Show O 1 I I Jill McFarlane whose father Richarc RIchard Richard Rich RIch- ard arc disappeared in World War I falls tI I In love with Spang Gordon She 1 is upset to find that her brother Ric has fallen faDen in love with Sandra Cal Cal- 4 fert a divorcee During Durin her absence Richard returns from the dead and visIts visIts vis vis- S 'S Its her mother Julia lie Ho is using the Pt assumed name of Captain Mackey and andi andis i is stationed at the same camp as Ric Julia is he heartsick Richard tells teDs Ric of t 4 4 he be knew his father In France and later laterI I threatens Sandra with exposure of an anI I Illegal lega divorce If U she doesn't leave Ric h alone Julia her law father John I. I rand and Jill JUl are arc horrified when they get a 11 aY aletter Y letter from Ric announcing his mar mar- Sandra will live Dve with them li CHAPTER XV Julia said Jill Jill think Ric is t going out out to to fight for us If he tI I 1 loved thi this woman enough to marry J 4 her the least we can do for Ric is isit isto t it 1 to make her welcome t Jill's face was stony I 1 love Ric Hes He's my brother But when I he tie sends a female tramp here to live with his mother its it's too much t John I I. I had come bumbling up behind them Confounded young puppy he snorted Hes got about as much use for a wife wile as asI asI I have Its this war Its It's that feeling of desperate haste they all have that they must crowd a lifetime of living into a few weeks or a few cant can't be bethe bethe bethe days Julia said She the dreadful creature that Jill Jilla a thinks she is she wouldn't have appealed appealed ap ap- pealed to Ric I saw her I tell you I had lunch with her Why doesn't he send her to her own people John I. I wondered Probably she hasn't any Probably Probably ably they threw her out long ago If youre you're going to take me to town Dooley wed we'd better go The telegraph telegraph tele tele- graph office closes at nine Go up and put on something else then You certainly cant can't go to town in a negligee and nothing much under it Tell Mamie to help you with the zippers Im I'm still shaking shaking shak shak- ing all over Julia dropped on the long seat in inthe inthe the Ithe hall Every inch of her body was cramped and cold Her throat ached intolerably She said Should I have told Richard about Ric John I. I After all Richard is his father He might have found an opportunity to talk to Ric He might have saved him from this folly both soldiers Soldiers go where they're sent sept Richard may maybe maybe maybe be in Africa by this time 1 John I I. I I cant can't bring myself to turn Ric's wife away from his home Where would I have been in that tha t other war if you had cast me off It was you took me in Dooley I I 1 was a homeless old man living living liv liv- ing in a hotel r s You took care of us for years till we could make this place pay 1 Perhaps this is the way I must pay payback back back to to pass that help along I wish I could change Jill's attitude She's so determined when she's angry angry an an- gry and upset John I I. I lit ht his pipe puffed it slow slow- ly You and I arent aren't so young any anymore anymore anymore more Dooley Youre You're young compared compared com com- pared to me but youve you've lived long enough to know that things pass Maybe she wont won't like it here He f chuckled Could be she wouldn't like it here at all You just lust relax relax relax re re- lax some ways and get tough other I ways Keep a strangle-hold strangle on your money Ric's done a lot of bragging about his family like as not and she thinks youre you're a wealthy wom worn an an Well dont don't be wealthy when she's around How can I be wealthy when we we both know that if they put low ceiling ceiling ceil ceil- ing prices on hogs this year we wont won't make a penny If she does come come if if Jill doesn't head her off put on your seediest clothes and get her up at six o'clock in the morning Tell Ten Mamie to churn all the cream and well we'll live on on country victuals victuals turnips turnips will be f 1 ready soon I looked at them today I can be plenty tiresome too if I put m y mind on it Any old man gets to be windy Ill I'll talk her to death A Phone Call From Richard John I I. I youre you're priceless Julia smiled again reached for his hand I as Jill came pelting down the stairs t Ready Julia said I still dont don't approve of this remember Jill Its my responsibility Dooley Ill I'll sign my own name to the wire Ill Til get the keys Julia got up slowly And just then the telephone rang franc ran sharply and Ion long lone x Ill get gei it J Jill ii- ii sprang sprang to the ther r I receiver Then she turned back backwith backwith backwith with an odd look Its Its long disI dis dis- I I tance calling tance-calling calling you Dooley Maybe jj she isn't coming after all It HIt could be Ric Jill I cant can't say N H cruel things to Ric Ric- RicI tI I cant can't She sat down at the instrument She SheI I 1 fl said Hello yes this is Mrs RichI Richard Richard Rich Rich- I ard McFarlane and instantly all the color drained out of her face and the receiver trembled in her I hand band The voice that came over the wire said Dooley is that you Richard I Richard was calling E t land and she could not let Jill know j She said Yes this is Mrs McFarlane McFarlane Mc Mc- Farlane sti stiffly formally Richards Richard's voice came again Dooley Ive I've seen the boy He didn't know me of course I haven't told him anything Youve You've heard from him today Yes She had to hold her lips stiff keep her face calm because John I I. I and Jill were watching her Yes Captain I heard from him today He told me that he had been married why Im I'm calling you Doo Doo- ley I wanted you to know that I Idid Idid Idid did everything I could As soon as asI asI asI I suspected that he had this reckless reckless reck reck- less marriage in mind I had him up before the board and arranged for his immediate transfer but I Iwas Iwas Iwas was too late Its cIt's an impossible marriage you think Oh Richard Richard why are we talking like this Were We're Ric's father and mother And we must speak to each other like formal strangers But a little warmth lightened her wretchedness n Richard had tried n 4 I i i r rYes a aYes Yes this is Mrs McFarlane to o save Ric Richard had not betrayed betrayed be- be rayed himself It helped a little to tobe tobe be able to believe again in hi some small nobility in Richard Richard said Its a rotten marriage mar mar- She wont won't do Dooley She's no good I knew her in the islands I dont don't know just what I can do but Im I'm going to try to do some some- thing But she's coming here That was in the letter Dooley do the best you can for forthe forthe the present will you And trust me I know I haven't the right to ask it but Im I'm going to try to do something something some some- thing about this Yes she's coming th there re She's already on the way Then I suppose theres there's nothing we can do But thank you so much for or calling Captain She wanted to cry Thank you Richard Thank you for trying to be a father to your son at last But Jill was listening I Jill must not suspect Richard said Wait Dooley I just wanted to tell ten you Dont Don't worry wor wor- ry Hell He'll be all right Hes He's a fine looking boy Hes He's like you He isn't going to be like his father Hell He'll outgrow this foolishness Oh I hope so She said Goodby Goodby Good by almost in a gasp and hung up She turned to the others Theres no use sending any message Jill She's already on her way That was was one one of the captains at Ridley Field He said he tried to have Ric transferred in time to prevent this but he was too late So that's that The next move then Jill set her chin is lIis to convince convince con con- vince this Sandra person that Buzzards Buzzards Buzzard's Buzzards Buzzard's Buz Buz- zard's Hill isn't the place she wants to live But surely we can meet this situation with some grace After all Julia protested were still What II is it worth to be a McFarlane lane lanc Jill cried Ries a McFarlane McFarlane lane Shell She'll be a McFarlane too Dooley if you go soft on us now I swear Ill I'll tell ten her that youre you're a mental case Ill I'll tell her that were we're too tenderhearted to put you in a sanitarium x Makin Making Plans For Sandra Julia began to laugh hysterically tears running down her face Her throat convulsed her teeth chattered chattered chattered chat chat- she shuddered and pressed her hands to her face letting tears pour out between her fingers Jill looked frightened Dooley Dooley dont don't Stop it this minute I didn't mean a word of it it Dooley Im I'm going to put you to bed right now Youve You've had enough for one woman to bear benr in a day Grandfather Grandfather Grand Grand- father and I will take care of every every- thing Dooley if you dont don't stop crying crying crying cry cry- ing Im I'm going to begin screaming myself in a minute Im stopping gulped Julia swallowing wallowing the ragged sobs that that tha tore at her I I dont don't dont know why I went to pieces like this I never do cry I haven't cried in years I UI could kill Ric for doing this to you He lied to me when I went down there I was furious at him But But to to do a thing like this not to have pride for his any family r Please Dooley dont don't begin again Come upstairs with me Ill I'll get you some hot milk and a sedative tab tab- let She followed Jill meekly She lay layon layon layon on her bed where the dying light of September dusk came through the branches of the great trees She drank whatever Jill brought her she was grateful for the cool cloth laid over her eyes She was aware of John I I. I in the room felt his worried worried worried wor wor- ried eyes upon her wanted to comfort comfort com com- fort him and was too numb She Shedid Shedid Shedid did not talk because her spinning brain was so full of cries that must not escape her lips Because her ears ear were hearing Richards Richard's voice again agam calling calking to the old ache within within with with- in her touching that old tenderness that had never healed Dooley trust me Oh Richard Richard why did you come now so tragically too toolate toolate toolate late When he needed you when he was little when I was so alone where were you then Richard He had no father to teach him honor lionor no one to teach him to be strong Now its it's too late Richard forever too la late te It was with trepidation that Julia met the train next afternoon She had got Ric's room ready that morning She had impressed upon Mamie that Mrs Richard McFarlane McFarlane Mc Mc- Farlane Jr would be tired when she arrived and it would v be kinder not to cook cabbage or anything else that smelled up the house She had talked to John I. I If she should turn out to be a anice anice anice nice person John I I. I do try to restrain restrain restrain re re- re- re strain Jill JiB a little will you I do hope we can meet this situation as nice people Jill and I wi will l be so nice you'll admire us the old man promised Only dont don't you get in our way That smudge of smoke down the shimmering V of the rails was it another cloud that would lie darkly over her heart She walked out to the track She set her face in hi her herbest herbest herbest best imitation of a we welcoming coming smile Dont you dare dress up Dooley Jill had warned And Julia had countered dryly Youre still here Jill I thought you were leaving us forever if Ric's wife entered this house I UI decided that it would be criminal criminal crim crim- inal to desert you Youre You're such a softy Dooley that you'd let her walk all over you Jill said Ill give her two weeks But if she's still hanging around after that I Imay Imay Imay may go to Washington and get a job Boots Palmer knows a con con- gressman All right Jill But try to be a alady alady alady lady for those two weeks After that I wont won't raise any objection whatever you want to do Perhaps Julia was thinking as she watched the engine thunder toward toward to to- ward her Sandra wasn't too happy either Perhaps she had let love rush her off her feet and now she was being shifted off on people she shedid shedid shedid did not know whom she might suspect suspect sus sus- did not want her But would a woman who had been married before before be be- fore be swept off her feet by a boy Jill could be wrong after all This might be a girl whom Ric had met later She held to that hope till the train ground to a stop then surrendered surrendered surrendered sur sur- rendered it resignedly Sandra Arrives At the Farm That had to be Sandra getting off Julias Julia's heart gave a sick flop Small blonde no girl for all the soft curls the delicate make I The face under the clever hat had been written upon grimly and a bit cruelly by life Julia went forward You must be Sandra Im I'm Richards Richard's mother She felt that slow blue gaze travel over her moving anxiously but the voice too young and limpid for that throat cried How nice of you I Iwas Iwas Iwas was afraid you might not get my telegram It came this morning Ill I'll have some one see to your bags Are all these yours They do look a frightful lot dont don't they That's because since the war began Ive I've had no real home Ive I've lived in a trunk I have a trunk too Do you think it could be here Well Vell ask Moving across the platform Julia felt the impact of watching tyes yes eyes upon her The eyes of women she knew well women who knew to a day how old Ric was and she knew that they were seeing too with pitiless female clarity that for all the illusion of youth Sandra Calvert had achieved artifice had put up a losing battle with time It would be all over town in no time that Ric McFarlane had married a old hag she was certain She said Im so sorry we have to take you out in the station station- wagon but weve we've put up the cars for or the duration TO BE CONTINUED |