Show L V two 1 ilk I 1 A wo evs 0 a cabin B Y L I 1 D A L A R R I 1 M 0 R E Q lt MACRAE lular SMITH fT tJ CO r SERVICE ft taff CHAPTER X continued 15 youre in fine form tonight gabriella br iella connie belmont fluttered her long lashes at them across the table if pete your cousin id be a wallflower wall flower too john turned to gay will you dance with me he asked quietly her eyes brilliant with animation for the others clouded as her quick upward glance met his id like to she said and rose as he got up to pull back her chair excuse me she said directly to robert cameron and silently at johns side walked to the edge of the dance floor she was light in his arms he scarcely felt her hands on his shoulder in his hand she held herself at a little distance from him he could not see her face only her red brown hair brushed smooth tonight bound with a narrow bandeau of dull gold leaves they circled the floor in silence then john said its a nice party yes it she said and was silent again he had thought that dancing he might find her again during this interminable evening she had held him off as now physically she kept a distance between them her animation for the others excluded him though he had sat beside her silently miserably unable to respond to her mood he had watched the effect of her high spirits upon the party now with him alone she was silent are you having a good time he asked when again and more slowly as the number of dancers increased they had circled the floor oh yes she said are you nol no you know im not she drew back and looked up at him why not she asked lightly smiling her eyes sparkling in dark blue glints between the thick straight lashes its a beautiful party robert always does things nicely her expression changed oh john noll no she gave a little despairing cry im miserable ive never spent such a wretched evening why we do as wed planned robert have minded you were afraid wed quarrel he said yes yesa 1 I was if seen your face when mother asked me what I 1 intended to do this winter 1 I never heard anything so completely selfish he burst out with low vehemence it was tactless ol of her to have spoken of it in your presence perhaps but mothers way she calls it being practical it occur to her that you would think her heartless as you did but ashes your mother gay we each lead a completely independent existence its not a bad idea when I 1 see what some mothers do to their children im glad kitty is like she is but you dont want to visit tory wales in palm beach theres only one thing I 1 really want to do dont you know how that makes me feel flattered I 1 should hope her smile trembled no you cant know he said bitterly you cant know what its me like to feel humiliated not to be able to take you away with me now tonight to have you make explanations which I 1 should make you been happy and neither have 1 I except that first day christmas eve yesterday and today in the country you happy I 1 was but why they moved slowly only their feet conscious of the rhythm of the waltz because we avoided any reference to the subjects upon which we disagree because we were alone except for kate and your father oh dearl her laughter shook 1 I made you come here because I 1 was afraid wed quarrel if we were alone and I 1 wanted your last night here to be pleasant dont john talking spoils everything if we keep on at this rate her head dropped against his shoulder he felt her tremble in the tightened clasp of his arms im sorry but ive got I 1 to know look at me gay his voice was rough with urgency tell me do you want to go on her eyes lifted to his were brilliant with terror john she cried faintly darling 1 I dont see how you can he said more gently im theres nothing 1 I love you she said steadily do you gay his lips moved but no further words came he saw that her eyes brimmed with tears darling he said moved as he was always by her rare tears lets get out of here I 1 dont want to talk to the others I 1 want to be alone with you 1 I want that too she blinked then smiled do I 1 look spotty from weeping lucky I 1 dont use mascara very lucky you look lovely his arms released her reluctantly can we say all the polite things now and get away of course we can she held his hand tightly as they made their way through revolving couples toward the table which her stepfather step father had engaged no one was there the other members ot of the party were dancing in the glow of aita artfully lilly mellowed lights on the crowded floor well have to wait 0 john sighed no we wont but politeness darling wait she caught up her evening bag froni from the table opened it took out a lipstick lip stick holding fasi fast with her left hand to his hand she printed in staggering bright red capitals on the table cloth GOODBY GOOD BY GAY AND JOHN john set his cup in the saucer and pushed back the sleeve of his topcoat top coat to glance at his watch gay watched him with widened eyes holding her breath fifteen minutes he said she let her breath exhale with a sighing sound time for another cup of coffee she said and glanced toward the waiter drowsing against the wall no darling all those steps his lips smiled at her across the table in the station restaurant but the smile did not reach his eyes do you want me to miss the train the object of drinking two cups of coffee john must you go must gay he rose and walked around the table to her chair 1 I dont want to go dont you she caught his hand resting on the back of the chair even after everything she tilted her head back to look up at him her eyes soft and bright a half smile curving her lips none of that seems important now darling come she rose slowly he held her coat she slipped into it he bundled the collar about her throat 1 I have let you come with me going out through the door of the restaurant he held her arm tightly its so late and so cold carl is waiting ill be all right P A redcap red cap with johns luggage followed them across the vast vaulted concourse of the station only a few late travelers moved past and before them their footsteps made a hollow echoing sound she pressed lose close to him take me with you john he smiled down into her lifted eyes sad in the depths beneath the brilliance what would I 1 do with you gay we rent something A house or an apartment how do people in portland live 1 I live in dr sergeants Sarge ants home as you know very well was is that a stipulation 11 A very important one I 1 have come here to see you if id had to pay board since october I 1 have bought this new hat which you dont admire 1 I do its a marvelous hat now that ive gotten used to it I 1 think it makes you look very handsome and distinguished liar he pressed her arm with his arm against his side darlinge Dar lingl has dr sargeant a family f john mrs sargeant their older daughter is there this winter with two small sons her huab husband and is an officer in the navy theres a younger daughter in college who comes home pretty often for weekends Is she attractive 1 I dont know ill look at her when I 1 get back and send a report she laughed ive never really seen a girl since ive known you darlinge Dar lingl id like to believe you do you know how you look now wan and exhausted from trying not to burst into a hood flood of tears like a russian princess in that fur cap and coat there sh should be a drosky wait waiting ing outside for you instead of a limousine there are no more russian princesses there are in illustrations for tol stoys novels but they don blue eyes they should his voir faltered oh gay don dont it go johi it seems seem s ouch lich a little while since I 1 rn hero her to meet you and weve wasted so much of it being unhappy 1 I can barely remember and were wasting left talking about russian princesses and dr sergeants Sarge ants family called whistling to kee keep P your spirits up what should we talk about darling 1 I dont know I 1 should be able to think of something beautiful something that you would remember I 1 cant all I 1 can say is I 1 love you beautiful and I 1 will remember it darling you sweet they neared the train gate john tightened his grasp on her arm will they let you go down with me gay id id like to see anybody stop me my gra grandfather nd father owned most of the new york new haven and hartford once the official at the gate asked no questions they started down the stairs it was the chin up that did it john said oh I 1 dont think they care especially late like this they descended into the chill air and murky light of the lower level 11 J I 1 I 1 1 I 1 ira well have to waitt wait john sighed the train with curtains drawn over section windows and lights burning dimly in vestibules vesti bules waited on the track the redcap red cap led the way toward the sleeper in which johns berth was reserved they lagged behind walking slowly very close together youre going arent you I 1 believe it now that I 1 see the train john when will I 1 see you again 1 I dont know ill be tied down pretty closely after dr sargeant sails except on wednesday afternoons and evenings may I 1 come to see you some wednesday afternoon would you gay his face brightened 1 I wint want my mother and sisters to meet you and my grandmother love my grandmother she glanced at him and away what he asked more family can we risk it love you 1 I hope so she hesitated then continued im sorry she said 1 I wanted 1 I love you 1 I love you A brake mans call echoed past them they made for the vestibule of the train better not go aboard miss the porter said pleasantly we leave in 0 one ne mo minute one more minute john he caught her into his arms their lips met and clung A second call echoed he broke away from her arms the porter leaned out of the vestibule john raced into the train colliding with the negro goodby good by he called as the train began to move good she ran a few steps beside the car john caught her hand dropped it remember some wednesday afternoon 91 the train picked up speed she tell fell back breathless stood straining for a last glimpse of johns waving arm his face the hat that she admired the train moved forward into darkness the re red 4 light at the rear diminished into a dot a pinpoint pin point was gone gay turned toward the stairs lead in ing g up I 1 to the station level some wednesday afternoon CHAPTER XI KI john stopped his car before a square frame house set flush with the pavement along a street of square frame houses separated by stretches of snow covered lawns the late afternoon light was gray and a sharp wind blew in across casco bay john stepping out of the car glanced up through bare branches of elms serene and gracious in summer etched now in in bleak austerity against a cold gray sky there was snow in the wind he thought A march blizzard would probably leave in its wake an epidemic of influenza nothing to do about it though he sunk his chin into the collar of his bearskin coat and started across the icy pavement to the steps of the house A childs voice shouting drew him to the fence parallel to the street he looked through brown skeletons of lilac bushes into the side yard hi commodore he called the shouting stopped nathaniel adams dr sergeants Sarge ants eight year old grandson standing on the seat of a garden swing strung with an intricate network of ropes and string waved a hand toward him im admiral byrd he called oh are you hows it going land in sight were in despret straits admiral byrd in a blue and red snowsuit and high buckled galoshes galos hes shouted cheerfully across the ice floes of the antarctic radios gone dead cant get a squeak out of her anyhow serious john sympathized have you tested the tubes aya De adern a doornail door nail john smiled marveling at the rapidity with wi th which a child adapted himself to an environment young nat had been born in the philippines and cut his teeth in san francisco but his aya was as authentic as though instead of six months r he had spent the six years of his life in maine well keep your courage up you ought to sight land by morning maybe you can find out wrong with it nat suggested sorry old man excuse me admiral im a doctor not a radio technician you could try anyway you the child persisted got to keep moving nat better come in pretty soon this wind is cold john went into the house lamps were lit in the wide hallway the warm air made his face burn he threw off his coat and went to the table beneath a gilt framed mirror the days accumulation of mail lay there in a tidy heap john ran through it rapidly nothing from gay there had been nothing for three days that was not unusual though sometimes he received two letters a day again several days would pass without a message from her hed hoped there would be something today her letters were graphic amusing affectionate he enjoyed them well TO BE CONTINUED |