Show raj akre service copyright kathleen norela CHAPTER continued 18 presently suddenly the sun was out hot bot between showers and then again a soft fall ot of rain was blown warmly la their faces again came the sparkle and shine and steaming heat of the sun nod and tony asked wrinkling her face will they come who the sm arties your tour friends oh joe said ruefully they may it may tie be clear up in the city they may be on their way now its three maybe we ought to go back and clean up and be ready for em and ill tell you tony said in her animated way as lie he gave gae her his bis hand band for the last hard bard steps up the cliff it if they arent comin lets telephone doody bendy and alvin and have them come over for supper all that chicken you know and the delicious asparagus must we he be said as they walked along on the soaked new grass of the cliff well its so nice dice when its you and me and the dog shedding their wet uter outer garments and leading their soaked slices shoes at the door they went into lifeless warmth to sudden almost stun stunning silence after the riot of the winds arld and the sea theres a telegram there joe probably not coming and we might have finished our walk dibs on the shower I 1 not kot waiting until he opened the yellow envelope she ran upstairs to the chilly spare room changed into her velvet frock and came down decorously 20 minutes later with her still damp ha hair r brushed into shining rings the sitting room was deserted and the fire burning the guests just descending from a lit big parked car at the door with a call upstairs to inform joe of their arrival tony went to the door arid and did the honors the world was one wide glitter of hot sweet light now and the young garden and the red flagged terrace and the backdrop of blue sea looked their loveliest tony introduced herself to professor and mrs unger and dr herrmann and frau dr knecht you had lunch all ready for us I 1 lamented a quiet little mrs unger we only turned it into dinner tony explained and then we went oft off on a hunt its all here waiting for you we could sit sic out here on the terrace she tided it if it so horribly wet underfoot ill tell you and she went quite simply tor for a broom and quite simply surrendered it to young doctor herrmann Ue when he offered to take it yes tes swish all that water off she said and all those leaves and well move the chairs back that one professor unger and those two it when joe presently came hurrying flown down with his round face than ever nod and his fair hair very sleek she took the women upstairs no I 1 live in san francisco with a brother and aunt she explained to them im a newspaper woman but my sister lives to in monterey about 10 miles from here bere you must have passed through it on your way down and I 1 corns come to her nearly every saturday and manage usually to be with joe on sundays usually theres sunday company tony went on laying out a comb end and poder and wondering wondering what they thought of her but today was so stormy when it began to grow cold on the terrace they went in to the fire and joe propped the kitchen door open so that they could all talk together ile he looked tired somehow and tony stole it a moment to ask him in an undertone if he felt well fine he assured her cheerfully the chicken was bubbling again in its rich creamy gravy now and tonys fluffy biscuits were in the oven the whole house was filled with the pleasant smell ot of baking of asparagus of wood smoke brenda telephoned had bad the company come if not she and alvin were going to suggest oh they had come I 1 was tony coming back taft night yes tony would sleep at bendas bem Ben dys ays toed joed bring her back early and had the cuff link shown up yes he eat it after all the darling brenda reported of her kirbt born tony went back to dinner preparations pleased that the little interlude had come along to answer any curiosity joes friends might have about her not but what nhat the appeared completely indifferent to tue the irate of if her morals and dr herrmann the least imaginative soul fool in the lie world As tor for the lit big german doctor she looked as it if she were entirely unconscious of 0 the minor details ot of f life about her anything could happen without disturbing curbing frau fran dr knecht dinner was a succession of compliments for the cook they were all hungry they had never tasted such a salad such chicken such new potatoes the german woman noman spoke and tony turned to joe what did she say she askea if you could auch bread machen said joe ach ya a ahl tony laughed and doctor knecht said gut approvingly when they were putting on their wraps upstairs at nine for the long run home mrs unger linger said shily to tony may hay I 1 hear it if its good news the look in her kind brown eyes the inflection in her voice told tony what it was she asked the girl flushed as she answered regretfully no it dr I 1 wish it were we like each other so much but but it happens theres somebody else does lie he know it the other woman asked in quick concern oh yes lie ile knows the man oh ob h h mrs unger murmured in disappointment im glad you would have liked it for or I 1 know you the like doctor tony said 1 I love him of course theres no one like him put but but it so happens that im not dot heart whole and fancy free ellen unger fiDis finished lied it with a little philosophical shrug of her shoulders deis well never mind my dear we ve have t to 0 tak take these things as they come then the guests had bad gone and tony was alone with joe the sitting room where they had had so good a dinner and so satisfying a tall talk looked somewhat disordered and the fire had burned low joe returning from farewells at the door throw threw on another log two three logs the name flame started up again and tony said ah ab dont let me get warm and lazy we have to go right out into it again joe had seated himself in a low fireside chair of shabby leather lie be beseemed seemed to be paying no attention to her and for the first time in the course of their friendship tony had a moments uneasiness about him what did this abstracted str acted unsmiling manner mean surely joe going to frighten her to make her feel that this constant corning coming to his house this easy intimacy was not quite as safe as she tried to persuade dendy bendy it was sit down a minute lie said nine twenty dear and you know my day lit big sister shell telephone in a few minutes no sit down he said and then suddenly that telegram that was here when we came in it from the 11 no oh she looked at him expectantly and am I 1 to know what it wasa was she asked in the tone of a good little girl 1 I have to tell you joe said looking at the fire its ills voice devold devoid of expression it was from larry larry her olce loice was only a whisper the quick blood came up into her suddenly radiant face tell me she said with an effort hes here 11 II I 1 no it was from baltimore I 1 said it was from larry joe said it was signed I 1 ned by them both it was signed caroline 1 I and lawrence lanrence for a long minute tony looked at him steadily the color slowly drained from her face leaving it drawn how ayou mean 1 I 1 mean there lie ile stretched a ton long arm and she took tile the folded yellow paper from him as if she wele afraid to touch it what Is s it what does it say she said thickly her eyes fell on tile the printed words but the message made no sense to her it danced about crazily and she could only see tile the signatures caroline and lawrence caroline and lawrence caroline and lawrence ue ne says that they were married today joe said flatly tony TODY put the telegram down doun unread leaning over to the table to shove it well on sat back and looked at joe 1 I dont know what hat that means she s said aid faintly 1 11 I dont blame you said joe 1 I think its rotten im sorry im damned sorry I 1 had no more idea ot of it than you had he crossed the floor and knelt down beside her chair and she laid one hand on his shoulder and stared into his eyes in puzzled questioning her look was a childs pleading look oh no she breathed it let me see it the crumpled telegram lay on the floor joe made no move to get it what it says that larry she whispered they were married today 1 I dunt dont believe it tony said suddenly panting her checks flamed its hard to belicia bel be iee licie oll oh but joe no I 1 not without fl a letter not without a line in caroline she sat said breathing fast ashes ashes es but older than ho he much older ye kle told me so sol no ashes not as old as larry sties about thirty or thirty one olle caroline sties only two years younger than I 1 am ashes older than you aret arel sties had two husbands husband sl 1 she wanted him because she knew I 1 she knew I 1 1 I liate hate her tony said weakly bending forward to ret reit her head against his own as he knelt beside her ith one arm about her 1 I hate her I 1 do her voice broke into Hr ret etched ched tears weeping she got to her feet cut and be gan gaa to pace the room her knotted fingers at her lips oh iby why I 1 think of chist it would have made it easier it would have bare made it easier olt oh joe I 1 have no do shame to let you know I 1 love him when he loves her arld and happy going some somewhere here together in ills his car having their wonder ful time she sat down on the fireside settle and put her rocking head into her hands bands lie ile saw her shoulders shake and knew that she was crying suddenly in a rage she was on her feet again how dared lie he how dared he do that P sho he said her eyes glittering dark blue in her white race face allow dares a man it theat eat a woman who loves him that way ali ah but she wanted him tony said crumpling speaking gently hopelessly again she wanted him and kairys so kind so onerous generous A silence during which the man smoked and watched her then suddenly she looked up spoke quietly as if ahe sh were very tired im sorry to treat you to these fire joe youre awfully kind to me im all right now I 1 think mayhe maybe better take me to Ben bendas dys ill have to tell deady and alvin will smile his smug little doctor smile at what happens to girls who fall in love with mill married men ill get used to it after a minute you do even when a mans arm is cut off or his leg they say lie gets used to it like that in a second I 1 wish I 1 could hate larry I 1 wish for a moment her whole body was in revolt as if touched by a hot iron her arms lung filing up her head thrown back and her mouth opened as if to find breath 1 I do a thing like that to a dog she whispered collapsing again 1 I could not joe its me its me this Is happening to no I 1 do it to any anyone oriel im sorry im really all right now ill get my things bendall Ben dyll worry it if im too late no you just lie there on the settle and think about it for a while and ill tell brenda Bren cla if she telephones that the X I 1 1 N sit down a minute he said companas comp anys leaving and that ill bring you home lie there a while and get your breath and be all right 11 ills big hands punched pillows behind her back as tony obediently stretched herself on the fireside seat she lay there passive her eyes on the fire her breast still occasionally rising and falling on a great sigh it somehow seem like larry tony presently offered in ID a weal weak little voice larry was never what you thought he was it hurts me somehow it hurts burts we me horribly to have you say that 1 I suppose it does larry Is the only man the only one who ever whom hom I 1 ever the girl began confusedly and stopped and that hurts me horribly so honors are even joe said it is impossible for me to believe that you think of me what I 1 think of larry tuny TODY presently recommenced were all playing a lone hand in this life arent we ne joe 1 I dont think of you what you think of larry joe said flatly tonys ringed eyes moved to him in weary inquiry dont no I 1 know you tony and you dont know larry im not knocking him mind you joe said nut of I 1 say you dont know him I 1 do know you I 1 know every lovely inch of you I 1 know that youre the woman for me and that im the husband tor for you were alike we like the same things we talk the same language you and larry arent alike im not saying tills this to make you feel any better I 1 know you feel rotten tonight and you will ill feel rotten take you a long time to got get straight about it but I 1 say that you love well this place and the ocean and the kitchen anti and iii anlys kids and the dogs and all that lie iio lies iles lorenzo the alie magnificent the girl laughed weakly her face ace crinkled into tears oh ob he Is she said in a whisper ruth was rich larrys probably inherited a fortune she may have left a dozen legacies but gran was rich and ruth kuth would have inherited grans money and he gets it all or certainly most of it iles hes rich now he likes it that way all ah not quite fair mabbe not but about things like that ion and larry neier would have seen eye to ea cje C tony was not listening her long wet lashes glittering in the soft lamplight she was looking thoughtfully at the fire oh joe why did it hane hae to happen this way wily why did I 1 have to be the woman to live through this there was a long silence 1 I dont know said joe then pulling on his pipe and tonys unhappy little laugh died away into another long pause when neither spoke where his thoughts went the girl neither delther knew nor cared to tony all the world was composed or of juit two persons a beautiful woman sinuous and jeweled in the exquisite thin robes of fine batiste and delicate laces that caroline CS especially pe loved a tall brown man with his arms about her you women are strange said joe are we you bet your life you are 1 I suppose we are strange t to 0 men you know you know damn damn well that what you feel for larry Is excitement curiosity you tou think it would be thrilling to have him carry you off to a suite at the fairmont hotel make mak love to you thank you tony said as lie paused pondering over his pipe well it true it Is not true knowing joe continued as if there had been no interruption knowing that whatever lasts in marriage that knowing that it cant last it never does whatever it Is J that thrill that he gives women that makes them say td id rather have have him mean to me in that magnificent way of his bis keep me waiting despise me throw me down than not have him at all tony swallowed spoke lightly Is that the way women feel to him you know it it 1 I do not know it she said in a low hurt tone she lay silent staring at the fire after a while vidle she stirred and said that she must go and joe making no protest she dullea on her ota old gloves and they went out into the cold sharpness of the night together at the door she leaned against him 1 I wish I 1 could stay here alone with you forever and never see any of them any of them again why dont you you could go into town on mondays joe and come back on thursdays id be completely happy alone with the dog and rita shed come over and sleep nights if I 1 was frightened stay it if you like ice joe sat said d youre so tremendously comforting to me said tony TODY her eyes shut her head bead resting against his shoulder for a moment im so sorry about all this im going up to town tomorrow early about nine shall I 1 stop for you be asked ked practically after a moment will you I 1 think IT ill not tell bendy ton tonight hl ill wait until albins gone tomorrow and tell her then ill have to face every one aunt meg mary rose shell pity me so that ill want to kill her 11 Marr ledl tony breathed to herself in an almost inaudible undertone out of her own thoughts on the trip to brandas Eren Bren das house she ghe did not speak again CHAPTER do you still feel eel that you want to see him again joe asked tonys face dimpled as she looked thoughtfully down at the sand she was marking into even ridges with a bit of silvery smooth |