Show Sandy Q by Elenore CHAPTER PTER 60 O OA A month passed She heard no word front from her mother The fhe let let- letters let from Alice Allee came at longer Intervals Soon Soon they'll forget ferret me Sandy thought and she the grew sick tick wIth Ith the coldness In Sn her hurt heart She Sh looked forward all weak wc cak k to Saturday Then Ramon flamon came Friday wa was a i terrible day d y She would alt elt at it the typewriter hold holding ing herself herself there ther by main force pretendIng to Ignore the quick quick- quick nets fleas of ot her breathe breath the th burnIng and unrest She would gln Iv up and go co out to walk w lk on the the beach Then the th thoughts an and ana questions rushed pushed down with Ith such uch desperate resolutIon broke brok leash leuh lt sh What are ar you Sandy McNeil What bays hav you done Where Is 1 thIs till going to end r Where CAN It end r And shocking hocking phrases leaped leaned to her tongue phrases to character character- character Iz lu herself h r el and her position her here herein herIn l lIn In this house home of Ramons Ramon's C At night nt she stood before a mirror lost In the th contemplation of her own Image She would smile mile at the pale vivid face ace be- be before before be before fore her thinking how young It seemed seemed how sweet like that No other Sandy no existed existed no reckless spirit who had thrown caution to the winds RInds She was this girlish Image She Eh bowed to It assuming many different expressions talk talk- talkIng talkIng talking ing ing- absently Girls adore ador themselves Ev- Ev Every Ev Every ery cry girl no matter how plaIn can see ace attraction in her own face Else Els why do we w look at ourselves so much 1 think Im I'm beautiful My eyes are Inc Ing Alice has hu the th same sam thoughts Ive I've caught her at her her- herself herself her herself self ages at a stretch She thinks she's tar fu better lookIng than I Her fler pulse puls would begIn to beat very cry quickly because these thes words were spoken to conceal her agi- agi l The h agitation rose L- L saw her her own expression grow crow tense the cords of her throat tighten She murmured I I look just lust the th same No one on would gue guess Why am I saying this As though I cared But I dont don't It was In- In In Inevitable evitable e It was M fated from the beginning In the cards for me Sho She meant by this her rela rell- rela- rela relation tion with Ith Ramon was foredoom foredoom- foredoomed foredoomed ed She Sh sometimes felt shed she'd been prophetically aware of It from their first meeting shed she'd been certain of It from the night nighton nighton on the th boat when her hands had so Impetuously reached to his when neck when she sho him In that moment of ot IntoxIcating reck reck- reckless reckless less Ius Joy So now It had happened She lay a awake ake smiling against the clash and fever t S S S Then he ho came ume They drove and walked and swam She abandoned herself to the th gIddy delight of companionship the th joy or of someone striding along alone at her sIde someone stooping unexpectedly unexpectedly unexpectedly edly for a swift ardent kiss klu This Is ii ThIs i Is goy gay and anit free and sweet A A right to It Who gIves rives a damn whether weve we've a a right to It or noU not I dont don't She Sh said cald this to him once as she sh came cam laughIng l out of the water lie looked stricken He H be- be became became be became came quiet and sober I wish we w had a a rIght to It it Sandy I wish we w could get et the rIght to It We Ye have hav We W think we e have What else els counts Nothing Nothing We W can shut hut out the th world We W can live just for tor each other other- otherS other S S She She Sh became becam oppressed Shortly after Uter this the tho th woman at the tho th post post- postoffice post post-ottic- office Kid AId iid to her RAre Are Ar you keepIng the th cottage through the summer Im not cw Bandy answered Vered hastily I was wondering If It you were leaving In fact tact I thought thou ht you had hod gone cone I thought thou ht I saw Mr Ir Worth last Saturday Sandy turned her letters In a pretended absorption feeling the blood creep hotly to her h r cheeks Oh did you 1 She ripped open an envelope hurried from the tho place lace She Sh became self conscious as though the tha th whole who village had found her out They had bad all seen they Ramon they all knew he was there on Saturday and Sunday There Ther would would be b rumors of o her he uglY things thing said But you ou dont don't care a voice vole reminded reminded No No I dont don't care card And the woman in the th all fits all the th men mch and women who mIght talk of her became becam hideous They were ero email bigoted small bl dead They were living In the past They had bad no youth youth-no youth emotions Why are the these so things wrong V She thought of ot all the th kInd thoughtful things thine Ramon dId How eager e r r he h was wa to please pleas her How delightful It was to run rundown rundown down don from a hill bill hand in hand I Imagine a ln Ben Ben en Murillo doing such sucha a thIng thine But that relation was as rIght and and this one was wrong S S S She Sh paced the long sh shadowy room listening to the throbbing stillness She topped stopped before the typewriter gave s-av It a vicious shove hore Suddenly she sh said aloud I I know It well enough enough- enough She Sh became breathless and hot hotTes she Yes sh knew enough to set get a ajob aJob job For some som time she sh had supposed this thinking admission admission slon 1 Next Next ext week eek She dreaded the thought of goIng Into an office She visualized herself goIng somewhere and asking for work then then keeping at this grind year after year It seemed Incredible that she had really come corn to this pass pass- pas that no one on was doIng anything for her They just let her go to as though her fate fat was no longer any concern of theirs She Sh was out on her own Ill get a 0 job she said quI quI- quIetly qui quietly etly Of course get let a she job job shwas was no now ashamed to think she ha had delayed this She Sh said aloud feeling her flesh scarlet What am I If It I st stay y on here Yes Yea Ye what wh at I But If she worked when worked when she ehe was ws makIng her own way then she could talk of freedom of freedom of braverY H I S S There Ther was a letter from her ber Uncle he-Uncle Uncle Bob McNeil McNell This con con- confirmed confirmed firmed and hastened her resolution resolution resolution tion He wrote Dear little kid Sorry I w nt In these parts when all this hap hap- happened happened Just got cot In the other day da and learned the lowdown lo from Alice Allee Write Writ me where youre you're oure working and when Im I'm In Los Angeles eles Ill I'll come corn and have hav lunch wIth you Have Hava you got a 0 per per- permanent permanent manent Job yet I want ant to talk over your plans lans and aid you If It I Ican Ican Ican can I 1 went to see se talk Murillo-talk- talk talked ed hours with him Dont Don't fIgure figura on a divorce orce He H wont won't ont grant Brant It He Ha can get It wIthout easily easily without any trouble All you would need Is Isto Isto Isto to write writ him him- hima a a letter leller sayIng yoU yo hoe hao absolutely left him But he heI heis heIs I is wild eyed lIe He- Heay says BaYS ay a dIvorce wont won't free fre him Ho wont won't let you OU get It It and he h wont won't get It him him- himself himself self So that that's pretty prellY tough little Id ld But Dut dont don't give lve up I have havea a suspicion hes he's doing dolne a bit of high flying Of course that's the hardest thing thine In tho the world to prove i but Im I'm on the job In the th meantime you'll get by You know Isnow l now you always ay could Im I'm ng this remembrance If YOU need more now or later Im I'm your our uncle and dont don't forget It Enclosed was 1 a check for flOO Three days doys later Sanay Sandy went ent to Son San Jose She Sh answered ads In Ina 1 week she sh had a job as filing clerk In an insurance office She earned 65 5 a month Her board and room In a private family took U 45 5 of this She Sh wrote to Ramon He H come came over the tho th week end When hen It was Wl dark they drove back along alone the coast Ho H was Wl excited and unnerved Now God Now Sandy God Is this the beginning of the th end r Continued Tomorrow 00 |