| Show FT vl service copyright katlleen norris CHAPTER XII continued 8 it if id only gone home larry but was sort of hanging banging around greenys Gre eoys esk and suddenly without thinking t out at all I 1 said to him oh by he ie way did you hear about the joural if id only thought I 1 it happens liap pons all the lie time larry said hilo As for greeny anti and he ie talk with danielson Dan lelson lie prestly added all newspaper poly catch em young and keep lem em Is tile the idea you never feel ure are of a nes newspaper paper lob job lie ile swept time ome papers on tits lis desk together and aked up have you had dinner no tony suddenly realized he was st starving aming and happier in tier her relt ement ant and relief than she had bait ver er been in tier lire life all right lets walk around the lie orner to Pi erics anil and have spanish asters and fruits marle jardin you know Iler Ile 1 no but you and ruth vere nere talk I 1 ig ig about it one night hut but win heres res u uth h tony demanded she S c and tier her mother went oer to aie ie piedmont house tills this afternoon ie tenants go in next week well r IS 4 M i y V er 79 he very first occasion upon which they two had been alone auy this Is kind of nicel larry fad ild going with tier her down the dark ft I 1 JAS t As she sat opposite him at the lit 5 white table with the smoking rs between lie tween them and tile the cheerful gaible atu sphere about thern them with herres marve loiis arres clear flavored correa arres honsted Iren cli bread tier her arc ae eyes shone upon her companion th a liquid light 1 aliey I licy I 1 aked of everything eagerly joyous anil and tony presently reminded led him 9 I 1 Docent ly that tills this was the pry ery aslon ghaston ullon which they two had en cn alone together r afterward they walked to his parked r anti and lie drove her uptown to the ahouse and walked with her to tile the may arway A lust at parting she turned to face B larry you do forgive mp me I 1 1 bylerly ashamed aslia nied anti and ery cry sorry sirry seriously isly if anyone was to blame 1 the whole tiling thing will straighten elf if and no harm will be done it a 1 I well youve made me very happy iny y ent up in the elevator tier her art rt was n as aln singing in CHAPTER XIII here came an interval of works en n life sent on smoothly und anti joy y there was less criticism tit nt the re e tony began again agnin to feel sure herself and tier work it was ceorl fort to awaken in the summer morn s to a general vague consciousness t all was wag right anti anil to lie comforte abed a e reflecting upon all the de Is s that ri trade ide it so tony dawdled ough a bath at ten idled push ou h n late inte breakfast gossiping with f lavas interested little aunt need at tier her own paper and the rl ri papers papers pulled tier iier white lint hat to r right I 1 to it angle I 1 L slipped nan her loose T te e coat that flint the yellow ratch tell paper and the hie pencil were pre bere iere they belonged and went out r tile the arl dreaming am in warm fog of tile the f streets ready for anything 4 that day might bring betimes it was a debutantes af down tile the peninsula sometimes edding tony went to the a for presidents presidents breakfasts anti and the chicken patties and hot rolli eric ned to the charming speeches aal t clapping and swelled smelled the good its is of roses and delicate athe il crisp new silks slie site went up lip down the lie steps or of ine clalya hand band st homos homes sat it in film dim grent great draw grooms rooms se down niini ni iii A ano nn ft or and s xau i lu iu in jul ju greenwood sent her down to the hotel del monte alonte to coer the social side of the lit bis golf tournament at pebble beach tony TODY took brenda with tier her for the enhanced weekend week end and the SIS wandered through three perfect days of sunshine and gaiety and c excitement cit elt ement and went up tip at night to their high little dormer windowed bedroom exulting in their particular share of 0 the general festivity and it was wag there that crenda brenda told tony very cry simply that she was going to toe be married to alain atwater a adz doctor in monterey Mon int it it a darling name leronda said lingering on it fo fondly ridly no lie lind no money and tit no practice lie had just graduated from medical college and he no lie he hand handsome bonic tony eien een before meeting niec ting him was tit at the nevis neis site she bid bad sern nevii the change cli inge in her sister seen Bren arendas das lushes flushes ond and heard tier her sorter softer laughter slip lind had eased tier iier about some suitor unknown mer eier since tile the holidays tit at carmel in slay alay if brenda liked the alp long iong tenn lean pale 1 I r it or with the enormous hands ind ran fan cars then tony would like hill bin too brenda rendi IS anti and alvin would live in mon terpy on nothing inept Ix ept thit that his father said it he would sell send us its fite hundred dollars to slait I 1 in a on said Br brenda ellla modestly tony at larrys suggestion had gone to see ruth shortly aner after the journal incident ant and had frankly confessed to tier her own stupidity and carelessness in the matter and ruth adamant until the full acknowledgment led was made bad instantly softened as larry had predicted she would and had forgiven tony fully tin and gladly so that it was natural for tony prest presently antly in her own glowing and animated way to tell the Bell amys of her plans lies iles one or of those tall limp alpar igus agus colored men site she said of her prospective brother ln in law ile he sticks way out of ills his collar and he be sort of curies auries himself around bendy like alk o an anaconda ile he adores tier her so it makes him perspire when hen lie be looks at her to be married V larry asked jn in september I 1 0 0 0 0 tuny tiny ruth kuth sat said on one of these august days iby eliy dont you come to sinta santa barbara with me dime the mere thought left tonys checks paler for excitement why not youre going to have a weeks vacation hut but I 1 thought you were staying for a month 1 I am hut but you could come back when you liked youre no cripple larry contributed anyway lie he said in ID an odd indifferent tone that impressed tony as puzzling at the moment anyway I 1 come back and forth with the car every weekend week end it if you anti and I 1 started at say five on monday id have you in your office at noon wed get some breakfast in san luls ills or paso caso robles kobles re fie lone done it lots 0 of times limes oh ruth leuth santa barbaral barbara 1 tony said on a tong long sigh of miss bliss generously enthusiastically brenda shared share fill tony a week later the fun of parking packing the bag for gatila barbara tony in a state of indescribable ex ellement lement cl sot set the alarm for four and was dressed and ready when kairys motor horn gave the signal below the empty dirty shabby street voas as transfigured trans figured with the dawn tit the air was its chill there was mystical silence mystical light abroad larry got out of the car to see that she anti and tier suitcase were ere bestowed in the hack back sent seat tony leaned boer 01 er shoulder to give her a kiss they were ere away the way ran across quiet deserted dei ened market Al arlet street out past the 11 big hospital whose elevator halls still showed rod red of light down to tile lilg big open highway that was bound ed on one side by flat fields hardai touched by real estate estale signs and small ventures in suburb rin homes anil and on the other by the lie langold lower waters of it tile the hay bay birds were flapping laz lly ily oer the marshes a train purred majestically alons along the embankment embank men throttling short staccato purrs puffs of stean steam into the yet wet mornin air there was little talk aroon among the three as they rolled contentedly along it was enough to be alive in the florl ous summer lawn dawn and see the sun rist risi over the file great shoulders of the east ern mountains mounia ins long iong stream ers of warm early cold across the orchards san jose norg morgan an hill dilroy roy all tha little valley towns wert were sound asleep but when they present ly reached salinas chimneys wert ivory smoking and early housewives were wen astir and quite tony was wag conscious or a sharp stab of nun bun ger breakfast here or further down its riot not quite eight larry presently said N oh breakfast herel the women exclaimed together they got out a little stiff after abr more than a hundred chilly miles followed their man into the clean little hight li liht breakfast room fell upon sliced bugs ug smoking het cofler coffea brown toast and fried eggs with the appetites of wolves tony and ruth took off their coats and stowed them la in shipshape fashion before getting back into the car the sunshine had strengthened into a throat threat of real hent heat now and the he fields and hill ridges between which the road wound were scented with dried ta reed and tile the rich smell of apples and prunes wheat dazzled gold in n the light fight and the mountains oft off to the southeast gave off little dazzling slot rals of f oily liot hot air presently they turned west cst and were out on the lie ellofs above the ocean for a hundred magic miles tile the road followed the lip of the sea ruth on the front seat scat went to sleep larry d smoking one cigarette ater after another hut bill tony watched alertly in insatiable interest and and was still wideawake wide awake and cheerful when mien thov they reached their journeys end a comfortable hotel cottage in a garden at four on a burning arter afternoon ter noon ruth preferred a tub tall bath and a 8 alp mp but at five tony and larry were ere lit in the cool salt breakers bre the girl almost mad with delight 1 I tell you that the ocean does some thin tiling to me 1 I see it does larry shouted back as a great wave caught them tony found tier her room small and warm in the last heat beat of the day but she herself was made anew and could unpack and ind find a book anti and stretch herself for an hours idling before dinner with a sense of complete luxury and comfort ruth was evidently asleep for or there was no sound from the room next door from tile the street came the purr of passing motors and of the voices of other swimmers coming up cool and rested from the sea there was a strip of gar den just outside tier her opened french window roses were g glowing there and the tall spikes of phlox there were eucalyptus eucalypt ils trees a sprinkler was sending a refreshing wet sound through the warm air dressed in the orange cross barred organdy tony reflected that she might be wearing the least expensive clothes in santa barbara tong tonight ht but that that did not mean that eliat she was avis the least attractive girl Ul evidence dence to the contrary gratified her on all sides as she walked at ruths side across a stretch of blazing garden to the hotel for dinner and presently there was a young man at their table to make their quartette complete and add to this enchanted night the further enchantment of a new affair for he be liked her instantly did mr duncan oconnor Ue demanding manding of tier her pathetically where here slie she had been all lit his lire life when the music bezan began rising automatically to dance with her Ant antoinette olnette its a name mime to dream on said duncan oconnor dancing din cIng its my favorite nand name taft la Is too long for me to remember my brain very good tills this Is my favorite music in the whole world I 1 menu mean it youre what larrys niece no just a friend ile he and I 1 and ruth have been friends for ever so long iong no im the society reporter on the rail call ini im on a newspaper here I 1 halt half own it why how old tire are you tony looked up tit at her companion curiously as they walked balked back to the table nine and twenty have billave you reached ages already larry asked pulling out tonys chair 1 I reached Antoin ettes duncan said modestly lies iles got a certain line larry warned tier her but dont believe oil oni word he says the music recommenced and MIS time it wis was larry antry who rose and liei open his arms for tony tony rose obediently hut for some reason she found it oddly exciting thrilling even frightening to move to the throb of tile the music over the wide floor with wilh him his arms about tier her and tier her heart li enting so close to his own heart mith lance dance 1 I asked her she never does she was quite breathless when she went hack back to tier her afterward slip sit danced with mincan a again tin and w with iab a tiny that knew then T larry n rry atrid ruth said that they were going hack back to the eitta cottage e anti and ohp would go ton they were all tired fired on the rhe way brick back site she salt that she meant mean to ro get up and swim before becore breakfast its a date s said ali larry im playing golf nt at ten but bill id love it nt at eight and we can breakfast after ward i ni oriole ruth luan gain alice telephoned tele honed about b lit it I 1 I 1 dont he lieve ill ret get up early carly and am swim tomorrows going coins to be a scorcher you ran can amuso yourself somehow tomorrow tony amuse myself I 1 I 1 could amuse my gelf here for a years year sill 1 you yon mihe make tills this dull old place seem faunl larry said CHAPTER XIV the week lew flew by it was unlike any other time tony had ever known the hours seemed dreamlike unreal shot with unearthly sunshine perfumed with flowers that were sweeter than other flowers set to the deep toned voice of the tireless green ocean into which she lung flung herself shouting in with joy every morning and every afternoon cool and sweet in fresh linen she went with ruth to afternoon readings to one or two tens teas she became decarne a familiar ligure figure at the reach pencil club tier her blue bathing suit drying on the line tier her blue eyes dancing over the lunch room with their appetite for joy and adventure never quenched larry came down on friday nl night bt saturday sunday lashed flashed by the holiday was 01 er again the linens an and orlandies organdies org andies were pac packed cd and again the alarm was set dy cincan ican oconnor had bad come up to the cottage to say good bye a few hours earlier in the twilight find and she had walked with him film in the garden for a few minutes and let him kiss tier her somehow it seem important but bill it bit all fitted into the dream of youth and joy and beauty and autumn beside the like spa sea she was not in love with noisy handsome duncan but she liked having him think himself in love with her ruth was not awake when she and larry crept from the house the following morning in the soft dawn dew was heavy on the garden and a blanket of fog shut ott the son sea tony felt strangely sad the dripping awnings and beaded spears of grass seemed melancholy to tier her almost in silence she established herself in the front seat beside larry he threw tier her a ruz rug to wrap about her knees and she was slad glad of its warmth next stop for break breakfast I 1 larry announced turning up his coat collar pulling on his big driving gloves and my party Is over overl the girl mourned the burned brown hills bills the veiled ocean slipped by reluctantly the sun pierced the land fog and drove it awny find anti tony saw tile the lin lashing linshitz light of the new lay day reflected reflect eI blazingly in the windows of the sleeping little houses along the road breakfast tit at santa maria and more miles and miles and miles clicked ott oft on the meter she and larry talked presently he told her that it seemed to him the shortest run he had ever made from santa sant a barbara arbara IS then only a few miles out of the city suddenly on the left there was tile the looming shadow of a truck thun thundering derin out of a crossroad and the veering of |
