Show Bright BrightStar Start Star StarBy StarS S By Mary lary Schumann Copyright by Macrae Smith Co Service I SYNOPSIS Kezia J Marsh pretty selfish elfish and twenty arrives ar r. nyc rives home in Corinth from school and is ia met b by her older brother Hugh lie He drives drive her to the Marsh home borne where her widowed I Fluvanna a warm warm hearted self selI and understanding IOU soul I welcomes her sister sifter sis sif ter Margery plump and matronly with the thc care of If three is is at lunch with 1 them Hugh's Hughs wife Dorrie Dorric has pleaded a previous engagement On the way back to hi hia hi job at atthe atthe atthe the steel t l plant founded by one of his forebears fore bears bean Hugh pass passes s Doc Doe Hitler a boyhood I friend whom he no DO longer longcr sees frequently because beCause because be be- cause of Dorrie Dorrie's antipathy Fluvanna Marsh wakens the next morning from a dream about her late Ite hus husband nd Jim whose unstable character char acter she fears fear Kezia has inherited Ellen Pendleton comes over She is an artistically inclined girl girt who is a niece of Flu Flu- vannas She happily tells Fluvanna she has Ins become engaged to Jerry Purdue Ellen fears I that her father and mother Cavin avin and Lizzie will ill not approve the match Hugh and Dorne Dor Dot I ne Tie go out to the Freehand Freeland Farms to dance with their friends Cun and Joan Whitney Whitney who has been out of work has bas a anew anew new position Cun and Dorrie dance tO together and then di disappear for a while Dancing with Joan Hugh is It amazed to find her in tears Apparently she has some secret worry over oyer I her husband Cun When Ellen and Jerry Jerryj speak peak j eak about their engagement to Ellens Ellen's parents par pu- tots Lizzie is disagreeable until Jerry sympathizes sym ym with her imagined ailments The matter mat ter is it left pending Unexpectedly Hugh hasI has hasto hasto I to o visit visit a neighboring r g city on business Return ing home to ask Dorrie to accompany him he hc finds find her telephoning In confusion lon she quickly quick quick- ly hangs up without saying good She finally agrees agree to accompany him They spend a 5 delightful day and Hugh is happy At a s family party Kezia encounters Jerry Ellen Ellenis is disturbed when Jerry is absorbed d by Kezia Kezia Rezia ezia goes goe out of her way to charm Jerry Fluvanna is It concerned about Kezia who is tive c about dates datu she has been having at night She muses over the resemblance of Re Kem Kezia ia to her late husband how temperamental tem tern moody and improvident he had been cn She recalls recall the tragic picture of his death how death how after drinking and gambling to ro excess he is i. laced faced with financial al ruin how he tries to force her to mortgage her resources to pay his debts and threatens her with a agun gun how in a struggle for it its possession he heia heis heis is ia fatally wounded Overworked and worried over business Hugh stays at the office Saturday Sat afternoon Doc Doe Miller advises cs a let up Hugh and Dorrie are dinner guests of 01 the Whitney CHAPTER VI Continued VI-Continued Continued 33 13 13 A AS perfect dinner commented Hugh Jonny you make cooking an nn art It should be she said blithely ly We practice it enough No Notice ice that vinegar for the salad salad salad sal sal- ad asked Cun She makes it in inJune inJune inJune June from the ruse rose petals petals much much I milder than titan any other And the strawberries Dome exclaimed S Fall bearing ones I never see them Where did you get them From the Mennonite farmer who brings me eggs each Saturday Satur Satur- day Theres There's a settlement rf ef them thema a few miles south south- They're very unworldly so carefully honest about every penny I Religion means everything to many people said Joan Cun settled in m his chair more comfortably His eyes sparkled his florid skin was pinker than a al I grant you that Jonny But ButI I r cant can't se see seu it Too many hymn- hymn I singing hypocrites in church when I 1 Iwas Iwas w was s young blasted m my v youthful youth youth- ful illusions I Joan looked at him steadily You dont don't celieve in anything do you Ive never felt the he need of it Life has been pretty good to me and when its it's over I van it to be bs over Dorries Dorrie's eyes were applauding My sentiments Cun R Religion ligion is the refuge of a defeated soul Exactly nodded CunA CunA CunA Cun A person has been overthrown by life and prays for a heaven which which will wiIl be a wish-fulfilment wish of or the things missed on earth I Then there is no reality in religion religion religion re re- re- re ligion Merely wish wish-fulfilment questioned Joan So glad to have haveit it explained I I never understood I Dorrie took no notice o of her irony She went on Its good for Cor some individuals iI We have bave a case casein casein casem in m our family family Hughs Hugh's Hughs mother Oh dont don't look shocked Your mother isn't sa sacrosanct is she Im I'm only saying it before Joan and Cur Hughs Hugh's mother has had a tremendous tremendous tremendous dous help from religion Then I would say there is reality reality reali reali- ty in it Hugh defended Howan How can an one tell there is not Its It's supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed to be a a spiritual al adventure which convinces people people peo peo- peo- peo pie Joan jumped up from the table Gracious Weren't we stupid to get in an tn argument over religion when it always ends in a yammer Cun tell Hugh about your new work while I clear away We went over that the last time answered Cun Cnn What do you say we wo do the dishes for Joan Wash and dry em cm a valuable idea approved ap approved approved ap- ap proved Hugh Dorrie youre you're always getting Jut out of work work work-oh oh yes you are you are you I-you you youcan can begin washing the glasses Jonny will give you an apron to cover up that creation youre you're wearing wearing wear wear- ing ingI I Oh Cun Dorrie will spoil her manicure said Joan But Dorrie entered into it gayly took the dishpan filled it with hot water sprinkled some soap chips in it Bring on the glasses Wash Vash em clean my girl or you'll get fired Wash them clean Dorrie laughed as she rinsed a goblet and handed it to him to dry Dont you trust me Cun No uNo not now Joan and Hugh were clearing the table going back and forth between the kitchen and the dining When Then Hugh came through with some plates Cun arc Dorrie were talking in low voices She said at once in louder tones Get a adry adry adry dry towel nitwit That's just sopping sop sop- ping the ping the quick abandonment of ofa a secret conversation for a casual one But they were always chaffing one another Hugh remembered Dorrie emptied the dishpan glanced at the clock Twenty minutes min mm- utes utes-no utes no more Who said I didn't know how to work worl Dont misquote said Cun his eyes merry Always getting out of it I said That for you She snapped her fingers at Cun Hugh will tell teIl you Im I'm a thoroughly efficient person Come on Joan lets let's go upstairs and repair the damage Hurry before I get any more mean cracks from this husband of yours Does he bully you this way Most of my waking hours eh Joan said Cun too loyal to give me away Dont count on me too much said Joan over her hei shoulder as she followed Dorrie out of the room Hugh rather enjoyed the bridge game He and Joan had unusual luck won rubber after rubber Dorne Dorrie Dorrie Dor Dor- rie ne seemed absent minded and several several several sev sev- eral times made rather obvious misplays Late in the evening she 1 J Jonny You Make Cooking an Art denied Cuns Cun's heart bid with one of spades went back to spades when I Cun raised his heart bid and was I promptly doubled The spades I were bunched in Joans Joan's hand and with the double she drew she went vent down disastrously If you'd led clubs last you'd have saved two tricks iricks said Cun Cnn Forget they were high So they were Sorry Cun I played it like a a- a I Nitwit he suggested Its all aU right Your game is usually so cracking good youre you're entitled to an occasional lapse Hugh looked at his watch Elev thirty en-thirty he reminded them Come on Hugh said Joan well weIl go out and fix up a nightcap get some cheese and crackers the crackers the duty of the winners I Hugh followed her to the kitchen lounged against the wall waIl while Joan opened segments of cheese wrapped in silver paper He lie admired admired admired ad ad- mired her deft movements as she went vent from cupboard to tabi quick but not brisk light but sure sine He thought her eyes were like those wild asters on the dining table smoky blue And her lashes a thick fringe of black Nice eyes Joan had He ventured a Youre looking yourself tonight She paused smiling Meaning Yes Yes very very he said emphatically ly ly- Thanks The kitchen was a shining place of cream colored walls anu woodwork woodwork woodwork wood wood- work red tile linoleum and red voile curtains He opened the door to the porch Do you eat out here often otten Yes all aU our breakfasts If we pull down the shades on the left side were we're hidden from our neighbors We can see our garden watch the birds visit the cement pool I wonder if I could build something something something some some- thing like this on our place Ive I've always wanted to eat outside Come over and have breakfast with me some morning I will some g when Dorne Dorrie Dorrie Dor Dor- rie ne isn't up and the maid is having havinga a vacation Let it be soon then Net Nc many more weeks of summer Her white teeth gleamed in her dark ark f face ce as she smiled this challenge Her eyes so burningly aliv lingered lingered lin un- on him with wilh something thoughtful and caressing something evocative in their depths She turned away TO BE DE CONTINUED |