Show 1 IQ 1 S ah bev 11 I 1 E S kathleen norris 0 KATHLEEN NORRIS SERVICE CHAPTER XIV continued 11 frank may be dying and you can talk about him like that I 1 sheila said her face ashen white her dress was still dusty and rumpled her face dirty and she had a deep purple bruise on one temple but there was a flaming beauty a force in her aspect as she faced the other girl that made bernadette draw back pretend that you love him why dont you bernadette said in a frightened dogged voice 1 I dont have tol I 1 thought you did your kind always pretend that they love everyone bernadette said in bitter contempt its all love and how a boy understood at home and things like thail t my kindl sheila echoed with a bewildered look about the stricken circle yes your kindl the kind that goes to a place like atlantic city with a rich mans look here joe carscadden said suddenly taking a part in the conversation look here miss your name you be careful what you call my sister will you or find yourself in trouble lel sheila responsible to you for what she does no nor the newspapers either 1 ive just been talking to her joe continued warming at the sound of his own voice and ashes been working hard in a hotel down there at atlantic city with no more idea that frank me cann knew where she was than than the babe itsel fl mrs carscadden supplied as he paused for b reath breath and for a smile joe you believe me dont youg you sheila stammered bursting int into tears 1 I believe you joe said angrily and ive had enough of these rich folks that pretend they want to help a girl just because ashes honest enough to return fifty dollars their daughter even know shed bostl I 1 dont care if my father and yours were friends in albany joe went on wildly 1 I dont want my sister to have anything more to do with youl you joe joe the judge began sorrowfully row fully placa tingly joe shook off the friendly hand ill bid you all good dayl he said heatedly come on ma come on sheila they went out sheila and her mother and brother into the night the way it was mamma sheila began helping her mother and joe with the dishes she was back in the home kitchen back in an old faded gingham apron with her bronzed hair tied up severely in a handkerchief sheila had returned from church she had enjoyed once again the delights of a leisurely home breakfast with the family and she was now retailing to them for the hundredth time some of the lesser details of her adventures mrs carscadden now having finished the dishes was at the sink occasionally mopping its already well mopped surface absently joe really listening was pretending to 0 read the pages of the paper dont tell me how it was sheila her mother said resignedly 1 I can bear anything but that sheila put her head down on the table and laughed no one was iver good as you can make yourself your out to be yeve bust up two good engagements and thrown a family like the me canns into grief and sor rowl mrs carscadden observed it may not be your fault her mother continued but theres few cud get themselves thim selves mixed up in trouble the way you do an kape such an innocent face on you whatever Wha be doin to get into one of thim th im zeppelins zeppelina Zepp elins I 1 dont know an that come down near newark new jersey is no more than you A little bedoor that mrs carscadden continued in a 2 droning resigned sort of monotone it was disappeared you were an no one had or sight of ye for days AW an bedoor that again it was berried in boston massachusetts ye were by a justice of the peace or was it a dist hrict attorney joe it was neither mat ma 0 joe said and sheila laughed again she was not deeply concerned she was thinking of something else this morning she had made up her mind to something the day before yesterday and since the instant of her decision the world had been singing for sheila she was going to call on frank me cann the terrible day of the plane crash was now almost two weeks in the past sheila had had no communication since with the me cann family the unfortunate pilot of the plane had been buried the physicians had reported frank as making good progress toward recovery and newspapers had turned to other matters joe carscadden had telephoned the me cann house almost every day and had extended sympathy mid made inquiries for the whole family and it had finally been decided by her mother angela and joe that sheila should write frank a nice note telling him how glad she was that he was getting well and expressing her heartiest good wishes for his marriage to miss kennedy sheila had halfheartedly half heartedly agreed to this she would have preferred herself to do nothing in regard to frank without being able to analyze exactly how she felt she sensed that there was mystery there was provola provocation tion about complete silence but a nice letter was simply a nice letter it ended everything everything was ended of course dut but somehow sheila had had a feeling deep in her heart that there would be one more act she wanted to see frank once more to be sure that everything was all right between him and ber nadelle na delte to close up their own sensational bation sat ional al experience with one little friendly talk but the manner in which joe and ma had discussed the propriety of even a letter had shown sheila plainly that the thought ot of a call was quite out of the question so she had dutifully written almost as dictated by her authorities the first days following the accident had been a time of strange lassitude and weariness to her sheila had lain on the big bed in the center room dreamy and silent or she had come out to take the kitchen rocker listening to the talk that had gone on about her very gentle and sweet but apparently broken in body and spirit during these days the house had been full of company every relative and friend the had and they wera were legion had come in and out of the kitchen as if it were a club margret had come panting from the stairs lizzie had come neely and lew had come the teapot had never cooled nor run dry in this exciting time after almost a week of it sheila had appeared suddenly to awaken she had washed her hair had put her wardrobe in order the sensations the thrills were all over now for a job and a stretch of unromantic routine and duty and first duty of all and in another sense last the nice letter to frank had been written unexpectedly and bringing all the thrills back with a dizzying rush lam I 1 I 1 I 1 r sheila was back in the home kitchen frank had instantly answered letter had been written on a wednesday night on thursday afternoon when she had been alone in the house the post mans whistle had drawn her down to the door and there had been the miracles mira clel A letter from frank sheila would not have believed that any six penciled lines could be so wonderful seven lines for he had written sitting up for the first time across the top he was glad she was all right and it was fine getting her letter and next time they tried flying they would take out some insurance first and he was hers affectionately it was that last word that shook her to the depth of her soul and turned the whole world bright sheila had thought of nothing else from that moment but the prospect of seeing him instantly she had known that she must see him and her life had centered about this meeting she had gone no further in her thoughts she would see frank again his dark face and his slow smile they would talk together the mere thought had made her happy and she had floated in a world of dreams awaiting the opportunity to escape unquestioned from the house and go to her marvelous hour after that let him marry bernadette as soon as he gilted lilted it was on this particular sunday two weeks after the airplane smashup that she knew her chance had come her mother and angela were going to church in the afternoon some special lenten sermons far downtown down town on eighteenth street drew them away from home joe tf of course would be somewhere with cecilia Ct cilia the presumption had ha d been that sheila would spend the afternoon quietly resting nothing had A been said about it simply because there had seemed to be no other reasonable thing for sheila to do but angela and mrs carscadden were no sooner out ot of the house than sheila was dressing she trembled for sheer joy as she put on her best clothes they were not handsome clothes but the blue coat had been brushed and pressed by her own hands and there was another dark blue hat looking at herself in the cramped little mirror over the sideboard she knew she had never looked any better no subway today it was the first day of real spring winter could come back again but today was languid and sweet and soft with blue in the sky and florists windows bursting with new blossoms and freesias fre esias lilac and lillies roses were everywhere potted little red roses on feathery light branches sheila took the elevated road and sat looking out of a window only half sensing what she saw and heard children mad with spring were running and screaming in the streets below her church bells rang and the whistles of boats sounded newly sweet and soft from the river windows were open today the world was all abroad some of the walking women carried small sheaves of blessed palm and some of the men had little crosses of it pinned on their coats sheila walked from the elevated train to the me cann house steadily I 1 yet without any hurry she was going to see frank nothing could keep her from seeing frank there was no need for haste the day was singing in her heart like a glorious song it was a thrilling day and yet it was a soft day too filled with languorous charm CHAPTER XV maybe they wont let me see him lot sheila thought but she knew that franks father and mother were away they had gone to the big charity drive lunch their names had been in the paper and when joe had telephoned this morning to ask as usual for frank mrs me canns voice joe said had been quite cheerful frank had been out yesterday and had sat up for supper with miss kennedy the night before and she and the judge had no anxiety in leaving him today sheila anticipated no trouble and sure jen enough ough everything went smoothly there had been something in Sh eilas spirit all day that had promised smoothness she had had no doubts of what the outcome of venture would be mamie admitted her and if there was any hesitation or doubt in her manner sheila did not see it the girl following her walked straight through the great spacious hall and mounted the stairs and crossed the upper hallways to the doorway of franks room the door stood open sheila saw open windows and pots and jars of exquisite flowers beyond she began to tremble now and felt as much like crying as smiling as she walked into the room mamie did not announce her merely stood at the door frank was alone dressed seated in a great chair piled with pillows his bandaged left arm strapped across his breast over his silk shirt he wore a loose blue silk coat his hair was neatly brushed he looked thin and a little pale As sheila walked slowly to his chair her unsmiling eyes fixed on him he away from the window and instantly a sort of magic seemed to be shimmering about her and she felt hardly conscious of what she was doing why look chos herel here frank said with his broadest smile well I 1 ai am glad to see you I 1 how are you sit down sit down no pull your chair nearer im all alone sheila sat down and looked at 1 him do you know ive been thinking about you and want to see you frank asked and as she did not answer he went on funny thing 11 II was talking about you only last night bernadette was here miss kennedy you know 1 t I know Sh eilas voice was very faint his nearness the sight of the hard blue shaven jaw again the flash of his white teeth the half smile in his irish eyes were too much for her the tones of his voice made her heart feel as if it were melting wax 1 I said to bernadette that you were the damnedest darn edest kid I 1 ever saw to frank said 1 I said I 1 had the fa funniest feeling of being responsible for youl you 6 Is this your room frank she interrupted nope im up on the next floor its not so grand as this whose room was this well this used to be an upstairs sitting room then pop put the kitchen and the dining room into the basement floor and turned the old dining room into a library I 1 and gave mom a sitting room next to that and this has been a sort of spare room ever since and beyond the bathroom there the room where they set my arm is gerts room and that reminds me that ashes coming down to dinner tonight frank went on and petes home got here yesterday and we think been writing to each other and that made it up peter and gertrude yep oh im glad sheila exclaimed exclaim ed honest are you oh honesta hon estl and she looked at h him rn in surprise frank was eyeing her with a teasing expression 1 I thought you liked pete well I 1 dont youre not jealous anyway he said and after a minute he added 1 I dont believe that after five years of being engaged suspect a man of anything would you sheila 1 I be engaged for five years sheila answered you why not because she was thinking it out because I 1 want any man to feel sure ot of me for five years she formulated it slowly there was a silence 1 I dont think any man woul dil frank presently said with a not quite natural laugh and after a minute he added dryly fortunately for me bernadette madette Be agree with you so you dont think you could be faithful to any man for five years he asked as sheila did not speak 1 I say that I 1 only meant that if I 1 loved a man I 1 want to wait five years to to be his wife sheila answered simply you want to be sure 1 I would be sure frank mused on this watching her steadily what would you call being sure sheila thought a while before she answered looking down biting her full red lower lip dividing the world into two parts she said after a pause him it it pete who is it and the rest never going any where that you hope to meet him never doing anything without thinking whether hed like it or not hoping hoping that everyone else would hate him hate himl him love him you mean frank ejaculated incredulously as she hesitated hate him so that you could make it up to him by loving him all the more she said frank could only stare at her 1 I dont love bernadette like that im glad when anyone else admires her he finally observed and she feels the same way about me then youre different sheila commented mildly how do you know that love is like that frank demanded it is for me it would be for you it is her head was singing she felt her hands cold and wet A silence you mean peter frank asked respectfully peter sheila cleared her throat no not peter she said you mean you dont love peter any more 1 I never did we just had a a case the girl explained and he promised hed come to see me and an he come and that made me mad I 1 thought more about him than if he had maybe well come on frank said encouragingly cou youve only made half a confession if it pete who is it peter was the the first gentleman id ever known sheila instead of answering said hurriedly and nervously 1 I liked him for that so much so that he keep his word to you he lost my address and forgot your name 1 I forgot his the girl said honestly laughing but you see were not in the telephone book and he said that the only carscadden that looked possible to him was in arc brooklyn 11 youre dodging the issue frank pursued you cant do that when youre talking to a lawyer you know come on out with it whom do you like 1 I might know what I 1 thought about it without being it sheila stammered S tarn st it and it what ayou mean by ita it well I 1 might know what being in love was without being in love she was suddenly scarlet the cle clean an color flooding up under her transparent skin like a flame yes but you arent guessing guess he answered shrewdly be a sport sheila I 1 wont tell on youl you TO BE |