Show nJ 21 r I i KATHLEEN W COPYRIGHT KATHLEEN NORRIS MORRIS SERVICE CHAPTER Continued 23 23 And when'd you yon come down Tony asked Caroline Joe picked me up up-at up at Bendy's this morning There was a n big Red RedCross RedCross RedCross Cross thing yesterday arid and I had to todo todo todo do it It And hows how's the old office once Just the same The same old story T Typewriters clicking and the boys w washing themselves themselves' and dripping all over their collars and I Betsy Ross mooning about s some me murderers murderer's ii little ue gray gray- ec mother You doing signed stuff Three or four times a week And AndI I run a womans woman's page w we have hae two new girls In the office now both Stanford graduates Im going round there tomor tomor- row Are Arc you going to have your office again upstairs 1 It all alJ depends Caroline hates San Francisco Yes but Caroline doesn't necessarily necessarily have to stay there I think Joe Jpe and I could have haxe n a very nice time In Rio Rio Caroline said for her her- self You can see us off I Youve only been married five fhe months Joe observed Innocently Five months or five minutes Caroline s said lId Larry cant can't expect me to sit up there alone In the Fairmont while he runs his old newspaper She likes to pretend she's Jeal jea Jealous ous Larry said with a little laugh nugh that was not quite easy 1 dont don't like to pretend anything of ot the kind Caroline retorted warm warmly y Tony perceived with a sense of shock that there was more moreIn 4 In n this than met the eyes ees Some earlier quarrel was lending depth to this one I 1 say seriously that Id I'd like to go to South America with Joe If hell he'll take hake me Caroline said adding with a coquettish laugh Phil Is down there 1 Well WeH well we'll discuss It later Inter Lar Lar- Larry Larry Larry ry put In temporizing as she paused looking evenly at her broth broth- er And Tony saw the the dark angry red come up under his skin She went out Into the kitchen when Caroline went upstairs and began the familiar Inspection of oC Icebox icebox Ice ice- ce- ce box and cupboards Wood crackled In the stove sto and Tony dodging g the he green thick smoke as ns she put back bad the Iron plate found Larry beside her This Is a n lot of fuss our stay- stay Ing Oh no Its It's not truly 1 J We thought Cliff an and Mary Rose might come All AU Im I'm doing doing Tony said bringing forth a half consumed ham and hunting In a table drawer for forber her ber longest knife All AU Im I'm doing I Ito isto Is Isto to reheat repeat the enchiladas and cut the ther r ham and lets and lets let's see heat up biscuIts biscuits bis his cults and open plum jam and make a salad Larry was not listening and she shek k d 2 i 41 I il r Began the Familiar Inspection of ot otIce Ice Box and Cupboards knew he was not He said In a low tone Tony lony how are you Perfect she told him smiling No but I mean mean how how are you The little Intimate significance did not escape her but there was no tint flint of fluctuation In her steady stead wide open blue c eyes es Happy she told him with a nervous ner shred of laughter Im glad Klad he said In a low tone I with his narrowed gaze keenly fixed on her Do you realize that It t Is Ismore ismore s smore more than two years since we have teen een ru h other S Two and a half almost Tony agreed It was spring You Xou ou know I was very Ill Joe told me Caroline wrote him you Sou kno- kno know And when I would come down week ends hed he'd tell me You and he have become great grent friends ha haven't you 1 Joe and andI I Theres There's nobody like him Tony said smiling Her brown hands went went on steadily slicing the firm pink ham she lifted each slice on her knife and laid It evenly on the blue dolphin platter How well do you like me him Tony Oh tremendously 1 And are you going to marry him 1 Larry asked Her eyes cres clouded and she gave him a dubious look slowly shaking shakIng shaking shak shak- ing her head No she said Then may m y I say something to you Tony Tony because because I have an opportunity opportunity opportunity op op- op- op now and may not have another mother May I say that Im I'm terri tern bl bly terribly bly-terribly terribly sorry I know what you mean mean Tony s said aid her bright eyes fixed steadily on his the color coming up quickly under her clear brown skin Of course you know what I mean Of at course you know and I know what we meant to each ench other I 1 had been Ill I was badly shaken shalen by Ruths Ruth's death Caroline was right there there there- Larry said And as her eyes ees narrowed uncomfortably and she made a gesture of ot restraint he went on My Iy dear Tony fony this Is no disloyalty Caroline and I hadn't been married six weeks hadn't been married six days dars before we both knew that It was a mistake Wed We'd been drawn Into It It lulled lulled Into It you know what the circumstances were There In that little place with Ruths Ruth's mother dying nurses there the doctor coming every ery day dar we lived JIved as much alone as If ff wed we'd been on an nn Island Island J I l thought thought shed shed she'd told me that she cared for Phil Pol Pol- hemus wed we'd seen him out In China I never thou thought ht of ot myself at allAnd all allAnd anAnd all an- And then only a few days dars after Ruths Ruth's death she told me told me-told told me that I had been the one always always- even In the early days of ot Ruths Ruth's first knowing me when Caroline was a child She said we would go goto goto goto to Paris entertain she said that was why she had refused Phil I 1 rather thought that It was something like that Tony said Inthe in inthe inthe the pause The man followed her a little awkwardly to the table and sat down facing her across Its end Tory had a soup plate before her she began the concoction of a salad salad sal sale ad dressing pouring oil measuring vinegar occasionally tasting the mixture on the tip of ot her finger Tony Larry said If It I had come straight back hack after Ruths Ruth's death would you have been waiting waitIng wait wait- Ing for me You ou know I would Tony answered answered answered an an- with a full steady look I failed you Larry muttered looting looking away Carolines Interest Is clothes men clothes men he he said There was wasa a pause Oh Ob Oh yes I Did Caroline get her chinchilla coat Tony asked cheerfully cheerfully cheerfully cheer cheer- fully ending It The man looked up UD In surprise How do you mean Caroline used to say that If It ever she n married again the first thing shed she'd make her husband buy her ber would be e a n chinchilla coat Our marriage was a mistake mIstake- we both see It now Larry said paying no attention Its all like a adream dream dream dream-a a bad dream Put But ut you dont don't mean Larry that you and Caroline Caroline already already ar are thinking think think- ing lug of ot a break breal Ive come corne back here to work he said doggedly She says she desp despises despise e San an Francisco society and hates the West Her ner heart Is set now on going to Rio with Joe you joe you heard her Just now I cant can't go I dont don't want to go I I want to sta stay here bere a and d dig Into my Job He looked up and his dark face brightened brightened bright bright- ened with the smile she remembered so well Larrys Larry's masterful slow sm smile le And now and then take you to lunch he said Instead of ot smiling In return she I slowly shook her head her face very sober No no more of ot that That's what I paid for so dearly Larry knowing that you yot belonged to her herto herto herto her her- to Ruth Huth and pretending that I had any right caring for each other aright a a aright right 2 I 1 thought so then Im I'm older now I see things differently now now Youre changed he said In all the lovely ways lovelier and In so many other ways was changed Youre You're outstanding Tony I dont don't ask you to forgive me I was confused with the suddenness of everything I I was changed too too from from my Ill ill- ness Everything at home seemed far Car away Dway and dream dreamy the only real real- ties were the villa and the hot I sunshine and Caroline all In white being tremendously helpful and kind the kInd the one lovely living thing In all our lives H I Cant Can't you understand understand understand under under- stand I MI do understand Tony said And I think she ad added ed almost timidly I think you OU admire Caroline Caroline Caro Caro- line more than you think you ou do Larry It seems to me me now since you are married since married sinco you did marry so so-so so so soon soon soon- So soon after Ruths Ruth's death Yes we both feel teel that we both feel that for that very ery reason we have no right to separate he conceded as she hesitated But It was one of those marriages that could only have taken place In exactly that way If It we had waited wafted a year If It we had waited until even cven three or four months after atter Ruths Ruth's death It t never would have happened Tony dipped her littlest fin fingertip Into the salad dressing tasted It lt narrowed her eyes But nut you are not always unhappy unhappy un un- happy Larry Not al a always s At base theres there's something that holds us together Only she's quarrelsome Tony and Jealous I see the Jealousy Intensely Jealous of ot you the man said Of Ot me It seems to me the shoe ou ought ht to be on the other foot But she knows of ot course how I felt how felt how I feel for tor you I wonder how Caroline would have ha felt If It all Ruths money hadn't been Involved 7 Tony asked Idly It wasn't all Ruths Ruth's money Larry reminded her quickly She wrote Joe of ot the legacies And Joe got a n splendid slice and Joes Joe's the one that ought to have v a R r t I I w wAnd And Yet You Cant Can't Love Him It II lU too Tony said He helps so many people Theres There's no e end d to Joes Joe's goodness I 1 i And yet you OU cant can't love lo him Tony Tony Tony lony how blind Ive I've been I Its It's sickening Larry said with a rueful smile to have had had had- to have had all aU the difficulties In ones one's life that I had to meet and to have felt as I did feel teel that if I ever were free I could make myown my myown myown own destiny so wonderful so happy happy hap hap- happy py and then to have had my chance and Instantly thrown It away Were you terribly young when you married Ruth Larry Twenty A boy bop That was all And did you love her I admired her tremendously She was a great woman horse-woman you know and she had a splendid stable I 1 remember thinking her glorious galloping along those lanes In the autumn and telling her men In the stables stables' s' s what to do with this fine horse and that Yes he said with the thoughtful expression she liked best of ot all on his handsome face I always loved Ruth Not Not but but then there are arc different ways of ot loving 10 I think she never had any mIsgivIngs misgivings ings lags I think she was wag never anxious until you came along and everything everything every every- thing got out of hand the thing I find It hard t to forgive myself One cant can't always help those things Tony We didn't after didn't-after after all we didn't what didn't-what what shall I say b betray betray be be- tray her Not In actual fact tact no I 1 didn't Tony said In a lIgh lighter ter tone as sh she e rose to carry her salad dressing t to o the icebox x I didn't surrender There were times Umes- times times- She smiled at nt him over her shoulder But we didn't she said I r re remember remember re- re member praying about It hanging on to my code until my fingernails fingernail s were almost torn out But Im I'm glad now now every every woman Is 19 glad after after- ward when she remembers Coming back she sat down n at atthe atthe t the table with Idle hands lookin looking g at him frankly For Tor that part part fire fire and flame fiame an and d breathlessness and not eating your you r dinner kind and lying awake all night that part Isn't the Important part partIs Is It It never has lasted It never will It the man asked adark a adark adark dark flush on his face hIs bis voice oIce low No for It Isn't the right the wise and true part Tony an an- And for Cor the rest Larry farry seriously seriously haven't you yon and Caroline a great deal In common Haven't you ou two more In corn common won than you and I ever ever lr could have hare had You like dinners chInchilla dinners chinchilla coats coats coats- I 1 despise dinners I despise chinchilla coats I l lIf If you two had a R handsome apartment In n San Francisco Francsco entertained enter enter- tamed a n good deal were In on opera nights and polo meets meets- meets What are you OU talking about the man asked almost roughly Youre not not youre youre you're surely not tryIng try try- In lug Ing to trying to-trying trying to persuade me that Caroline Carolina and I 1 arc are rightly married mar mar- vied ried I tell you OU It was one of oC those Impulsive stupid things that men and women only do when then the they have o lost their bearings hearings when they've been under a heavy y strain A week later later we we were In Paris then then we we both seemed suddenly to wake up to come back to our old point of or view We said then We must make a n go of ot this weve we've drawn the attention of all our our- world to our marriage e we cant can't confess failure l' l But from that moment to this weve we've never thought alike we have nothIng nothIng nothing noth noth- ing in common we are only mak rank rn fag ing each other miserable I 1 Tony looked ed at nt him speculatively I noticed the gray gra gray hair Larry That began when I was Ill Oh Tony If It I could only go back the thelast thelast last eight months and have It all to live over again I It was so simple sim sim- so pie so easy Just to bring Ruths Ruth's mother home and to come out here hereto to you yon I But It it seemed to be a time when I had hail to plunge madly ahead dizzy ahead dizzy with freedom perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps feeling that now I could do anything travel buy a country place have horses do all the things that of ot late Inte years ears hadn't Interested her her her- And within a few weeks Caroline Caroline Caroline Caro Caro- line and I were somehow engaged and even then I wasn't taking It all seriously even then I didn't realize realIze realize real real- ize that she was In earnest We had said at nt first that of ot course we would wait walt the whole year year then then she began to well to-well well and I did too Im I'm not blaming anyone but myself We were there at nt the villa with everything to settle discuss decide decide decide de de- cide and since we were going to tobe tobe tobe be married some day why not at once and quietly and not tell anyone anyone any any- one for tor six or eight months Larry Tony said seriously you dont don't have hare to tell me Nobody knows better than I how easily one can do a thing In one mood and wonder about It In another It was the first touch of ot anything like lice lIl-e. lIl sympathy like tenderness she had shown him and he grasped at atIt atIt att It t eagerly Tony only promise me this that whatever the of nf the next year are whatever r C-r Caroline Caro line and I decide to do you'll bemy be bemy my friend I may have your friendship mayn't I Tony You and I may see each other and talk things s over and go back to the theold theold old oid days when we used to go to lunch at one and talk until half halt past three I dont don't like to remember those days 1 Tony said smiling And In Inthe Inthe n the silence Joe put his head In at atthe atthe atthe the door and asked Do we eat In here and arid her talk with Larry was fiS over o The door the MIP n Hiving room and the kitchen was opened and Caroline and Joe began began began be be- gan to set n a table In by the fire Any more talk of your going to New York Tony Caroline asked Not now no no I got my coat |