Show b BEAUTY rea U ITS y DAU G K SYNOPSIS 1 victoria herrendeen a vivacious little girl irl had been too young to feel the shock that came when her father keith herren dee een a lost his fortune A gentle unobtrusive s 0 ul he be Is now employed as an obscure e chemist in san francisco his wife magda cannot adjust herself to the change she X a beautiful woman fond of pleasure and a magnet tor for mens men attention Magda and victoria have been down at a summer if retort resort e and keith joins them tor for the week weeke weekend e end d magda leaves tor for a bridge party excusing herself tor for being such a runaway the decas return to their small san francisco apartment part ment keith does not approve ot of magdas mad social life and they quarrel frequently magda maeda receives flowers flower and a diamond from ferdy manners a wealthy man from argentina Arge nUna whom the she had bad met less than a week before manners arrives a few hour bours later magda takes victoria to nevada to visit a woman friend who he has a daughter earned catherine there she tells her she 4 u going to set get a divorce victoria soon Is in warding boarding school with her friend catherine magda marries manners and they open spend d two years year in argentina victoria has studied wain in europe and at eighteen she visits her mother when ferdy rents a beautiful home Is unhappy over berdys drinking and attentions to other women when her mother and stepfather return to south america victoria refuses to go with them because ca e of berdys unwelcome attentions to her magda returns and tells vie vic she and ferdy have separated meanwhile keith lias remarried victoria Is now a student nurse curse magda maeda has fallen la in love with luclus farmer a married artist while she and vie vic prepare tor for a trip to europe ferdy takes a suite in their hotel the night before magda and vie vic are to sall sail magda elopes with luclus lucius farmer while nursing the children of dr and mrs keats vie vic meets dr quentin hardisty a brilliant physician much sought after by women who I 1 Is a widower with a crippled daughter CHAPTER rv IV continued 7 better than that victoria said weve put it aside we expected abis she went away and presently when a maid had preceded her with a card table and silver and glasses returned with a laden tray you looked very charming with that baby in your arms he said abruptly victoria and he were alone now the men had had their supper the fire had burned down low during the weary comfortable talk that had followed and presently a ringing telephone had taken the doctor to his study and mrs keats murmuring something like oh dear I 1 must tell him had followed him he had seen her with bunty in her arms had he the unexpected blood rose to face any man would be glad to come home and find such a scene at night the man said well would he vicky countered violet and I 1 have just been having an argument about it I 1 say that nurseries and nanas and hearth fires have all gone out of fashion that what men want any more only proving that you dont know anything about men the doctor said 1 I think you dial most men would much rather have wives who are curled and dressed and painted and ready to go out at night victoria persisted annoyed in spite of herself by his lazy air of complacency and warming to her subject men arent crazy about violet because she lives for her husband and the children you may be a little bit cracked on the subject of love and mar ariage dr hardisty said but youre amusing do you think im a little bit cracked on the subject of love and marriage victoria demanded in surprise there are plenty of bachelors about Is it so nary that how and then a woman likes to play a lone hand I 1 have my work my friends everything I 1 want why should I 1 add to it all a man I 1 dont want because in your heart you know that you do want a man you think so vie vic asked her face ace red I 1 1 I do quite suddenly quite simply his arm was about her and for the first time in her life a man kissed her on the lips there I 1 he said and laughed in another instant he was gone seriously and all this teasing eside aside would you come over to the shack for saturday and sunday Sunda lie he asked her a few weeks later instantly she knew now that she ought to say no but the temptation to yield was strong for after all his was the most fascinating and popular figure in san Francis cos social circle at the time and weekend invitations to the shabby little cabin in mill valley were eagerly sought bought mill valley would be thrilling 1 after au all quentin had shown that he regretted his craziness and when he was in one of his nice simple moods she liked him quite as much as she detested him in his other ones AU all this flashed through her mind as she hesitated over the invitation smiling 1 you said I 1 would you know and I 1 hilll she told him simply and I 1 think you are a sport tP he answered in his pleasant est manner be rough you know 1 I can be very rough only I 1 dont go in for cocktails and staying up dancing to the radio until morning she began nothing like that rough means that I 1 have only one chinese boy there and he know much about cooking and that the chief entertainment will be a long climb up the mountain on sunday 10 by KATHLEEN NORRIS 0 kathleen norris service and can the beautiful mrs pool 9 go 0 in for au all that the beautiful mrs pool will not be there this will be a very simple party just four of us it sounds good chos going along to protect my youth and innocence no cence victoria smiled do you think chase and dora upham might manage it they might ill pick you up at four on saturday then bring comfortable shoes at four saturday they drove to the terry ferry and were carried motorcar and all across the howing flowing gray waters of the bay there was fog on the bay and Ta malpais was wreathed in fog but down in the valley a misty sunlight was shining U up P through a shady tunnel of redwoods the winding road rose above the cascades and mounted the great stony flank of the mountain on a spur of land pushing boldly westward toward the tar far glitter of the sea the plain little brown cabin stood the ground all about it was deep in pine needles the air was aromatic with their sweet sharp scent descending from the car the girl admitted that her first impulse was to give a long loud scream of puri pure delight CHAPTER V A lean chinese boy in a coolie coat of blue with dingy wh white ite trousers seis and padded rope shoes was carrying the provisions out of sight vie vic and the man went into the big main room that constituted almost the entire cabin at both sides of it were raised wide alcoves with windows thick blue canvas curtains coula could shut them off from the main room each of these contained three beds and ile he a darling chests chairs opening fro from m each was a large shower b bath ath casually constructed of brown planks with redwood fronds pushing their way in between the walls and the roof in the main room were rugs big chairs tables from which books and magazines cascaded an enormous fireplace smoked high from many a roaring blaze lamps cushions on a deep davenport all of the comfortable for table informal litter dear to the bachelor heart window doors opened on a flagged terrace behind which the magnificent crest of the mountain reared against the softly encroaching fog we have our meals out here on the terrace all summer the doctor said but its going to be too cold tonight mock bueyl he shouted suddenly the chinese silently padded into sight eat by bi fire tonight eat tellis the boy asked hopefully no too buchee catchen cole tellis deuis eat bat fire fi 71 fiah ah the oriental conceded in a sad liquid voice the boy melted away victoria began to wonder when the uphams uphama would arrive five came six came nervous huh quentin hardisty asked looking up not very the girl smiled flushing why at all well then not nervous at alli vie vic said laughing but there is something fundamentally disturbing about being shut up in a lone mountain cabin with a handsome and fascinating man she reminded him listen why do you rub in that fascinating handsome stuff the third time the second I 1 think ive seen you the man insisted when you were nothing short of well theres only one word for it beautiful thank you seriously there arent aren t many real beauties and the few ive known have had a vile time I 1 I 1 well coming back to first prin caples dr hardisty said i dont it worry about the uphams uphama get here and il if they I 1 assure you that be as safe as my own sister the girl looked across at him handsome and brown and quite serious in the soft fire and lamplight and her er heart gave an odd twist a physical plunge of emotion her throat thickened suddenly and she felt silly and confused but she gave no sign of it and before either she or her host spoke again the up hams arrived in a gay flurry of apologies and after that everything was smooth sailing the two women were relegated to the south alcove drew their curtain and proceeded with their unpacking and changing to a lively exchange of gossip dora was going to have a baby in six months nobody knew it but chase but they were tremendously excited vie vic was all sympathetic enthusiasm here there might be some question in her heart and mind as to wifehood but motherhood was all joy J oy oh dora I 1 envy youl you im terribly happy about it this fun being over here together and just ourselves 1 I adore this shack we had our honeymoon here and he a darling vie vic listen dora paused oh shut up vie vic said denying the impeachment before it was voiced no but listen dont you think hes darling dr hardisty yes I 1 do if he liked you there the slightest chance of it even if you continue to broadcast your romantic suspicions all over mill Val valley leyl vie vic began dora sank her voice to a whisper just the same they cant hear their showers going dora said just the same be an awful fool not to marry him if you could vie vic ill never marry anyone vie vic S said aid putting on a blue apron until im foaming at the mouth about him and ill never foam at the mouth about anyone for before I 1 reach that point ill take my little throat indoors and cut it so dont worry about me trimly equipped they went out to the kitchen where the younger doctor was mixing something liquid in a small pail and the older one busy with a salad they all worked together getting in each others way getting more and more hungry as the clocks hands slipped from half past six to seven from seven to eight the boy carried the steaks into the shed where they were to broil on a charcoal fire victoria sampled the salad on a bit of cracker that she said firmly is the most delicious salad I 1 ever tas tasted tedi it was a long and delightful meat meal presently they carried their cups to the fire and mock suey cleared away the table and still nobody made a move to go to bed and the logs burned on and the level branches of the redwoods lr swept across the low roof in the restless wind of the spring night you girls going to freeze believe me we we have our hot water bottles dora said firmly victoria raising her eyes with a sleepy smile met quentin hardis tys steady look and was disturbed to feel herself flushing but when she and dora finally did drag themselves off to the raised platform where their beds were and had drawn the canvas curtain against the warm sitting room and the fire she was conscious of a sort of dancing excitement in her veins this was all such fun there was a rattle at the curtain rings victoria put her head through them and found quentin hardisty stin standing ding close to her at the other side victorias hair had been gathered to the top of her head in a mass of careless tawny curls her youn young 9 face was rosy from heroic washing 9 with scented soap her eyes danced here are two extra things the th e doctor said a lit little ile confusedly stone hot water bottles some people like em anyway keep hot until morning oh god bless you mi sterl victoria said the curtains parting as she put out her arms to show her slim body in square blue striped pajamas open at the soft young throat you look like a doul dolli the man said in a whisper victoria stood still her throat suddenly thick she smiled at him confusedly youre lovel lovely quentin said he laid histand his hand on her arm goodnight he said and somehow the familiar little word was not a farewell it was everything quivering thrilling amazing breathtaking breath taking hardly knowing what she did carried away from her moorings by an imp impulse thousands of af years older han she was victoria stooped a tittle little from her higher position rested her face against his for one second of madness and vertigo and breathed an answering goodnight but in the morning she forgot everything except that a new delicious day had dawned and had brought complete happiness with it everyone was in wild spirits on I 1 this singing spring morning J v f TO TOCK BE CONTINUED |