Show T 1 fi I 1 on ila two wo freys to baca a in B Y L I 1 D A L A R R T I 1 M nr 0 R T 11 1 E 1 D 0 MACRAE WITH SMITH CO SERVICE CHAPTER VII continued 11 mother gave my father a great deal of happiness while she was his wife the major too I 1 suppose though 1 I was with them very little robert adores her gay changed her position and laughed how solemn were we t solemn today did you enjoy seeing new york in a snowstorm 1 I enjoy being with you wherever you are though enjoy is much too polite a word those first few days at the cabin we were so polite to each other 1 I can barely remember I 1 wish we were there now so do I 1 thinking of the woods in a snowstorm snow storm makes all this seem like a stage setting it do you remember when you asked me if I 1 would love you when we were together in new york yes he held her closer 1 I was afraid to come but you arent afraid now no but I 1 cant believe its true dear dear she lifted her head from his shoulder and smiling drew an exaggerated sigh convincing you is certainly uphill up hill work youre the most obstinate person I 1 know 1 I guess youre right I 1 loved you pretty stubbornly for six years it has its advantages it she looked at him gravely her eyes soft and bright 1 I love you she said he drew her close to him 1 I love you he said his lips against her cheek at a repeated sound from behind them gay drew away somewhat hastily john too turned the japanese houseboy house boy his face discreetly expressionless stood just inside the room what is it SUM suki gay asked company Comp ny come please gentleman ladies call up from below say send down elevator please good heavens she looked at him in dismay 1 I might have known I 1 should have told them we were going out to the country tell them now she shook her head who is it suki miss wales mrs howard lady lad not say gent lemans name send the elevator down the houseboy house boy bowed himself out of the room she turned to john her face cleared she laughed you look frightened im terrified if I 1 refused to let them meet you think you presentable I 1 want them to meet you im proud of you you look grand in evening clothes you ought to wear them always 1 I might get a job as a waiter he caught her hand 1 I wont know what to say to them idiots what do you say to me I 1 1 I tell bod you I 1 love you her brows lifted you can omit that dont be frightened really quite harmless it if you would coach me a little oh johnl john she kissed him but absently he thought her expression was thoughtful a little apprehensive as she pulled him up from the davenport as they walked through soft glow of concealed lighting through the frosty glitter of the christmas tree toward the door to greet her friends CHAPTER VIII the last record in the electric whirred whirled to a stop john led the small vivacious brunette wit with h whom he had been dancing to the davenport facing the fire where he had sat with gay youre a wonderful dancer she said settling herself in a swirl of scarlet chiffon you sound surprised john smiled we aborigines who live in maine dont confine our amusement to war dances by any means she glanced at him doubtfully then laughed the mystery is clearing up she said mystery well we have wondered you know she went on with an air of artless frankness too deliberate to be entirely sincere 1 I mean gay goes dashing off into t the he wilds wild and then comes home and breaks her engagement and wont tell us anything about you except that youre a doctor and her god fathers nephew you cant imagine hav curious S weve been to meet med you ou here it was again john had been obliged to respond to that approach many times during the evening as gays friends had arrived and departed in restless animated groups you must find me very disappointing he be said making no effort to rephrase phrase re a reply which so far had appeared to be adequate not at all her bright brown eyes sparkled at him through curling lashes of course most of us met you at gays debutante party but we pay any attention to me he felt that his smile was becoming fixed id meant to say that we dream all this romance was brewing it is romantic you know I 1 mean you never expect such a thing to happen to one of your friends on the surface at least it was all very friendly perhaps he only imagined that under their apparently casual acceptance of him these friends of gays were deliberately making him feel an outsider in subtle ways of which he was conscious but which he could not define that was natural he told himself todd janeway was one of them his name had been mentioned during the evening in connection with christmas eve of last year with reference to the army navy football game in casual reminiscence todds dodds sister ellen was here the slight graceful girl in the tailored tailored ored hat who coming in with the good looking red haired boy in tweeds had explained that they were on their way out to the janeway country place for christmas dont you adore this apartment she was asking when he gave her his attention its very unusual im crazy about it ive been trying to persuade mums and dads to take a penthouse pent house but they say they cant afford to sell the family mausoleum even if anybody could be persuaded to buy it were practically paupers haupers pau pers she added cheerfully dads is loaded with foreign bonds and you know what worth now john wanted very sincerely to understand if he could the point of view of these sleek young people for though she was more intelligent than the girl who chattered beside him it must of necessity be gays it was a rare person who remained uninfluenced by the thought and behavior of his or her companions you never entirely escaped the environment in which you had been reared you were bound to the past by a thousand tenuous ties of habit prejudice affection ties of which you were unaware perhaps until when confronted by some opposite idea you felt them tugging you back into the safety of familiar ideas values habits hed felt them tugging when 1 I beg your pardon he said warned by a sustained upward inflection in his companions voice that she had asked a question it matter he thought that she looked a little bored her eyes flicked past him toward the piano where the girl with auburn hair was singing apparently for her own amusement since the group clustered about her continued to talk in staccato tones which carried across the room 1 I asked you if you and gay were spending tomorrow here or at her fathers place in the country in the country I 1 think 0 lie he wanted to add something t to O that he wanted to apologize more fully tor for his inattention what a dull lout she must think him not that he cared except for gay he was as relieved as he felt his companion must be when he saw a group of of four people come in from the hall and cross the room toward the davenport weve been out on the terrace looking at the view tory wales said as she came up to them she dropped down on the davenport and a white fur coat so soft that it crumpled like velvet as it fell slid down over her bare brown shoulders and back your slippers are wet im afraid her companion the burly but well groomed young englishman who was her fiance said dont fuss hal you cant kill an indian with a little snow she leaned back against the apricot leather of the upholstery and held up two fingers her fiance put a cigarette between them the girl in red laughed dont you two talk the some same language she asked well you must admit that my english is a little different from hals tory wales said her light eyes startling in contrast with her skin twinkling with derisive humor which reminded him of kate when his family was here in octo october ber we practically had to use deaf and dumb signals im learning though she glanced up at her nance who smiled ils as though he found her very amusing relaxed against the upholstery graceful legs crossed and made a half turn toward john seated between her and the girl in red who now that reinforcements for cements had arrived showed no inclination to leave when n are you planning to locate in ne new w york dr houghton I 1 1 I dont expect to locate in new york john said a little startled at the question oh arent you going to practice here the girl in red asked W we e naturally assumed that you were why naturally john asked smiling but with the uncomfortable feeling that he was being deliberately quizzed well gays connections are here we thought very disappointing the girl in red gave a ripple of laughter which held john thought some confusion 1 I was planning to develop a chronic ailment after all one must be loyal to ones friends 1 I appreciate your interest john said but I 1 have a private practice in any event dr houghton is a scientist darling tory wales said speaking across him to the girl in red very interesting the englishman lowered his glass to look at john are you working with a foundation the boy in the tweed suit asked nothing so impressive john laughed briefly just now im ason I 1 the surface at least it was all very friendly a physician in portland general practice im hoping the girl in red interrupted with a request for a cigarette john felt both irritated and relieved he want to talk of his work especially but ut t that at was preferable to more personal references in the flurry of providing the girl at his right with a cigarette he glanced toward the group at the piano gay turned as he watched started across the room with janice howard the others followed jan and rickey think they must go 90 gay said coming up to the davenport you tory janice howard said we can call a cab but it if were to join the family festivities tomorrow steps must be taken at once we must go too tommy ellen janeway rose were meeting the midnight train in from chicago francie and ned are arriving gay maybe well see you in the country tomorrow 1 I want to see francie and ned are they bringing the babies oh yes were driving them out to the country tonight the roads are fairly clear todd phoned she stopped and her soft color deepened were shoving off ff hal tory wales said quickly she rose and shrugged into the white fur coat were going home and hang up our stockings maybe get a bale of oats in yours if youre good she added linking her arm through the arm of her fiance goodnight good night gay goodnight good night dr houghton well see you wednesday evening goodnight good night dr houghton janice howard extended a slender hand its been pleasant to meet t you goodnight good night everybody gay said merry christmas goodnight john was standing at one of the long windows when gay came into the drawing room she went to h him i in moving swiftly noiselessly over the rugs which suki had replaced what do you see she asked stan standing ding beside him are y you ou watching for santa claus he come in a boat he turned when she spoke glancing at her looked out and down through the window again manhattan is an island it he said in a detached distant voice ive never been able to believe it but seeing water down under the windows john her breath caught in her throat ile he looked so unapproachable standing there with his back to the room in darkness now except for the blue and silver dazzle of the christmas tree the restrained glow of the birch log fire she slipped her hand into the pocket where his was thrust laid her cheek against his arm it must be colder he said steadily the snow melting see it on the deck of that scow there under the light john darling I 1 know what youre thinking dont ile he looked at her then and she saw the unhappiness in his eyes his lips moved as though he meant to speak but no sound came john she said quietly look al ai me he turned silent unsmiling wait ing for her to continue have you changed your mind she asked steadily are you trying to tell me her voice faltered trembled was stilled oh gay no he made a despairing sp airing gesture im trying to see this thing clearly we cant rush into it blindly cant we be comfortable at least she said wearily he followed her to the davenport before the fire sat at a little distance from her cigarette she asked thank you he struck a match to light hers As he bent toward her she saw that his expression had softened youre tired he said gently A little he did not touch her though she willed him to with all her strength when his cigarette was lit he sat back against the upholstery 1 I dont wonder he said bitterly youve carried me on your shoulders all evening and im a pretty heavy load dont be an idiot darling 11 yo you u watched me you watched batche d your friends as though you were afraid 1 I was afraid that id do or say something that would humiliate you no john that they would try to make you feel uncomfortable an outsider someone who belong he turned to her puzzled deliberately he asked she nodded 1 I sensed something of the sort you cant understand it I 1 suppose im trying ive been trying all evening ile he crushed out his cigarette its the assurance that wealth gives I 1 suppose these friends of yours who were here tonight they can be loyal too she said quickly more defensively than she knew it would have been loyalty to todd if been unpleasant to you tonight but what about you and your cousin he I 1 she was silent TO BE CONTINUED |