Show N ma D L E S by mae foster bayl copy copyright richt bry br W A wildo wild co f service CHAPTER XII continued 21 after lunch she set out tor for a walk anything to dull this restlessness not far from the hotel she met nell goodenough going or staying nell she cried interestedly going but only because I 1 think I 1 should leave what jobs there are to married men oh I 1 mary looked thoughtful and started on walt wait a minute mary deliberately nell overtook her how h he e drawled can we finish our race to the top it if were not on the same track we go together mary did you ever took look up that antonym in your thesaurus distress welled in marys eyes nell slowly 1 I md did and what did you findl find 1 I 1 I found friendship nell liking aff affection ecklon but that was all bravely 1 I take them all nell I 1 had to select ills chin was set and steady Ms his eyes kind and worshipful and disillusioned lusio ned ill 1 I was afraid the right one oae was reserved for some one else mary he said quietly well friendship Is something its a lot nell she slipped her hand through his arm and walked with him as far as his tent returned the steady pressure of his fingers on hers and hurried on down the hill around the foot of lone mountain she must think get rid of the sto storm rm of emotion denis craigs entreaty had aroused in her banish the pain of her refusal of dear old walt wait a minute something very sweet was beneath her anguish however two men wanted her rid of her gold ball and chain two men of the right sort wanted herl her I 1 she walked rapidly and came to the part of the project where the dorseys and leighs lived in their new houses on adjoining hills A group of girls was gathered on the leighs veranda it made mary think of that day in foggy gulch don caught the one five june was saying hell have something in a short time the hard part Is having to stay here until ho he gets his first check so he can ship his belongings with a gay gesture that included herself and the children in the yard are aie you going or staying mary sir irr craig told me I 1 might be telephone central she ehe grinned co good od I 1 ile he ought to take care of a girl so bad for a man to be shifted about and we wives are all used to these uproot ings bairy made an abrupt escape it was the only way she could go it hurt so 0 o they had grown so dear to her these girls strange Sti inge it that power within thit that governed you like a despot that made you deliberately smash your wn dream castles quash your longings longing 1 back oft off a stage all prettily y get for your ow own act that power that ninde made you unable to put away suggestions hints that been intended HS such at all As miry mary entered the engineering offices she met the father of the projects first born bora ills face was a little tragic lie he was so young and this was the first time lie he had lost a job land anything temporary pred fred mary asked allied no chance with bravado come back to in five minutes and there will be said mary succinctly she went inside then she had it out with hilt and john its utter nonsense mary for you to fo leave I 1 if you dont want to take this job stay on with creesh and me ill but mary was adamant she left a note finally for dents denis 1 I just stay denis ill be at the palace ile he would write to her there come to tier her there she flew to the packing of her trunk she thought her heart w was as breaking she going to stick to dents denis through his slump going to prove her loyalty to him and the job by being his telephone central she the daughter of the rieb rich david brown she was on the train now it was stopping at foggy gulch now how w well ell she remembered that morning nearly three years ago when she had stepped off here here here bere on the platform was hank johnson himself of course I 1 held hed have to know who was leaving he be mary rushed from the train to grasp his hand band 1 11 I knew atwould happen L just a money makan scheme the kingpins king pins made his little wad mr johnson ill 1 wants me to pay cash for my place I 1 I 1 wont do it I 1 mary smiled at him accustomed now to demonstrating the contradictory theorem that was hank johnson she wrote the Q 11 D hank flank would pay cash that would help dents denis some need money bliss mary 1 no if you did or should 1 I could lend it to you marys eyes filled as she turned toward ard the steps of the train all their differences were wiped out in this minute but rd fd charge you eight per cent V V dank shouted after her it was tough going for mary bro drown wn the next few minutes this wea was what an engineers ife was like making friends like ilke hank flank like the ones to whom she say bay goodby godby good god by on the project weathering the ups and downs of life with them for a year or so and then having to leave them but gradually mary got herself together after all she had the friends it would be wonderful to leave attrall a it trall of them behind her at every project i to cross trails with them again through the years and she had behind her achievement A background for greater success she had one hundred dollars and the adventure ahead of choosing a new job soon denis would come to her by y that time she would have thought or of some excuse to give him for her ae leav V ing CHAPTER XIII no quarter yet ret a month from that day when she was turning away from the hotel desk in hurt amazement as she had turned away from it repeatedly she sha was callenback called back by an astonishing bit of advice see here my dearl dear I 1 its none of m my y busl business ness but the sooner you snap out of this the easier it will be for you mary looked quickly into the wise and friendly and somehow familiar eyes of the girl behind the desk a girl about her own age in years but immeasurably anyone could have told her senior in experience believe me miss bliss brown I 1 know a case of the letter that never came when I 1 see it you are bitter said mary noncommittally commit tally men are like that not this one mary defended theres some reason reason we women all kid ourselves ilk like that until we learn I 1 suppose he hea men are like that going to send for you when he gets a little stake ahead or something like that mary smiled somehow she take offense at the girls friendliness she had liked her ever since she came cama to the hotel and now even resent being asked are you married to him miss brown no good at least you wont have divorce and a baby to worry about you listen to me would you miss brown land and go home to your folks while the going Is good uary mary flushed in apparent embarrassment 1 I cant do that then why dont you find a job and forget the villain in the play mary laughed with a new cynicism ive been walking the streets tor a month looking for a job the girl threw out her hands ive been there too something I 1 suppose its that has drawn me to you from the first ive worried about you yon actually worried am I 1 being impertinent mary made a husky noise purported to be a laugh III 1 I never realized before how heavenly it was to have some one worry about me ive liked you too wistfully 1 I wish I 1 could help you you arent the same bame girl who came here a month ago youve lost weight youve lost bost the sparkle from your eyes your cheeks are pale you look and act positively weak l she broke off to study mary closely miss brown lets go out to lunch together and talk as we eat thanks said mary but I 1 lh chavent avent time timeto to eat I 1 must pack im leaving the hotel this evening the girl gave her an eloquent look then summarily snatched her hat from the rack and came outside to link her arm in marys maryls on the square miss brown how long since youve eaten mary laughed weakly in surrender all ali right it has been two days and im strong and husky and quite able abla to stand up tip under a little dieting dieling when it seems expedient they were walking down the lobby side by side it if youve the sense cense you look as if you had said the girl lunch with me today and take me out sometime when youre on your feet as youre going to be you win said mary and they made their way to a cafeteria ill fill your tray said the girl whoso choso name mary had learned was edna dale mrs airs edna date dale 1 I know a lot more than you do about how big a surprise the stomach can stand up op under TO BB |