| Show F t I RATION TIO j N f ADVENTURE LIMIT LIMITED ED CU Cornet By IDA BREED CAROLYN AROLYN TAYLOR looked at herself hersel if critically In the full tull length mirror then gave her reflection reflection reflection tion a smiling little nod of approval The smile was Justified Her mirrored mirrored mir mir- image showed a lovely young woman of two thirty-two who looked hardly more than twenty five vivid five vivid well dressed confident She was wasI I more charming more desirable than the pretty young Carolyn of eleven years before when she finished col col- col- col lege That was the Carolyn who all aU her senior year at college had to keep reminding herself that this was earth she lived on and not really heaven as it seemed because of Lee Lee who was tall and lean with intent blue eyes and delightfully delightfully delight delight- fully tully unruly hair Lee who loved her and treasured the secret of their engagement Lee who was so sweet about wanting to present her to the family as a beautiful surprise after Commencement Not even his adored older brother had been let inon Inon in inon on the secret Commencement time was to be the climax of everything that seemed important to her Then with Commencement still three weeks away it happened Just after Lee passed the final examinations examinations examinations examina examina- for his doctors doctor's degree he was offered an extraordinary chance to todo todo todo toI I do the very research work that he most wanted wanted wanted-a a unique chance for foran foran an unmarried man prepared to devote deVote de- de Vote ote at least five years to the project eeL Carolyn remembered how honorable honorable honorable honor honor- able Lee had been in breaking the news bews to her He might have let their engagement continue he told her be he might have kept on seeing her deceiving her about their prospects tor or marriage putting it off or promising to marry her at the end of the five years But he did not consider consider consider con con- sider that the right thing to do No it tt was only the part of a gentleman to tell her that it was best to break of off She was not to feel hurt there was no other girl just his career He put anguish into Carolyn's heart but managed somehow to impress her with the difficulty of his own awn part in the scene Even in the pain and shock of losing him Carolyn told herself that Lee was the finest person she had ever known That belief had never left her Three years later she married Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jef Jef- ferson Taylor a big broad Westerner Westerner Westerner West West- erner done in shades of brown She sometimes felt a slight disdain for Jeffs Jeff's substantial size remembering Lees Lee's aristocratic slenderness but she repressed the thought Lots of fun tun Jeff Jef was and with a practical mind for business that made them enough money to enjoy a pleasantly luxurious life She loved J Jeff of course But there was a part of herself herself herself her her- self that she withheld one section of her heart and mind walled off that would always belong to Lee She never spoke to J Jeff elf of this reservation Only in secret did Carolyn Carolyn Caro Caro- lyn now and then open the door on that precious might have part of her and take it out to dream over But tod tod v v as she looked at her ber self in the mirror it was not to dream It was with a plan for action She was back in New York after an absence of two years Nearly every Spring since her marriage marriage mar mar- she had made the trip and had always stopped off for a brief visit in her old college town This time she was planning to follow the same course but with what a difference difference difference differ differ- ence One of her old school friends had written her last year that Lee Towne had returned to their alma mater to direct the research work there So Lee was back and Carolyn I that she could have stopped him with a word but she did not speak it ft This was the Lee whom she had treasured in her heart for eleven years Lee still tall but with shoulders shoulders ders stooped still lean but with a hollow look Lee his blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes intent now only with a nearsighted nearsighted near near- near near-I sighted peering expression his hair no longer unruly because there was I I not enough of it to be just some i wisps borrowed from one side t to cover a pale bald spot And it was I obvious that for all he saw of the life lie humming around him he might have had his eye bent to a microscope microscope microscope micro micro- scope as he walked I I I r p a an n 9 11 r j J. J d rr v p pJ x y J l' l J 1 off 4 sti t 4 l a Carolyn had to keep reminding herself that It was earth she lived on not really heaven was going to see him Accidentally of course She had it all planned I There would be a casual drifting about the campus campus in her flattering new Spring suit lingering over a table in Crofton House where everybody everybody everybody every every- body dropped In at tea time Then when Lee Iee appeared Carolyn appeared Carolyn had this part rehearsed in her mind mind- she would give just the right look of pleased surprise just the right degree degree degree de de- gree of invitation to remember Lee would see what he had missed all these years What would happen after they met what met what did she want to happen That Carolyn did not quite know and she stopped short of trying to decide This was to be bean bean bean an adventure The adventure proceeded as if acted from a well prepared script Carolyn chanced into Crofton House at tea time Two men at a nearby table stared at her with obvious admiration admiration admiration ad ad- they were younger faculty members that she did not know Then somehow without the t i- i fare of trumpets that would move seemed fitting to her there was Lee in the doorway Without glancing around he went to a table straight ahead He passed so near to Carolyn I Carolyn sat and stared helpless to force her gaze away from this changed Lee What of the distin gray at the temples the impressive impressive im im- look of the scientist that she had pictured The men at the next table were noticing her concentrated gaze sh finally forced herself to look away The next minute with no more poise than a school girl she jumped up and hurried away into the ne next wing of the building to the telegraph blanks Leaving for home tonight instead of next week she beg began n to write There was something reassuring about the thought of Jeffs Jeff's bulk she was glad that her husband was such sucha a substantial person in every way Such nice thick hair too and straight shoulders She had never been as sweet to him as he deserved de served but she would make it up from now on Why he was the finest person that she had ever known Back at their table the two curious curious curi curl ous young men continued to speculate speculate spec late after they had watched Carolyn rush from the room Did you see her staring at Johnny Towne as if she were fascinated fascinated fascinated fas fas- If it had been Lee now you could understand it it-he's it he's hes a handsome devil |
