Show ha ER ea f h I 1 eoj i norris 10 SYNOPSIS victoria herrendeen a vivacious little had bad been too young to feel the shock when ahen her father keith herren hat t cane came aen lost jast his bis fortune A gentle unobtrusive UL be ly is now employed as an obscure chemist 00 ast 1st in san franca francisco his wife magda ot adjust herself to the change she beautiful woman fond of pleasure and is s magnesor magn etor for mens attention magda end and victoria have te been down dowd at a summer re ort art and keith lotas joins them tor for the weekend week end magda leaves for or a bridge party excusing herself for or being such a runaway the lie return to their small san fran niico co apartment keith does not approve of magda magdas s mad ala social life and they quarrel magda receives howers flowers and a alond from ferdy manners a wealthy man aan from argentina whom she had met less than a week before manners arrives a few hours bours later magda takes victoria to nevada to 10 visit a woman friend who has a daughter mined catherine there she tells her she i H going to get a divorce victoria soon is in bonding boarding school with her friend catherine magda marries manners and they spend to tiro years in argentina victoria has atud studied in europe and at eighteen she vist visits her blotter other ferdy rents a beautiful home magda Is unhappy over berdys drinking ind and attentions to other women when her mother Biot li and stepfather return to south amer aca ca victoria refuses to go with them because of berdys unwelcome attentions to her magda returns and tells vie vic she and ibis ferdy have separated meanwhile keith remarried victoria is now a student nurse magda has fallen in love with lucius i farmer fanner a married artist while she ltd and vie vic prepare tor for a trip to europe ferdy takes lakes a suite in their hotel the night before magda and vie vic are to sail magda magd a felones dopes with luclus s farmer while ahil n nursing u arsing tte the children of dr and mrs keats vie vic meets beets dr quentin quentan hardisty a brilliant physician much sought alter after by women ilbo la Is a widower with a crippled daughter jin lint a tete a tete at the keats home he kisses vie several days later he invites her with other guests to spend a weekend week end at his cabin vie VIC Is enchanted with the cabin and with the dinner CHAPTER V continued 8 how about a walk quentin said then the uphams uphama declined chase was sleepy and dora tired but victoria in an old short skirt a white cap hn an enveloping borrowed sweater of quentina Quen tins was all ready lor for it she and her host we went nt off together for one of lifes happy hours they climbed straight up the great shoulder of the mountain stopped panting and flushed to get their breath and to look down on the sparkling world went on again the sun was hot on the singing blue february morning but the ground under their feet especially when the trail went into the woods was soaked and slippery from recent rains quentin gave her his hand she slid against him they both laughed reaching the summit of the spur with the dark blue rise of Ta malpais high above them they sat upon a run leun warmed rock for a while look looking down breathing in the aromatic sweetness of the still clear air listening to the cries of larks al all about land and the occasional scream of a jay or chatter of a chipmunk in the chaparral when they started to slip and slide down the going was infinitely easier especially with the tree smothered Emo brown goal of the cabin 11 root right ahead vicky and quen tta n came back to the cabin at one 0 clock k breathless ravenous and weary once ce again the quartette that gathered about the table was in n gala mood more than once again victoria told herself that thi this s was roe one of the good days this was one of the satisfying times but just after the leisurely meal there here was an interruption A car came me up the circuitous bit of road way ay to the with the speed of familiarity mmarita mm arity Q quentius Quen uen tins expression of horrified orn fied expectation at which victoria had been laughing chan changed ged to one ne of odd embarrassment of some thing ng like faint annoyance like gratification edification its marian marfan its mrs pool he had time to sy siy under his breath before bore he went out to welcome her oh h help dora commented gust edly victoria said nothing but the globy doiy the e content of t the he day instantly ii antly were destroyed it was with ui a sense of dullness a vague leeling g of hurt that she entered upon the e requisite moving of chairs and bining ling of places njg to make room for the in newcomer comer marian pool lovely the smartest it of sportswear sport wear came 0 the 0 room with a rush an and stood 1 ber r head tipped little side iiri e a on one all apologetically smiling at them h OW oh you 0 re having ea a py party I 1 ohl oh shameless of me she said but why y on ca earth rth at ath half are you ya eating nan past four sit down tye do sit down dr upham here ere everyone sit down tarn saw they all 1 sat down and victoria the d expression on quentin har arian face lie he saw nothing but at ads le re all 3 driving up for supper e 11 aads puo ive 1 the ta newcomer said the dropped sally y and george in to see the Cush Cu shines ings it occurred to me that Quer itin here had entirely forgotten that he promised to he be at mauds and I 1 told them id come up and get him its the gou golf thing quentin and afterward a big supper at petes 11 sure I 1 forgotten quentin said in a lazy smiling voice his eyes caressed her you did tell me you had a house party 1 we know it ranked as a house party did we dora 1 I beg pardon dora stammered starting you dont remember me mrs pool victoria said in the dreadful moment of silence when everyone stirred and smiled but no one had anything to say victoria herrendeen down at the lodge years ago it oh frightful dont remind me of those ghastly days mrs pool said lightly her eyes on quentin that was before all blushes and confusion I 1 got my divorce I 1 cried all day when I 1 was first married and danced all night when I 1 got my divorce I 1 mean I 1 really did quen the dullness the wearisome of it all deepened vie vic from the moment her eyes had first fallen upon the visitor had known that it would she is beautiful perfectly beautiful victoria said to dora when they were gathering brushes and jars in the bathroom 1 I dont see it dora answered stubbornly and victoria laughed without much mirth to deny marians flawless and amazing beauty i you mean blean without loving me victoria asked would be to deny the mystery of the stars the glory of an apple orchard in the spring it worked upon men like an irresistible anesthetic vicky and the uphams uphama were swift t and brief in their farewells the girl admitted she was tired the days happiness cooking tramping making fires had not tired her bui but there was no shred of the felicity left and she felt jaded and weary the mill valley visit had ended in hurt and failure the drive home was dull and flat and the atmosphere of the keats nursery when victoria entered it somehow jarred on her nerves violet she said some days later when she and mrs keats were lunching together did dr keats talk to you about my going t to honolulu you mean miss reynolds recommending om mending you for it its definite now iv ive e a letter here from dr bert about it A cloud came over the older wom ans face vicky id be so sorry to see you gol go 11 why would you vi well for the obvious reasons of course the cultured english voice said because mother depends so on you and we all dol do but it only that im thinking of you girls do get so entirely out OU t of touch in those places I 1 know it my father was at barbados when hen I 1 was a girl its much the same thing the life gets one its easy insular bit ious after a bit youre telling visitors that youve been there ten years fifteen years in a few years theres no ou out t 11 vi lom im going away on account of quentin hardisty victoria said mrs keats was standing beside her at the window they did not look at each other there was a silence ive got to get away before I 1 make a corr complete fool of myself before he knows aws 11 victoria presently added you mean you you like hemr him violet keats said in a stunned voice 1 I guess that that about expresses it victoria said with a brief laugh laug h the thing happened quite simply about ten days later victoria had taken rate kate down to dr Hardi offices to have one of the younger men there look at a small sprained elbow he stood looking thoughtfully at vie vic and the child for a long minute finally asked her in almost an absent voice if she would see him in his own office before she went away vie vic found her way to this guarded and inaccessible sanctum made strangely easy kate had a wrapped molasses peppermint to console her for recent indignities and vie vic sat earnest and pretty in her new spring clothes aes looking in puzzled expectancy at the doctor 1 I want to talk for a few minutes and then you talk quentin began he drew four firm parallel lines in pencil on a scrap of paper looking at them crumpled the paper and threw it aside 1 I thought you said the other night that you were lonesome that you W were ere thinking of going to honolulu because you were lonesome 1 I said it to vi vie vic admitted after a moment her heart thumped why do you say that you said it to vi in that funny way 1 I know I 1 said it in a funny way I 1 suppose I 1 meant that I 1 say it to you there was a pause after which the man recommenced the thing is he hesitated the thing is that I 1 want a home he said 1 I want my little girl with me I 1 told violet about it and asked her if she thought take the job she said did she tell you this she tell me anything well she said ayou mean as a nurse and housekeeper or as a wife I 1 said well if you put it that way as a wife daout get what I 1 mean m ean he finished 1 I had been saying housekeeper but maybe what I 1 meant all along was wife 11 he sat back 1 I see victoria mused not moving her eyes from Ms his color came into her face and receded again and they both laughed nervously and and thank youl you she said then a little confusedly 1 I need a wife badly the man presently added everyone knows that violet and john everyone youre the kind of woman I 1 want to marry I 1 admire you tremendously I 1 I 1 like you very much you mean without loving me victoria asked 1 I thought I 1 thought that was how you wanted it to be the man said simply victoria looked at him thoughtfully her breath uneven her face scarlet heres the thing quentin said as she did not speak id be awfully proud if do it really I 1 would if you wont im going to get out for a while ill go to germany but id much rather not get out on account of gwen and my hospital work everything what do you say 1 I think better try germany for a few seconds victoria really thought she had said it then she knew that she had said nothing audible but that she was looking at him with her throat dry and her heart beating hard and all her senses in wild confusion if a man wanted you he could get you she heard him saying if a man wanted you he could get you 1 I say yes of course she said steadily goodill good he said ill come out to dinner tonight and well tell V vi and johnny goodby good by kate give me a kiss the girl no this is the way out victoria left him standing there in his white coat with the little instrument ment still in his big hand she was quiet that evening quiet during the days that followed there were but few between the odd sudden talk in quentin Quen tins s office and the hour when they two were married only catherine and the witnessed the very simple ceremony victoria with a smart loose coat and a small hat was like a serious child obeying docile seemingly bewildered she had arrested quentin with a small hand on his arm when they went into the clergy mans study had spoken in quick tear fear and nervousness quentin youre sure arent you the man looked down at her with his wide smile why arent you yes dyes yes I 1 am she said st staunchly aunch ly afterward when the doctor and violet had kissed her and she and quentin were down beside the parked car she had another moment of irresolution are we going to MW mill valley well you knew that quentin said yes I 1 know 1 I victoria got into the car well be back monday vi 1 she said through the opened win window dow the ke aises waved quentin started the engine they were wen moving ato TO BE CONTINUED |