| Show it w LUST LAS L LaVER aVER LOVER aVERit i t i i BY rr If 7 J. J L Jill JUl McFarlane whose father Rich nich- ard rd disappeared In World War Var I falls in love with Spam Gordon She Sheh ii h upset to find that her ber brother Ric has s fallen In love with a divorcee older than himself Jill 1111 Is thrown from her horse and hospitalized Richard visits her ber mother Julia and tells tens her he has assumed the name of Captain Mackey Julia Jolla determines to keep the tru truth from her ber children who have bave been raised to retard regard their father as a hero bero fallen In battle She realizes too late that the she loves Joves Dave Dave- Patterson an old family ly friend Richard tells teUs Rio he be knew his father and threatens Sandra with exposure exposure ex of an illegAl divorce U D she he doesn't leave the boy alone CHAPTER XIV NW Let her work this out herself argued John I. I you cant can't protect her forever Youve You've got your own problems And they Julia sighed have no answers in the back of the book John I I. I blew his breath out harshly harsh harsh- ly like a walrus How do you know You wont won't even look in tho back of the book Because I know that what Im I'm looking for isn't there John I I. I Its It's locked up in my heart and I think my heart died long ago It was your common sense that died Youre right Ive I've never argued that you weren't right where Rich Rich- Richard Richard ard was concerned But I do owe RIc and and Jill Jm something 1 if only to repay them for giving them Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard for their father The old mans man's eyes flashed under his stormy eyebrows You talk to Jill about it it You see what she says Shell She'll tell you to get a divorce divorce di di- vorce vorce in a minute I cant can't talk to Jill You know I cant can't I cant can't tear down what little she has of Richard It would be a wicked thing to do Youre taking a big risk Dooley Dooley Dooley Doo- Doo ley John L said solemnly Ive warned you but youre you're a stubborn woman I know that fellow better than you do She knew too we well wey the risk she took knew that undoubtedly she was being a fatuous optimist in assuming assuming assuming as as- suming that Richard would stay away now that he had made the break now that she knew that he had not been a casualty of the war every time a car drove in at t the gate her heart stopped beating every every every ev ev- ery time the telephone rang when she was in the house she hurried to answer it fearing Mamie's sly curiosity fearing revelation for Jill What she would do 1 if Rich Richard rd came again was a nightmare question ques ques- lion tion that kept dread at her throat like icy fingers She lay awake at night tormented by imaginary scenes scenes cenes Jill this is your father He loved you and all of us so little that he stayed away from us and hid behind an assumed name for ty-five ty years What would Jill's reaction be Richard had that devilish engaging deadly charm Would Jill hate her father or answering answering answering an an- that curious attraction the impelling force f force that psychologists psychologists psychologists had a name for would she turn to him and despise her mother for far thrusting him out of her life We It must not happen happen but but suppose it did happen Was she being fair to Jill keeping her in ignorance unprepared defenseless Her hope was that Richard would be transferred transferred transferred trans trans- sent overseas before the great harm she feared could be done But eventually the war would end When Jill is married it wont won't matter so much she told herself When Ric has found himself and they are both settled Dave had not come again to Buzzards Buzzard's Buzzards Buzzard's Buzzards Buzzard's Buz Buz- zard's Hill since that day she had sobbed out her torment on his der Jill remarked about it It That's wrong between you and Dave I hope you didn't blame Dave because I was so awkward I couldn't stick in a saddle Dont be silly Of course I didn't blame Dave Hes He's probably very busy Hes He's on the ration board and they they've ve had a great deal to do lately Waiting for a aLetter aLetter aLetter Letter From Spang They dont don't work nights do they I I suspect that they do being volunteers volunteers volunteers vol vol- and having their own businesses businesses businesses busi busi- nesses to attend to in the daytime Shall L call Dave and ask him to come over No uNo dont don't call him Dont Don't you recall all those lectures you used to deliver to me about how much men resented being called up and I coaxed Dont Don't abandon your principles principles prin prin- now Daves different Hes He's merely an old friend Jill crooked her mouth dryly Youre very naive Julia my love lovel Do you usually weep on the bosoms of f merely old friends When your child takes a nose-dive nose into a briar patch Id have wept on any bosom that was handy then Julia said with determined airiness hoping that her face wasn't burning I was afraid you'd oud broken your back John I I. I has been doggedly carting away the Ule rocks in n the lane ever since Be Ile sweet to your ther Jill hes he's been badly worried about you Did I put that curious hunted look in his eyes Ive I've been wondering wondering wondering won- won dering Just what went on here anyway anyway any any- anyway way while I was at the hospital You and Grandfather both look as though you'd seen ghosts If Rie Ric were overseas Id I'd suspect that you were hiding something grim from fromme fromme fromme me sparing your tender weakened weakened weakened weak weak- I ened daughter from a shock Dont Don't ever do that Dooley Dooley Dooley- She jerked erect suddenly her eyes black wells of terror Dooley it Isn't Spang Yo You haven't heard heard- you arent aren't hiding biding something from fromme fromme fromme me Julia laughed and patted her cheek No foolish woman we arent aren't hiding anything about Spang Ive I've heard nothing from Spang- Spang only what youve you've told me I thought he might have crashed and and you were trying to keep me from finding out But if il a letter came for me me me-Itic Ric might hear something something- If a letter came for you I should give it to you Even if I thought it Ii I 1 1 1 0 w f Read it and Jell me what to do held bad news Id I'd give you credit for having the strength to take it Youre You're my child Jill reached up and pressed her hand You lived through it I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose I could But imagining things is worse than really experiencing them Isn't it Seeing ships torpedoed torpedoed torpedoed tor tor- tor- tor at sea and transport planes coming down in flames or crashing crashing crashing crash crash- ing horribly I If only I knew something something some some- thing A lot of women are saying that now Jill Youre You're part of an army that needs more courage than the marines Ric Rie Writes of His Marriage Theres another thing that makes my nights hideous Jill burrowed her head into the curve of her mothers mother's arm What if he does come through safe and then when he gets back he doesn't want me I It could happen They change War changes them Julia turned to the window knowing knowing know know- ing well that an involuntary spasm had drained and tightened her face But her voice came level and quietly quiet quiet- ly controlled Other women have lived through that too Jill I couldn't Id I'd die of humilia humilia- tion Id I'd drown myself in the cow- cow pond where its it's deep and muddy Oh no you You'd hold your head high and never show how badly you were hurt and after a awhile awhile awhile while you'd love some one else some one worthy to be loved You say that as though you meant it Dorothy Dix would be proud of you But you dont don't mean it of course No woman could get over a thing like that She might put on a good act but shed she'd never stop hurting deep inside because shed she'd given her heart away and got only a ragged wound instead If Spang discards me Im I'm not going gOing to be nobly brave Im I'm going to be tough and break mens men's hearts and laugh Im I'm going to throw throwaway away every moral oral scruple You watch and see sec If I believed any of that Id I'd be bo alarmed But I dont don't believe it Youre You're my child I had two parents didn't I You always assume that Im I'm a miniature of you Dooley Im I'm not Theres There's Theresa a desperate kind of thing in me that you dont don't know about Something you wouldn't even understand nd Jill's eyes were big and filled with wildness I could hurt people I could hurt myself That's the kind of ot McFarlane I am Not your kind a at tall alL alLI alLI I respect your individuality she said Youre not a child now youre you're a person What you do 1 is your own responsibility But Jill's eyes had flashed away to the window Beyond it she could see old John I I. I trudging up the drive with the maiL mall Quick Dooley I Her mood changed swiftly to one of breathless breathless breath breath- less eagerness Maybe theres there's a aletter letter There was no letter from Spang But there was a letter from Ric Julia read It slowly keeping her face from showing the consternation that she was feeling Jill said If If that's from Ric you needn't tell me what's in it I know Please send me a little cash ashl Yes Yes its its it's the same old thing Julia evaded trying to smile trying to be natural Jill mustn't know yet She wanted to talk to John I I. I She wanted advice She went out of the house and walked up to the lane gate and when John I I. I came tramping back from the barn he saw her there sitting on the old mounting block her face a taut gray mask of misery wrong he asked Heard from that fellow again I thought that letter I got for you was from Ric It was from Ric She handed him the crumpled page oud better read it John I I. I Read it and tell me what to do The old man pulled a worn spectacle spectacle spec spec- case from his back pocket set a second pair of spectacles astride his nose He dropped down beside her and his lips moved slowly as he read the letter Dear Dooley Rie Ric had written Sorry for this abrupt letter but butthi butthi thi this is it Im I'm taking off dont don't know where Transferred to some lousy school or other Very sudden No explanation of course Not in this army I I meant to try for a pass and see you myself Id I'd rather have told you this than had to write it it Dooley Im I'm married She's the sweetest loveliest girl Ive I've ever met Her name is Sandra and life has been hard on her but she has been brave and sweet through it alL That's what makes It so hard now I cant can't take care of her or protect her I cant can't even even have her with me not till I rate rat something better than tItan a private I cant can't even feed her And she's my wife I was was' going to bring her home but that's out now so all I can do is send her herto herto herto to you with a prayer Be good to her Mother She's swell and youre you're so swell you'll get along fine I know Shell She'll wire you when to meet her Tell the others hello And dont don't worry about me Ill I'll be all right Love RIC Jill's eyes were blazing Jill Jill's face was white as a sheet John L was doggedly pretending to eat his supper but Julia Julia after after putting butter butter butter but but- ter on a bis biscuit uit three times and slopping coffee on her napkin because because be be- cause her hands shook so had so-had had given given given en up Mamie was in and out of the swing door hearing everything Jill said Oh the fool The poor deluded fool Julia said If you knew about U this s girl Jill you should have told us Something might have been done to stop this mad marriage Girl Girl she's she's no girl I know its it's the same one And I suppose its it's my f fault I should have told you but I didn't want to worry you I thought Ric would be shipped out and it would all blow over She must have worked fast Dooley she's a grass widow she's years older than Ric But you dont don't actually know that this is that woman woman JilL Her name is Sandra Ric says I know Sandra Calvert She was married to a Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Colonel Colo Colo- nel Spang said and when he was sent away from Ridley she stayed and got a divorce Now she's just justa a camp camp follower She's a chemical blonde with with a greedy mouth and hard eyes You arent aren't going to let her come here This is my home its it's Grandfathers Grandfather's home too Even Mamie has been here for years I wont won't have it Tell her she cant can't do it Grandfather Julia said unhappily Jill please I What can we do This is isRie's Ric's Ries home too This woman is Ric's wife Dooley 1 if that woman comes into this house Ill I'll leave J Jill ill Issues An Ultimatum Julia gripped her unsteady hands in her lap Dying she was thinking would be a little like this Richard her son her handsome lad the boy she had loved so much I She felt as though she were sinking into a adeep adeep adeep deep icy pit Jill went on ruthlessly We cant can't have her here you know that It would be horrible She jumped up her fork tork clattered to the floor Im going to send that creature a telegram telegram telegram tele tele- gram right now and tell her she wont won't be he welcome here I suppose she's still at that hotel Mrs Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard McFarlane Jr On Oh Dooley when I think of a woman like that having your name I could kill Ric Im I'm going to send a wire this minute minute min min- ute and no one is going to stop me me Julia flew Jill Not over that party line please Jill put down the telephone I dont don't see what difference it makes Everybody will know it by tomorrow tomor tomor- ro row anyway TO BE CONTINUED |
