Show Richard McFarlane who disappeared luring the first World War leaving his wife Ite Julia and two children suddenly Identifies him returns 25 23 years later and leU ielI as Captain Mackey lackey stationed athe at Ric ser serving he same camp as his son n U World War n. n Itic has bas b become come In In- Solved with Sandra Calver Calvert a divorcee who Rho Captain Mackey knew at one time Urne ae He threatens her but hut she marries nic Rie anyway arriving at Julias Julia's farm to live with her Sho She startles Julia by recognizing reco inc ing a picture of Richard as that of Captain Mackey When Julia goes to a theater with Dave Patterson a family Sandra and Jill Julias Julia's daughter daugh ter ler become engaged In a vehement I CHAPTER You couldn't understand Ricky though Hes He's so sensitive And you arent aren't a a comp complex ex person at all you know Jill Youre You're primitive really You are in your element here on a farm Odd that two people peo peo- peo pIe could be so entirely different as you and Ricky I 1 Im such a primitive that learned earned to tell the truth very early and Ric never bothered He went in m for tor the more esthetic angles he thought living excitingly was more Important than keeping his word or choosing minded high people for friends or anything like that I I 1 suppose that's intended for a aig dig ig Sandra said but its it's quite all right It doesn't worry me at all Ricky told me inc that you would probably probably probably ably hate me How stupid of him him to to think U that Id I'd bother Jill drawled Why should anything you do matter to tome tome tome me Sandra Or anything that I Ido Ido Ido do concern you Were We're separate people We can live our lives without without without with with- out getting emotional one way orthe or orthe orthe the other Only dont don't put on an act with me Sandra Its It's no good And leave my mother alone Dooley's not like me She doesn't know how to take care of herself I rather like your mother Sandra said languidly Id never want to do anything to hurt her if U I could help it if can What do you mean you help it demanded Jill hotly batty better make an effort to help belp it Mrs Richard McFarlane Sandra got up and strolled overto over overto overto to the dressing table picked up the framed photograph that stood there The picture of a eyed blue-eyed officer in ari an an old-fashioned old wide wide- brimmed campaign hat Is this a relative she asked with studied casualness My father Jill did not look at her ber father too He died in France in the l last st war Oh yes Ricky told me He looks so like an old friend of my ray first husbands husband's that the resemblance is really startling She studied the th picture and her lips curved greed greed- i i fly She licked them slyly like a Ii cat and her eyelids narrowed a speculative look growing behind them She She put put the frame down shrugged a little Utile Your father was very handsome Jill JUl but he reminds reminds reminds re re- re- re minds me so much of that man I detest that I wont won't look at him any anymore more Odd that two people should be so so alike isn't it Not terribly odd We only have havea have havea a few features They couldn't help putting a few similar combinations together By the way Jill Sandra paused In the door I haven't discussed discussed dis dis- dis cussed the future with your moth moth- er Ir Ie really dread having baving to do It I But I do have to know what's ahead of us d dont don't nt I n Jill JUl stood up stiffening What Wha has my my mother to do with what's he head bead d of you she asked But she naturally naturally she has everything everything everything every every- thing to do with it iti Dont Don't you think sit I 11 i would be better If you talked to Her lier about it Jill r e l lt t Talked to her about what What future do you mean You knew that Ric would be gone perhaps for forA fr A ears ars You knew that tha when you youn S married n him t But that's just It I did marry bim n. n I am Ricky's wife And bec because bese be- be c cause use se Im I'm his wife I do have to be bec c i c about our future Ricky b b s 3 rights that have to be con con- i. i Rights Jill repeated curtly Of course he has rights The right oJ get the best out of life Ute that he can when the war Is over But my mother has nothing to do with that That's Ric's problem A for Request Ric's Rights like to see him pushed J. J out wouldn't you You'd like lUte to tot t. t t keep everything for yourself t- t Youve You've been digging yourself In haven't you you building building yourself up as 4 S such a dutiful daughter playing Ric Rie down with those sly sidelong digs Awfully clever But But I I think I know something that you dont don't know Miss Jill McFarlane Its It's merely a hunch I have but my hunches have a way of coming I. I through And my advice to you i ito is to change your and quick Jill looked at her her eyes like ice better put It in words o ocue of iv cue one syllable Sandra she said 11 Being a primitive Im I'm no good od od at t puzzles I think you know how hoy hoyto to s speak eak plainly if U you wan wanto want to do t d it I think you know a lot o overy of very plain words indeed Sandra threw back her ber head I 1 I i b. b do know the plain words Only plain words would do for you you smug self-satisfied self little snoW snob I want ten thousand dollars Is that plain enough And I mean to have it Oh I know this smart show youve you've all nIl been putting putt ng on I saw through It instantly Youre You're all so poor and you work In fields corn-fields and wear overalls and eat cabbage and grits like white trash and put your cars up but none of that fooled me for a minute Ricky lUcky has a right to his share and Im I'm going to have it Jill's eyes were amber flames So blackmail Is one of your special cial dat arts too is it I thought as much she said slowly I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose poor Ric Rie has done something the foolish foolish the poor deluded sap And now youve you've got hold bold of it and want to hold it over my mothers mother's head because youve you've seen how she adores Ric Well it wont won't work Sandra It t simply wont won't work Ric's Ries been in jams before and my mother Ismore is ismore ismore more or less resigned to anything that comes now She's given up expecting expecting ex eC ex- ex anything from Ric except disappointment T F I want ten thousand dollars I Ithe Sandra pressed herself against the door her mouth twisted to toone toone toone one side her eyes guarded I dont don't like scenes she said loftily I hope it wont won't be necessary for me to say or do anything unpleasant I dont don't want to hurt your mother I merely want my rights rights rights-Ricky's Ricky's rights And I mean to have them Anything you say is entirely unimportant You Youcan Youcan Youcan can speak about this to your mother or not just as you please I 1 shall certainly not speak to her about it Jill Jin snapped And Andi it if i you plan any chiseling I shall do doall doall doall all I can to defeat you Youve You've been made welcome here youre you're Ric's wife and on his h s account Ill I'll treat you as Ric's wife should be treated But Ill I'll appreciate it right now if it you'll get out of my sight I still like to believe that Im I'm a lady but when youre you're around Sandra I have difficulty remembering it T Mackey ackey and J JiLt JiU HI Meet Again Im going With pleasure Sandra bit the words off like lengths of red-hot red wire But Im I'm going to have ten thousand dollars Im I'm goIng going going go go- ing to have it right away Do you think I was fool enough to marry into this family without knowing knowing know know- ing tog what Ricky's prospects were Im I'm no child I Ive I've taken care of myself for a long time I know how to go on doing it I haven't got ten thousand dollars dol dot lars tars and my mother hasn't got it It- It and she's not going to sacrifice e anything anything anything any any- thing to get it not it-not not for you Sandra McFarlane McFarland Very well said Sandra evenly I 1 see I shall have to speak to her about it myself You dare to do it You dare tomake to tomake tomake make my mot mother er unhappy you unhappy you dare darel Ill I'll throw you out of the house myself Get out of my room get get out out get get out The door clapped angrily as asSandra asSandra Sandra slammed it Her hands trembling her body like U e ice but her face and eyes blazing Jill stood still for a minute glaring shuddering allover all allover allover over with the fierce anger that shook her She was still trembling all over when the door opened a cautious crack and old John I. I thrust his head In his thin hair disordered his mustache quivering like an nn inquisitive inquisitive inquisitive in in- antenna antennaS broke he whispered Jill got herself In hand with a little difficulty I II got mad John I. I she said hoars hoarsely ly I yelled like a like a-like like a. a her Like a McFarlane supplied grandfather helpfully I heard you What were you yelling about Sandra made me mad She wants money She says she wants Ric's share How could Rt Kit have havea a share now while now while Mother is alive I got furious I wish I hadn't I feel teel unsure of ot myself now now but but I did Im I'm sorry if it I waked you up John I. I I II I wasn't asleep So she wants money does docs she Will she clear out if she gets gels it I dont don't know But she made it vague threats if it she didn't get She said she knew something that I didn't know something that would make Mother unhappy That's when I flew at her Jill saw her grandfathers grandfather's eyes move past her uneasily for a mo mo- moment moment ment focus on the picture on hei hel dresser then his mouth drew v straight and his eyes narrowed little Without a word he out of ot the room Then she heard a acar acar acar car door slam down below and she snatched up her robe and wriggled wriggled wrig wrig- into it and flew down the stairs Dooley had come and Dooley must not know She had to get to Dooley Dooley Doo Doo- ley icy before Sandra did She flung open the screen door and stood framed in the light all wrinkled green silk and flaming hair and eyes like black flames in irs irsa ina a face as white as chalk And so it was that Richard McFarlane McFarlane McFarlane Mc Mc- Farlane standing there under the light saw his daughter Jill drew back startled and said Oh Ohl and pulled her flying drapery around her Then she got her breath a little and said Oh Im I'm sorry You startled me I was expecting my mother Youre You're Caplain Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain lain Mackey arent aren't you I ber I saw you at Ridley He came into the room blinking at the light He looked a little odd Jill thought there was that same bewildered look in irs his eyes that same curious nostalgia as though he were thinking back hard bard trying to remember something that hurt lurt He held out his handI hand I remember he said You are Julia arent aren't you You were with young Gordon down at Ridley Im Jill Nobody ever has called me Julia Wont Won't you sit down CapLain Captain Cap- Cap Lain ain Mackey You came to see Mother did you Im I'm sorry She's out just now but she should be back soon Will you wait He stood turning his cap around in his hands I came he said to see your brothers brother's wife wite The young Mrs Mc Mc- Farlane She's here bere isn't she Yes she's here Shall I call her She went to b bed d I think There isn't anything wrong is there Captain Cap tain Lain With Ric I mean No theres there's nothing wrong Not with your brother at least But I Ilave have lave a message for your sister-in- sister i law But theres there's no special hurry about it Will you sit down then Im I'm sorry you find me in such disarray but I was tired and I didn't feel like dressing again after my bath He took the chair she indicated He said Youre very like lUte your mother She had hair hah like that I remember Oh yes Jill said you were an old friend of my mothers mother's weren't you You told me and Id I'd forgotten She dropped on a st stool ol oland and coaxed her ber thin garments to cover her brown legs and eased her broken arm into a comfortable position But Im I'm more like my father fa father fa- fa ther she went on He was an officer too I was always sorry that I wasn't born a boy so that I could be a soldier like my father I have a brother in the air corps but but you know that of course Youve You've seen him down dow at Ridley I suppose I I may have seen him he evad evade ed Youve been hurt haven't you What happened Car get away from you No No it it was a horse I went over her head Cant Can't I get you something something something some some- thing to drink Captain I could use a drink He smiled at her Could I come with you and fix it myself I Of Ot course if U you like Men al always always at- at ways like to get into kitchens dont don't they Jill led him through the hall ball and the room dining flipping switches as she went noting that he seemed to be studying the rooms as they passed through them This house Is very old she talked on pushing the swing door back and waiting for him to precede her into the warmth and pickle peach-pickle fragrance fragrance fra ira grance of Mamie's kitchen My mothers mother's grandfather built it before the Civil War and the thc bricks were burned here on the place The Kitchen Is the Same She was sliding the Ice cubes out of the tray and she saw him turn and reach for a glass and wondered wondered wondered won won- dered how he be knew where to look look look- but of course glasses were kept Inthe in inthe Inthe the obvious place If U he hadn't found one there hed he'd have opened another cupboard door Say when she prompted as she balanced the bottle over the glass Oh but I should let you pour your own shouldn't I 11 Im I'm awfully inexperienced at this sort of thing Captain you spoke about Lieutenant Gordon You dont don't happen hap pen to know where he is now do you TO BE E CONTINUED tL t |