Show t r Rich Jill McFarlane whose father ard disappeared In hi World War Var I tills falls Gordon She In love with Spang brother Ric her ber is upset to find that older with a divorcee has fallen failen In love her than himself Jill Is thrown from Richard visits horse and hospitalized tells her he has bas her mother Julia and Mackey Captain assumed the name 0 of from the truth Julia determines to keep been raised to her children who have fallen regard their father as a hero bero too late that in battle batUe She realizes old oM tamly tam tam- family an nn she loves Dave Patterson his Ric he knew ly Iy friend Richard tells Sandra with exposure exposure ex ex- father and threatens divorce If ii she doesn't I of an Illegal leave the boy alone CHAPTER XIV Let her work this out herself argued John 1 L you cant can't protect own her forever Youve You've got your problems And they Julia sighed have I no answers in the back of the book John I. I blew his breath out harshly harsh harsh- I ly like a walrus How do you look in in know You wont won't even the back of the book Because I know that what I Im I'm m looking for isn't there John I. I Its It's ts t's locked up in my heart and I think my heart died long ago that common sense It was your died I Youre right Ive I've never argued that you weren't right where Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard was concerned But I do owe Ric and Jill something if only to repay them for giving them Richard Richand Richard Rich Rich- ard and for their father The old mans man's eyes flashed under his stormy eyebrows You HYou talk to Jill about it You see what she says Shell She'll tell you to get a divorce divorce divorce di di- 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 I. I said solemnly Ive warned you but youre you're a stubborn woman I know that fellow better than you do She knew too well 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 the gate her heart stopped beating every every ev ev- ery cry time the telephone rang when she was in the house she hurried Jo to answer it fearing Mamie's sly curiosity fearing revelation for Jill What she would do if Richard came a again ain was a nightmare ques ques- tion th that t kept dread at her throat like icy fingers She lay awake at night tormented by imaginary scenes 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 r 1 u n nan mat UI 11 engaging deadly charm Would Jill hate her father or answering answering answering an an- that curious attraction the impelling force that psychologists had a name for would she turn to him and despise her mother for thrusting him out of her life It must not happen happen but but suppose it did happen Was Vas she being fair to Jill keeping her in ignorance unprepared defenseless Her hope was that Richard would be 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 Rie has found himself and 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 tha day she had sobbed out her torment on his der den Jill remarked about it t. t 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've had a great deal to do lately Waiting for or QI aLetter a Q aLetter I Letter From S Spang pang They don'ts dont work nights do they I III suspect that they do being volunteers volunteers volunteers vol vol- vol- vol and having their own owr businesses businesses busi busi- nesses to attend t to in the daytime Shall I call Dave and ask him to come over No IINo 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 caned up and coaxed Dont Don't abandon your principles 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 Do you usually weep on the bosoms of 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 broken your back John I. I has been doggedly carting away the rocks in the lane ever since Be sweet to your grandia- grandia been badly worried ther Jill hes he's ab about you hunted curious Did I put that been wondering wondering won- won look in his eyes Ive I've in what went on here anyway anyway any any- dering just hospital way while I i wu was at at the fc 7 v. v both look as Grandfather You and If H Ric Kic ghosts though you'd seen overseas Id I'd suspect that you were something grim fromme fromme from fromme were hiding tender weakened weakened weakened weak weak- me sparing your from a sho shock k Don Dont Don't t ened daughter Dooley- Dooley ever do that Dooley erect suddenly her eyes jerked She Dooley it black wells of terror heard heard- isn't Spang You haven haven't t something from fromme fromme you arent aren't hiding p me She laughed and patted her foolish woman we cheek No IINo arent aren't hiding anything about Spang Ive I've heard nothing from Spang- Spang I told me what youve you've only I I thought he might have crashed me trying to keep and and you were from finding out But if a letter Ric me-Ric Ric might hear came for me something something- If a letter came for you I should I 4 S 7 I- I I J Read it and tell me what to do give it to you Even if I thought it 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. I could But imagining things is worse than really experiencing them isn't it Seeing ships torpedoed torpedoed tor ton at sea and transport planes coming down in flames or crashing crashing crashing crash crash- ing horribly If only I knew something 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 them the marines anines m Ric W Writes rites of His Marriage arriage I 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 It could happen They change War changes hanges them Julia turned t to the window knowing knowing knowing know know- ing well that an involuntary spasm had drained and tightened her face But her voice carne came level and quietly quiet quie ly controlled Other women have lived through that too Jill I 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 that- as though you mea meant t it t. t Dorothy y Dix would be or 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 she shed she'd d never stop hurting deep inside because shed she'd given her heart away and got I only a ragged wound instead If Spang Spang- discards me Im I'm not going soine to be nobly brave Im I'm Im I'm going to be I tough and break mens men's hearts and laugh Im I'm going to throw throwaway away every moral scruple You wat watch h hand and see seel eel If l I believed any of that Id I'd be alarmed But I dont don't believe it it Youre You're my child hild I III 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 o of thing in me that you dont don't know about Something you wouldn't t even understand understand Jill Jill's s eyes were big and filled with wildness III I l could hurt people I Ii could hurt myself That's the kind of McFarlane I am Not your kind at all I respect your individuality she said Youre not a child now youre you're a person What you do is your own responsibility But Jill's eyes had flashed away to the window Beyond it she emu see old John I. I trudging up t th cOuld dri with the mail e Quick Dooley 1 Her rn changed sw swiftly to one of brea bre less eagerness Maybe thEres thEre's letter There was no letter from Span But there was a letter from Rio Ric g. g Julia read it slowly keeping h face from showing the ti that she was feeling Jill sai said j 2 that's that from from Ric you needn't t tell m what's what s in m it I know Please seal s me a little cash J Yes Yes its its it's the same old thin thing Julia evaded trying to smile to be natural Jill mustn't t i yet She wanted to talk to Johnt She wanted advice She went ot cure the house and walked up to t Ih lane gate and when John Johi I. I Ca c tramping back from the ba barn saw her there sitting on the mounting block her face a tad ta ta- gray mask of misery tJ jj wrong he ask Heard f from that p fellow T i l M f i l t n o u g n ma mat ietter got t tor lor on yo you wi from Ric 1 I It was from Ric She hand handel him the crumpled page Y j J better read it John I. I Read it a atell tell me what to do t I j I IThe The old man pulled a worn sp ip 5 I case from his back poc set a second pair of spectacle astride his nose He dropped do d beside her and his lips mo ma slowly as he read the letter 4 Dear Dooley Ric had written Sorry for this abrupt letter this is it Im I'm taking off dont don't knot few kr I where Transferred to some lou lo school or other Very sudden y ft explanation of course Not in th army I meant to try for a P S Sand and see you myself Id I'd rather hi hai hi I told you this than had to write i. i Dooley Im I'm married She's thi sweetest loveliest girl Ive I've ere ev met Her name is Sandra and l li lihas has been hard on her but she la j been brave and sweet through it al ii That's what makes it so hard n nI noT DOT I I cant can't t take ke care of her or protect her I cant can't even have her wilme wila wil it me not till I rate something be bethan better bettj than a private I cant can't even feed her And she's my wife I W wa r. r going to bring her home but th out now so all I can do is send h hit to you with a prayer Be good goodher ti her Mother She's swell and youre you're so swell you'll get along fine I km knot Shell She'll wire you when to meet le be Tell the others hello And dont donti worry about me Ill I'll be all rig right 1 Love RIC Jill's eyes were blazing Jiff Jils ill s 1 face was white as a sheet JohnL John L. L was doggedly pretending to eat bi bis 0 supper but Julia Julia after after putting but ter on a biscuit three times ant slopping coffee on her napkin b bt- bt cause her hands shook so had so-had had f g fen gT T. T en up Mamie was in and out out the swing door hearing Jill said Oh HOh the fool The deluded fool IJulia f I Julia said If you knew at a. a abed this girl Jill you should have Id t us Something might have have t done to stop this mad marriage Girl Girl she's she's no girl I the same one And I suppose suppose jJ iM my fault I should have told y but I didn't want to worry you thought Ric would be shipped o and it would all blow over f must have worked fast D she's a grass widow she's Y yeas t older than Ric I But you dont don't actually know W this is the woman Jill Her n na nafi is Sandra Ric says I j jI I know Sandra Calvert Co Conel was married to a Lieutenant nd nel Spang said and when he ej 3 sent away from Ridley she StaY and got a divorce Now she's she Sa s jw a camp She's a ache blonde with a greedy mouth hard eyes You arent aren't going to tor tf W her come here This is my he how howit's too its it's Grandfathers Grandfather's home Mamie has has' been here for years years years-jj wont won't have it Tell her she can cani canido do it Grandfather I IJulia J r Julia said unhappily please I What can we do This This Ric's home too This woman Ric's wife Dooley if that woman comes i this house Ill I'll leave leavel r jm j m I Jill J ill Issues I j jAn An Ultimatum j Iii I Julia gripped her unsteady h in m her lap Dying she was thin would be a little like this RM lad the b her son her handsome she had loved so much Seas She Se f 1 as though she were sinking deep icy pit 1 Jill went vent on ruthlessly We C Chave have her here you know tr that would be horrible She jumP jumped floor her fork clattered to the going to send that creature a agram t and tell her gram right now wont won't be welcome here I sv sUP sUP she's still at that hotel M Mard Mrs D ard McFarlane Jr Oh I like e when I 1 think of a woman eIf If having your name I could thIS send wire Im I'm going to a to w ute and no one is going me bi Not over J Julia flew Jill I party-line party please i r s telephone Jill put down the it dont don't see what difference Everybody Evet will know it by byrow I Irow row lOW anyway y TO HF tip CONTINUED |