Show lU 5 Twenty Dye years have va elapsed since the disappearance of Richard McFarlane In World War I 1 and his wife Julia Is beset with fresh worries as the children she has bas raised with the aid ald of her ber father law father In law John I. I McFarlane l become be be- come Involved In World War II Klc Ric has washed out of the air corps while Jill falls faUs hopelessly In love with Spans Span Gordon Jill Jut and Spang CO go 0 to toa toa toa a dance and when Spang Spans doesn't profess his love for h her r Jill JUl Is hurt lie He does docs tell her ber however that Ric Is paying attention to a divorcee of questionable character Jut Jill determines to go BO to camp to see her brother and also to talk tik to Spang Sp again am She Sha tells teUs Julia Jolla her ber plans CHAPTER VI 1 VII VII I think its it's a beautiful idea Dave was In love with you when you were seventeen he told me so Grandfathers Grandfather's old and Im I'm not going go ing to be around forever I forever I hope Though you may have me on your our hands Maybe Ill I'll be one of those bright spinsters who fade reluctantly reluctant reluctant- ly and get horsy with tanned tanned tanned-leath leather leath- leath er hides and lean hands that grab for highball glasses Or I might turn coy and wear pastel colored clothes too young for me and make makeup up tales about my lover who died in the great war Could be Dont be disgusting Jill Julia spoke crisply as she went out Julia went to her room and closed the door Though the working outfit out fit she wore was soiled and dusty she sat down on the he edge of her prim white bed Jill's abrupt remark flung in her face as ruthlessly as a adash adash adash dash of cold water had set stirring within her that current of rebellion that she had fought so long and conquered conquered con up to now Why couldn't she grow old Old and cold and patient with no dampened dampened dampened damp damp- ened fire flaring to trouble her at unexpected moments no dreams to drift like clouds across her dull horizon What a relief to tobe tobe tobe be old so that she would never again have to know this aching lack this hunger within herself for tor a little little lit lit- tle understanding a little tenderness tenderness tender tender- ness I Richard was dead and yet et he would would not die Something of ot him stayed alive to tease tense and haunt her heras heras heras as he had tortured tortured her when her love for him had made her abject and naive and too pitifully able For years John I I. I had been nagging nagging nag nag- ging at her to have Richard de de- declared Glared legally dead So many an things I were involved he argued The title I to the property her childrens children's inheritance inheritance in inheritance in- in everything she had worked so long and so hard to at at- tain What money John I. I had Julia Julla knew was willed to Jill He had al always always ale al- ways been a little impatient with Ric dubious about him Money ruined th the McFarlane men he declared de de- de dared softened and spoiled them Only work could save them Because Because Be Be- cause she knew how John I. I felt Julia had been a bit more generous with her son foolishly generous no doubt but her lenience had eased some grimness in her the unforgiving unforgiving unforgiving giving thing she had not been able to conquer The war the air corps had been right for tor Ric she was certain The farm had always irked him but his desire for speed his audacious spirit his arrogant recklessness would be appe appeased sed by combat She had put her maternal apprehensions apprehensions apprehensions down and forced her her- hersel herself self sel not to worry Ric had to do this thing it meant salvation for him And then for some reason unexplained un un- un explained explained because because a desperately efficient army machine never bothers bothers both both- ers with explanations Ric had bad failed his examinations for the cadet cadet ca ca- y det corps r W The punk Jill had been scorn scorn- ful fut He slid through college on onik ik his ear and he expected to get by bya 1 a mi military board the the- same way 4 Hell He'll be a Joe Jot gunner or a grease greaser monkey now i r if flaunting Haunting Memories t 01 Of Richard But Ric's luck had held the same luck that had been with him when t he he- talked him himself sell out of jams at f. f school when he slid free of speeding charges when he be wangled extra money from Crom his fuming ther Cher He had got an assignment to officers officer's school Hell flunk It you'll see Jill said But Julia had held to hope bope because be cause she was Ric's mother Ric was her deep heart Ric was the theman theman man in her life lie But never from her handsome insolent son had she had consideration or tenderness To old John I I. I she was a partner adequate standing on her own own feet I wise But to Dave Patterson she was a woman t L Leaning her ber burning cheeks in infirm r firm palms Julia Julla wondered If il she had depended on Dave too much He had been the one person to whom she owed no responsibility J other than the gladly given gift of kindness and comradeship he he had been a n rock on w which hick at times her weariness had rested She had been t r fooling herself herscH of course And i. i now Jill's sharp young ruthlessness h td 1 id d torn all her c carefully arranged Co 1 pretenses to shreds t She had known for a tong long time that Da Dave Daves ve s 5 feeling for her was I. I r nor mor then thio friendliness She had tT LL CV pushed the knowledge away she had refused to acknowledge it even evento evento evento to herself She had tried to hold him off yet keep him too She knew now how unfair she had been Somehow she had to make it up to Dave That she could love him himIn himin himin in return was something this rigid thing in her heart would not permit her to consider She had frozen herself into a mold so long ago She could not alter the form of what she must be to herself but with that sureness came an overwhelming overwhelm overwhelm- ing loneliness She had dedicated herself to a memory to a ghost and it was like being chained to an tomb The dreadful part was that there was always that secret feeling of menace about that tomb Im a fool she said aloud sharply snatching her hands down and jerking her body erect She doused her face with cold Water water wa Wa- ter gave h her hr r hair a n few disciplining strokes with a brush She had to take the truck and go out and check the corn yield with John I. I Love she Love she twisted her mouth as she thought of it There was no notime notime notime time for tor love And no dignity a I I td Y- Y J B r a 1 iia i i J r i n nl l l So nice to see you jou OU again Spang about It for a woman past forty a a woman who had spent herself for love once and got only a promissory promissory promis promise sory note for recompense That it had been only the fevered passion of bf a girl that this other ache in her heart was real and living liv live ing she would not admit even to herself But Dave must not be hurt He had loved another woman once been married to her for a brief time but she knew that that old love was now only something frail and sweet to Dave a fragrance like that of a pressed flower a wreath laid on a slender grave But that grave had closed while if she Julia had hada a grave to keep it would not green it would not soften w with th time it gave her no peace Brother and Sister Talk TalkA A sidling thought came Into her mind Perhaps if she was clever about it she could maneuver Dave Into falling in love with Jill He was too old for her her her-as as old as her father tather as a matter of fact but tact but Daves Dave's heart was youthful while Jill had grown grO a little too mature had let her age trouble and tense her It would solve two of her problems problems probe lems it would ease her conscience she thought But also it would leave her terribly alone With no one but John I. I who fought off age fiercely but who must succumb inevitably to what he called that damn almanac She would not think about herself hersell she would not think at all She would concentrate on meat curing formulas she would give up botherIng bother Ing about lipstick stick and the right foundation garment She would grow old like a country woman with no graces graces utilitarian utilitarian She made herself her self seU believe this as the little truck rattled up the rocky lane anc and through the gate into the vast corn corn- field She walked between the ripening ripening ripen ripen- ing rows and jerked at thorny vines that snatched at her ankles she tore away husks and examined the drying ears critically Old John I. I marched beside her saying nothing But she could a al most feel his keen eyes burning I into to her she knew what he was thinking because he had told her bluntly no noso not so long ago That she was a sent senti mental weak minded fool The hotel near Ridley Field wa was always excitingly full tull of ot officers am and other uniformed men and Jill had hac hada haca a n new w dress of ot aquamarine faille that brought out all the fruity tints tint of her hair and a saucy little ha hat that did exactly the right things for her eyes I She called the field and left a ames message message mes mes- sage for Ric as soon as she arrived and presently he telephoned her bis his voice sounding just a trifle Impatient tient bent Hello Jill I wasn't expecting you down Mother with you No Dooley didn't come How v Howare Howare are you Can you get off to have hava dinner with me tonight Ric Ric hesitated for a breath Not been sure he said then mighty tight with passes lately Ill I'll see what I can do and call you OU In later ter I thought you always had n a B pass Into town to canceled a lot of passes In our squadron I might be able to wangle one Stick around the telephone and Ill I'll let you know Tell them your only sister came miles to have a look at you You I arent aren't being shipped out are you Ric No orders yet Nothing but ru rUe mors Mother all right Oh yes everything is fine Try to get in will you I came a long longway longway longway way to see you Ill do my best Jill but this Is s the army you know Jill hung up with some Irritation Now she must wait till she heard from rom Ric Hie before she called Spang She tried to summon a gay assurance assur- assur ance nee as she made herself pretty prett before be be- fore ore the mirror but her heart was shivering and she decided that if it Spang brushed her off of casually this time ime she would go back to the farm arm and devote herself to pigs for- for ever ver An hour passed before Ric telephoned telephoned tele tele- phoned again r I Sorry Jill no soap Tough luck for or both of us Could you see me at the gate after five if I came out in a taxi Ric Cant even do that Im I'm stuck on a detail tonight Sorry I didn't know enow you were coming down or I would have tried to make a swap of some ome kind Let me know a week in advance next time will you And give Mother my love Ill I'll try to write next week Been busy as th the devil All right Ric Sorry Good Goodby Probably he had had his pass canceled canceled canceled can can- for some reason that he didn't want to tell her But now lie Ric was definitely out of it and she was vas free to spend the weekend week as she pleased So she put in another call for the field and asked to speak to o Lieutenant Spencer Gordon only to o be told that the lieutenant had signed off the post and gone to town Well If It he was in town there was wasa a chance that she might meet him so she touched up her up make and gave her hat the right tilt and went downstairs dO For all her reckless remarks remarks re reo re- re marks to her mother she had always al ale always ways despised girls who ran after men and were easy to get and therefore vulnerable but this was different She wasn't going to hurl herself at Spang's head She was going to be lightly indifferent though heaven knew it wouldn't be easy keeping a cool head while her heart was burning like a mad bonfire bon bon- bonfire fire Spang was nowhere about when she went down but she knew that this small and continually crowded hotel was the town rendezvous for I all the officers and men at the field So she went into the room dining and took a long time ordering her dinner not looking around Ignoring the groups of jaunty lads in khaki who turned on her bright direct glances If Spang came into the room she would know it Something acute within her tuned to response would know when he was near She was wasso wasso wasso so sure of this that she ate very slowly buying an evening paper from a soiled little boy studying the pages with exaggerated interest between sips of the slightly warm tomato juice they brought her So she was startled an hour later later lat lat- er when the dinner having dragged itself out through three cigarettes she rose at last to go and there was Spang sitting near the door with two other officers They were finishing plates of apple pic pie Second IH Meeting With S Spang pang Spang jumped to his feet as she approached and the other men got up t too oWhy o. o Why hello Jill he cried I didn't see you In here May I present pre sent Lieutenant Crawford and Lieutenant Lieu tenant Stark Miss McFarlane The two young men bowed and Spang pulled out a chair Sit down and have something more with us Jill When did you come down dO Mrs McFarlane with you No I came alone Jill dropped into a chair leaned her chin on her palms smiled at the three of them impartially I came down to see Ric Ric-my Ric my brother she explained to the two stran strangers ers but it seems heS hed forfeited his ls p pass ss or something and 1 was Just making up my mInd mine whether the bus or train would be bethe bethe bethe the most hectic way to get home So nice to see you a again gain Spang You mean you were going home without even letting me know Spa Spang g demanded scowling at herI herI her I 1 did telephone Jill kept he her touch light But you'd left th the post and it t didn't occur to me Id I'd meet you here ITO BE CONTINUED |