chance To liTo see him Oh yes that Now that your grandmothers grandmother's dead they'll probably probably ably come West She fell to musing and Joe pulled his cap a little farther down over his eyes and appeared to dream After the office yesterday this Is he heaven n-en n Tony presently said Is Ills there anything In n th tho whole world more wonderful than an nn autumn sea and gulls and waves coming In and sunshine like this Its swell Joe murmured ineloquently inelo- inelo Autumn sunshine Tony went wenton on after aCler a space Pure and thin and and sad somehow Cosmos In Instead Instead instead In- In stead of lilacs and fi s Instead of ot cherries and that soft veil vell over the i sea And unexpectedly she concluded concluded con con- conI I eluded with vigor I adore It III 1 I Joe laughed lazily I You almost had me In tears Tony Yoa You were going on Into the sere the yellow leaf your our voice getting sadder and sadder I I thought you were going oln to end up with the death of ot Little Nell Tony laughed too a trl trifle e shame shame- Well Nell I do love It it autumn She She meditated deeply Spring first she ghe decided then autumn Then winter winter winter win win- ter and then summer Summer last of oC all nn i Oh yes yes yes-don't don't dont you ou think so Well I like corn on the cob Yes and peaches Tony I ed But Dut theres there's something so cocksure cocksure cocksure cock cock- sure about summer Winters one long long- revel of drag- drag Ing wood In down here And lAnd wet walks and rain sluIcIng sluicing sink sink- ing lag down and pancakes for tor breakfast break break- fast fasti Not that you often oCten touch them I III know But I love that warm warn smell of hot butter and and nd hot cakes on a 11 freezing morning If It they come through with the Rio offer offer offer- IIII If they come through h l' l What nonsense Why they're begging Ing you on their knees Well then If I accept the Rio offer offer offer-No No but what do you suppose suppose sup sup- pose they eat ent for breakfast in Rio Coffee and melons and sour bread and fried chicken Tony answered answered an nn readily Will you go to Rio with me Tony Do uDo you want me to Joe Joei Yo IYo knows ah nh do honey I II reckon yo does They basked on In the mild mUd sunshine sunshine sunshine sun sun- shine and the lazy waves came punctually In a smother of emerald emerald emerald emer emer- ald and Ivory over the near near-by rocks spread In Interlocking circles on the strip of at sandy beach and went away again leaving the little uttIe pools brimming and the silky purple purple purple pur pur- and blue ribbons weeds and mussel shells glittering and drip drip- ping Youre easy on my old eyes the theman theman theman man said presently glancing upI upI up I II love to have bave you think so We ought to go up pretty soon Bendy was as going to telephone about din ner nor I thought they had company They have But It was only Cliff CUff and Mary Rose And If Patricia was all right they said they might ht alL alU come over oYer I hope nobody comes I They climbed the great ridges es of ot rock up to the cliff cUff level and find were at the gardens garden's end where the new brick paths and the tall roses and chrysanthemums were rustling in c t L r rF 4 F Not as I Did She Said C Coloring a Little the afternoon airs and the slender beeches sent trim shadows across the lawn In this setting setting- and with the descending sun flashing In n every every every ev ev- ery window the square-cut square house did not look too awkward there was a pleasant air of green and white seaside hospitality about it and Its open windows and terrace II I love this house bouse Tony said as ns they went In It was my escape In lu the darkest hours bours of ot I my y life lite from irom everything everything even even myself I used to come down here from the theoffice theoffice theoffice office beaten broken and the silence sIlence si silence sI- sI lence of It and your not questionIng question- question Ing me not watching me Im I'm very fond of ot you youl youlIn I 1 In that last phrase she was addressing addressing ad ad- dressing the fireplace she laid her cheek against It She had bad he helped ped him build It Do IDa we need a fire We will as soon ns as the sun goes down We might as well for tor If they're coming the rO rooms room's ms m's bound to seem cool You know Tony said Joe on his knees knees' with logs In his long brown hands you were bound to torun torun torun run Into something like like like-like like what you did run into I wouldn't grudge It If I were you Grudge e It Yep I 1 wouldn't let myself resent resent resent re re- re- re sent It feel that I was out of ot luck falling In love with a man I couldn't have If It you hadn't done that you'd have ha married one of ot those fellows In the office Did you ever think of or that She was In n the deep leather chair watching him seriously I 11 suppose that's so so Its so of every woman like you It has to be so You Yon were young In lots of or ways old In lots of ot ways eager and Impulsive and mad to live You Just had to run your head hend Into something I 1 wonder Tony said frowning frowning- faintly looking away You chall changed cd for Larry you i grew frew up You were were well well like those pictures In Bendy's Dendys book when you I first met him You Yon grew older and wiser and lovelier And better and more beautiful Tony suggested In the pause You know v its it's true Youre You're one of ot the successful women of San Francisco now Youre You're certainly one I of the loveliest I Joe Tony began an after a pause He flung flung- down an armful of logs log Shoot Do liDo you suppose a person ever eer could come to be te glad of of ot of anything anything anything any any- thing like that that like like what hurt burt me mo and humiliated me and made me hate myself and find every everyone one else I think Joe said standing pantIng pantIng panting pant- pant Ing on the hearth looking down at ather ather ather her I III think that's Just one of ot the things s one might be glad of oC A IIA la Browning Tony suggested sug Then welcome each rebuff that turns earths earth's smoothness rough h. Exactly a a la Browning And a ala ala ala la ever every one who ever really grew STew up Larrys Larry's never really grown up you know and neither has Caro line Tony was not listening Her Bel eyes fixed in reluctance and apprehensIon apprehension apprehension hension were looking straight through h the eastern windows toward the stretch of farm road that curved to the highway hway n a mile away Company I 1 she exclaimed dis dIs- Ob Oh hell Joe said simply And I dont don't know that car and andI I dont don't recognize that man tuna who's driving driving- Its a chauffeur chauffeur theres there's theres a man and woman In n the back damn back damn 1 Joe said looking over her shoulder They turned toward the terrace door and together went out to meet the visitors In n the car Its Larry Tony said then Larry and Caroline She dropped a suddenly cold hand band to meet Joes Joe's warm and hard and waiting Im ImIn In for It now 1 The newcomers descended there I was a little laughing conf confusion slon of hand clasping and kissing on the tho I terr terrace ce Larry was heavier than he I had bad been Tony thought but as ns handsome and anU brown as ns shrewd of gray eyes as ever Caroline was wasat wasat wasat at the peak of her exotic and startling startling startling star star- beauty In dashing black and white with a great scarf tied under under un un- under der chin gauntlets with flaring cuffs a great |