Show T ys 1 1 A r T ER J iKc ahrn jS ferrAS SYNOPSIS i victoria herrendeen a vivacious little airl had been too young to feel the sh shock k I 1 that came when her lather father keith herren ideen lean lost hla his fortune A gentle unobtrusive junob trus iv he Is now employed as an obscure I 1 chemist to in san francisco his wife magda cannot adjust herself to the change she II 11 its a beautiful woman fond of 0 pleasure and a magnet for or teens attention lon magda and victoria have been down at a summer retort resort and keith joins them tor for the weekend week end magda leaves lor for a bridge party excusing I 1 herself tor for being such a runaway the Herren deens return to their small san fran cisco apartment keith does not approve ot of I 1 magda mad social life and they quarrel magda receives flowers and a Idi diamond arnond from ferdy manners a wealthy I 1 roan inan from argentina whom she had met less I 1 than ithan a week before manners arrives a few hours later magda takes victoria to nevada i to visit a woman friend who has a daughter named catherine there she tells her she Is ij going to get a divorce victoria soon Is in boarding school with ith her friend catherine magda marries manners and they spend two years la in argentina victoria has stud led in europe and at eighteen she visits her mother when ferdy rents a beautiful home magda is unhappy over berdys drinking and nd attentions to other women when her mother and stepfather return to south america victoria refuses to go with them because of berdys unwelcome attentions to her magda returns and tells vie vic she and berdy have separated meanwhile keith has remarried victoria Is now a student durse curse magda has fallen in love with lucius farmer a married artist while she and vie vic prepare tor for a trip to europe ferdy takes lakes a suite in their hotel the night before magda and vie vic a are re to sail magda elopes with luclus lucius farmer while nursing the children of dr and mrs keats vie vic meets dr quentin hardisty a brilliant physician much sought bought alter after by women mho Is a widower with a crippled daughter in a tete a tete at the keats home he kisses vie VIC several days later he be invites her with other guests to spend a weekend week end at his I 1 cabin vie vic Is enchanted with the cabin and ana with the dinner CHAPTER V continued 8 how about a walk quentin said then the uphams uphama declined chase was sleepy and dora tired but victoria in an old short skirt a white cap an enveloping borrowed sweater of quentina Quen tins was all ready for it she and her host went off for one of lifes happy hours ours they climbed straight up the great shoulder of the mountain stopped panting and flushed to get their breath and to look down on ithe sparkling world went on again the sun was hot on the singing iolue I 1 blue february morning but the ground under their feet especially ahen ewhen the trail went into the woods was iwas soaked and slippery from recent rains quentin gave her his hand she slid against him they both laughed reaching the summit of the spur with the dark blue rise of tamalpais malpais Ta high above them they sat upon a eg sun warmed rock for a while looking down breathing in the aromatic sweetness of the still clear air list ehing to the cries of larks all about band and the occasional scream of a jay lot jot chatter of a chipmunk in the chaparral when ahen they started to slip and slide down the going was infinitely baier especially with the tree smothered brown goal of the cabin roof right ahead vicky and quentin came back to the cabin at one lo clock breathless ravenous and weary 0 once n ce again the quartette that gathered about the table was in gala mood more than once again victoria told herself that this was one of the good days this was one of the satisfying times t but just after the leisurely meal there was an interruption A car came up the circuitous bit of roadway to tb the with the speed of familiarity quentina Quen tins expression of horrified exper expectation tation at which victoria had been laughing changed to one of add embarrassment of something like rint R int annoyance like gratification its marian its mrs pool he had time to sy under his breath before he went out to welcome her oh helel dora commented disgustedly victoria said nothing but the glory the content of the day instantly were destroyed it was with a sense of dullness a vague feeling of hurt that she entered upon the requisite moving of chairs and shifting of places to make room for the newcomer marian pool lovely in the smartest of sportswear sport wear came i the room with a rush and stood ath her head tipped a little on one side apologetically smiling at them allf all oh youre having a party oh how shameless of mel she said but why on earth are arc you batin eating 9 at half past four sit down everyone do sit down dr upham here everyone sit down they all sat down and victoria saw the expression on quentin har face ile he saw nothing but marian were all driving up for supper at mauds the newcomer said ive dropped sally and george in the village to see the Cush ings it occurred to me that quentin here had entirely forgotten that he promised to be at mauds and I 1 told them id come up and get him its the golf thing quentin and afterward a big supper at petes sure I 1 I 1 forgotten quentin said in a lazy smiling voice his eyes caressed her you did tell me you had a house party I 1 we know it ranked as a house party did we dora doraa 1 I beg pardon dora stammered starting you dont remember me mrs pool victoria said in the dreadful moment of silence when everyone stirred and smiled but no one had anything to say victoria herrendeen down doum at the lodge years ago oh frightful dont remind me of those ghastly days mrs pool said lightly her eyes on quentin that was before all blushes and confusion I 1 got my divorce I 1 I 1 cried all day when I 1 was first married and danced all night when I 1 got my divorce I 1 mean I 1 really did quen the dullness the wearisome of it all deepened vie vic from the moment her eyes had first fallen upon the visitor had known that it would she is beautiful perfectly beautiful victoria said to dora dor 1 when they were gathering brushes brush s and jars in the bathroom 1 I dont see it dora answered stubbornly and victoria laughed without much mirth to deny marians ans flawless and amazing beauty you mean alean without loving me victoria asked would be to deny the mystery of the stars the glory of an apple orchard in the spring it worked upon men like an irresistible anesthetic vicky and the uphams uphama were swift and brief in their farewells the girl admitted she was tired the days happiness cooking tramping making fires had not tired her but there was no shred of the felicity left and she felt jaded and weary the mill valley visit had ended in hurt and failure the drive home was dull and flat and the atmosphere of the keats nursery when victoria entered it somehow jarred on her nerv nerves es violet she said some days later when she and mrs keats were lunching together did dr keats talk to you about my going to honolulu you mean miss reynolds recommending om orn you for it its definite now ive a letter here from dr bert about it A cloud came over the older wom ans face vicky id be so sorry to see you gol go why would you vi well tor for the obvious reasons of course the cultured english voice said because mother depends so on you and we all do but it only that im thinking of you girls do get so entirely out of touch in those places I 1 know it my father was at barbados when I 1 wa was s a girl its much the same thing the life gets one its easy insular bit ious after a bit youre telling visitors that youve been there ten years fifteen years in a few years theres no out vi im going away on account of quentin hardisty victoria said mrs keats was standing beside her at the window they did not look at each other there was a silence ive got to get away before I 1 make a complete fool of myself before he knows victoria presently added you mean you you like him violet keats said in a stunned voice 1 I guess that about expresses it victoria latori said with a brief laugh the thing happened quite quile simply about ten days later victoria had taken kate down to dr Hardi offices to have one of the younger men there look at a small sprained elbow he stood looking thoughtfully at vie vic and the child for a long minute finally asked her in almost an absent voice if she would see him in his own office before she went away vie vic found her way to this guarded and inaccessible sanctum made strangely easy kate had a wrapped molasses peppermint to console her for recent indignities and vie vic sat earnest and pretty in her new spring clothes looking in puzzled expectancy at the doctor 1 I want to talk for a few minutes and then you talk quentin began he drew four firm parallel lines in pencil on a scrap of paper looking at them crumpled the paper and threw it aside 1 I thought you said the other night that you were lonesome that you were thinking of going to honolulu because you were lonesome 1 I said it to vi vie vic admitted after a moment her heart thumped why do you say that you said it to vi in that funny way 1 I 1 know I 1 said it in a funny way I 1 suppose I 1 meant that I 1 say it to you there was a pause after which the man recommenced the thing is he hesitated the thing is that I 1 want a home he said 1 I want my little girl with me I 1 told violet about it and asked her if she thought take the job she said did she tell you this she tell me anything well she said ayou mean as a nurse and housekeeper or as a wife I 1 said well if you put it that way as a wife I 1 ayou get what I 1 m mean ean he finished 1 I had been saying housekeeper but maybe what I 1 meant all along was wife he sat back 1 I 1 see victoria mused not moving her eyes from his color came into her face and receded again and they both laughed nervously and and thank youl you she said then a little confusedly 1 I need a wife badly the man presently added everyone knows that violet and john everyone youre the kind of woman I 1 want to marry I 1 admire you tremendously I 1 I 1 like you very much you mean without loving me victoria asked 1 I thought I 1 thought that was how you wanted it to be the man said simply victoria looked at him thoughtfully her breath uneven her face scarlet heres the thing quentin said as she did not speak id be awfully proud it if do it really I 1 would if you wont im going to get out for a while ill go to germany but id much rather not get out on account of gwen gwei 1 and my hospital work everything what do you say 1 I think better try germany for a few seconds victoria really thought she had said it then she knew that she had said nothing audible but that she was looking at him with her throat dry and her heart beating hard and all her senses in wild confusion it if a man wanted you he could get you she heard him saying if a man wanted you he could get you 1 I say yes of course she said steadily good he said ill come out to dinner tonight and well tell vi and johnny goodby good by kate give me a kiss the girl I 1 no this is the way out victoria left him standing there in his white coat with the little instrument ment still in his big hand she was quiet that evening quiet during the days that followed there were but few between the odd sudden talk in quentina Quen tins office and the hour when they two were married only catherine and the witnessed the very simple ceremony victoria with a smart loose coat and a small hat was like a serious child obeying docile seemingly bewildered she had ai arrested quentin with a small hand on his arm when they went into the clergy mans study had spoken in quick fear and nervousness quentin youre sure aren arent t you the man looked down at her with his wide smile why arent you 14 yes yes I 1 am she said st staunchly aunch ly afterward when the doctor and violet had kissed her and she and quentin bere down beside the parked car she had another moment of irresolution are we going to mill valley well you knew that quentin said yes I 1 know victoria got into the car well be back monday vi she said through the opened window the waved quentin started the engine Y were moving TO UK BE CONTINUED |