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Show till f 11 j&ij stir I fafXf?W fisjp MAfiY SCHUMANN mm& " - He turned it over in his mind as he walked home. Probably Sloan was right and new scenes might be a help, might ease the burden. The radio was chanting with a plangent sonorousness, "I got those Decatur Street blooo-ooes!" when he came in. Dorrie, near it, a newspaper in her lap, was gazing out the window. She started at his entrance, rose, dropping the paper. "Oh, Hugh," she said in soft surprise. sur-prise. "Didn't you expect me yet?" "Of course five-thirty. But I hadn't realized it was so late." She put her hand absently to her hair, patted it back. "Hughie, I haven't any dinner ready. I've run out of ideas about food. And see I burned my hand this morning." "I'm sorry." "On the toaster." I touched it when I put it away had left the current on. It smarted so I had to bandage it. Will you be very nice and take me out to dinner?" "I have my moments!" He endeavored en-deavored to speak lightly. "You're sweet." She smiled into his eyes. Release flooded his heart, tingled through his veins. "Where shall it be? The club?" "Most anywhere. They say that tea room near the bridge has a special spe-cial dinner." He wanted her to sit down, wanted want-ed to tell her about the vacation, but she slid out of his arms with a feline grace. "I'll make myself beautiful," she murmured, starting for the stairs. As he stood heavily where she left him, her haste to - get away closed down on him. Presently he picked up the paper, pa-per, sat down by the window. His eye traveled over the headlines the orders received by the steel mills which would put several hundred hun-dred more men to work, the dying you to understand," she murmured. mur-mured. "I'll go out and help Anna get the lunch on the table." She went out directly lunch was over. About one o'clock it began to rain, a cold drizzle. The rain was too late to help the baked farms and gardens, but was soothing sooth-ing to taut nerves, strained with too much heat and sunlight. Fluvanna Flu-vanna wandered about the house rather forlornly." She would take a hot bath, and then a nap. No, she would lie down first. That odd pain which she had so often lately, was coming back. She went into her room and closed the window where the rain beat in. Someone came in the front door without ringing the bell. She heard Dorrie's voice downstairs, down-stairs, "Hello! . . . Anyone home?" "Up here, Dorrie." She sat down suddenly in a chair, overcome with weakness. "I brought you a cake I made myself," said Dorrie. "How delicious that will be! You're so thoughtful, Dorrie." Dorrie Dor-rie was a good child. "I haven't had a maid lately. I've been doing everything, myself." my-self." Dorrie seemed to seek approval. ap-proval. "Did Tillie get another place?" "She had to go home because her mother was sick. I wanted tr do it . . . thought I'd feel better." Fluvanna bit her lip with the sudden sud-den pain, closed her eyes. After a moment she heard Dorrie's voice, sounding as if it were far-off, "You look so strange." She did not answer. Then seeing Dorrie's eyes fixed on her in a kind of fright, Fluvanna answered with an effort: "Don't mind me. I'm terribly upset and worried." "You know about it?" asked Dorrie, a little sharply. Fluvanna nodded. Dorrie must have heard about Kezia and Jerry too. That was the reason for this visit, the cake was an offering of "I won't burden my children with such news. Death shouldn't be heralded her-alded months in advance. It's an individual matter." She smiled a little. So her son and daughters only heard that the fainting attack was brought on by exhaustion and the hot weather. There was some talk of a trip and a change of climate, cli-mate, but this Fluvanna vetoed and the matter was dropped. CHAPTER IX As the weeks wore by Hugh experienced ex-perienced the disintegrating effects of split emotions. Try as he would he could not reconcile the situation situa-tion into ease of mind. It was like a broken dish which had been un-skillfully un-skillfully mended. You saw at once the ugly dark line where it had been joined together. Grudgingly he admitted that Dorrie seemed to be making an effort to efface her conduct; she was conciliatory, consulted con-sulted his wishes in a new way. This last was disconcerting for it continually reminded him of the reason. She had been wont to demand, de-mand, not to appeal. She did not try to get another maid when Til-lie Til-lie left, studied a cook book, and had new dishes for dinner. She carefully recounted where she had been each day, as if to reassure him. He had a new wife but at what price? he told himself. Although his longing for her did not cease, became more powerful as he became be-came more aware of it, it was a hideous thing, humiliating him because be-cause he was helpless before it. He was often short and curt with her, then to make up for it, was carefully care-fully polite. One day he went into a new restaurant for lunch. The owner had achieved the synthetic atmosphere atmos-phere of a Moorish inn, stone floors, rude fireplaces, and jugs before a drinking fountain in the wall. The place was dimly lighted and it was not until he had ordered that he saw Ellen Pendleton eating luncheon lunch-eon with Ronny Wakes. They oc-cupiec oc-cupiec a red leather wall seat just opposite him. Ellen was talking animatedly to Ronny, her frequent laughter a little lit-tle feverish in its gaiety. Preoccupied Pre-occupied with his own affairs, he had seen and heard nothing of Ellen El-len for some time, and when Ronny Ron-ny left the table to telephone, Hugh crossed over. "Hello, stranger. I haven't seen you all summer." "It has been a long time." Hugh fumbled. "Everything going go-ing well?" he inquired after a pause. "Everything." "I must be getting back to the office. By the way, you're with Ronny. How come?" Ellen's lashes swept her cheeks, then she raised her eyes unflinchingly. unflinch-ingly. "I suppose because he asked me." "I'm squelched! But I thought I was given to understand that your interest lay in another direction. direc-tion. That soulful young chap, Jerry." Jer-ry." He saw an odd thing. A quiver of pain, so sentient, so defenseless, crossed her face that he thought she was going to faint. Then she was controlled; she even smiled. "Haven't you heard? His interest lies in another direction." "I haven't heard a thing," he replied frowning. "Mind if I say he has rotten taste?" She laughed on a low note. "Loyal "Loy-al as everl . . . But people change." "Yes they do," said Hugh slowly. slow-ly. His own predicament made him more alive to the remote suffering suf-fering in her eyes. "Call on me if there's anything . . Ellen shook her head firmly. "Thanks there's nothing." Ronny came back from the telephone tele-phone with apologies. Hugh spoke CHAPTER VIII Continued fcj Perhaps she was a selfish moth-but moth-but she wished that Kezia gould be more companionable, five her more of her confidence. e was evasive about where she fs going, or where she had been. JVone Monday night she said to J'Vr firmly, "Kezia, I must know Jjggiere you are going." Kezia frowned nervously as she V aod with the screen door half Sen. "Running over to Emmy's. L; roeone will bring me home." V Fluvanna rose from her chair by jillf; reading lamp. She watched :zia's light slim figure grow trred in the darkness of the long mt walk. She was only a bob-lg bob-lg shadow on the street, walking iwly now. Then as she watched r, Kezia's footsteps quickened a Je. She turned toward the curb lere a roadster was parked, mbed into it The car moved ay. The next morning Kezia came vnstairs about noon, fresh and iling. She came to her mother the library and extended a glove ner . "Just a tiny hole. Mother, nt to mend it for me? It's the y pair that's clean. I told Anna menwash them yesterday but her ernSy answer was a dirty look! So U t been industrious this morning, 1 Pushed four pairs, and numerous J c'ckings." 'luvanna took the glove, thread-e thread-e Sta needle. 149 Where were you last night, my 'rancr-j" (m Cezia took a step back and shot a look. "Just over to Emmy's," rvic,said coldly. m.ho drove you over?" i remle 'r' Save her a guarded -Advce- ezia, whom are you meeting stent yu won't bring to the house? ng hi'PPene( to see vou Set into a cone" Fluvanna stopped and sed her hand to her side, won't be questioned about ev- little thing I do!" I?WS nRt a little thing; it'3 a lilWl serious thing. If there is some e4 nable explanation, why don't 3 f give it to me?" ad stican't." sodhdy can'1 yu?" and pas someone whom you wouldn't !as,flpie at htuse so there!" felt bey rjear Rurely you know that d enjoy, ' ' ather allsw you to have any- cnSjjanyone at the house, than relief d you picked up on street cor-rt cor-rt acl ting Ju nplete other, darling," said Kezia t when nurt jnnocence ancj touching York, 1, you won t scold me if I arising, XQU?" ruj bacli " )." how gd?robablv shouldn't have start-relleveid start-relleveid at first it was only in fun. ition. 'low ifs reai. He cares for istead of her!" She smiled ringly; a tear squeezed out 3Unthe mist in her eyes, rolled wlier cheek. She knelt by her IfM r's chair, laid her head on iLSl rm. "You understand, you Fftil iinderstanding mother you're ZXil nurt? And now u you know allow him to come to the If fc3f Wki, lis "It's Exactly What You Wanted," Want-ed," She Said. out of the last epidemic in infantile paralysis, the suicide of a prominent promi-nent banker, the President's latest speech. On the third page a small item caught his roving eye; "Joan Whitney, 120 Mimosa street, vs. Cunningham Whitney, 120 Mimosa street, on the grounds of mental cruelty. They were married April 6, 1924, and have no children." Ellen, half-hidden in a big chair, clutched the magazine she was reading and braced herself, for her mother had come into the room. She settled herself in a chair opposite op-posite Ellen. "What are you reading?" read-ing?" "The Modern Arts Magazine." Lizzie's lips thinned disapprovingly. "It's harmless, isn't it?" demanded de-manded Ellen with sudden spirit. "I suppose you have to have something to occupy your mind." It was hard to concentrate with Mother staring at her, and she read it only because she hoped Lizzie would go away if she saw her absorbed. "How he could treat you that way the cad! My blood boils when I think about it!" Ellen threw the magazine down. Some more bloodless surgery was to be attempted cutting dissectingprobing! dissect-ingprobing! And there was no anesthetic to deaden you to the pain of the knife held by maternal hands. "It's exactly what you wanted," she said in a low voice. "You didn't approve of him." "I was very nice to him very!" "And if he likes Kezia better, he has a right to change his mind. Let's not discuss it any more." "Eilen, you never give me your confidence," complained Lizzie. "You always keep me at arm's length." (TO BE COXTIXUED) "He Really Adores You Looks Up to You!" sympathy. "It's all so sad so cruel." cru-el." She sighed. Something leaped in Dorrie's face; something rebellious and unkind. un-kind. "Hugh told you! He said he hadn't!" "No, not Hugh. I just heard It today. I suspected something-things something-things puzzled me. I asked Kezia. It took her a long time, but finally fi-nally she told me." Dorrie's lip curled. "Kezia!" Why did Dorrie speak in that tone? Why did she stare at her with such a hostile gaze? Suddenly Sudden-ly the pain in Fluvanna's chest gripped her; her heart began to beat with quick hammer - like strokes. Faster and faster until the pain seemed to be bursting her lungs. The room revolved swiftly like a whirling black disk with a circle of light at the center. The circle of light became smaller and smaller until the blackness blotted it out altogether. She knew nothing noth-ing more. Later she became conscious of Dr. Carey holding her wrist, his finger on her pulse. His face was grave. "I must have fainted," she murmured. mur-mured. "You must have indeed." A day or so later he said, "You'll have to face it, Fluvanna; that heart of yours is a leaky old organ. or-gan. With care it might see you through some little time a year, two three. And then again . . ." She listened to him with no feeling feel-ing of shock. Had not some inner in-ner presentiment told her that it would not be long? "And then again ?" "Three months six months." to him and then took his departure. He found himself wishing he did not have to go back to the office; the work had gone flat to him and he found himself struggling to concentrate con-centrate on the simplest problems. When he hung up his bat Miss Ruskin passed with a paper in her hand. "Mr. Sloan wants to see you, Mr. Marsh." He went into the office of the president Sloan was telephoning but he nodded him to a chair. "Marsh," he began brisklj when he hung up the receiver, "how would you like to take a vacation?" Hugh felt a faint perspiration break out on his forehead. "You mean you're not satisfied with my work?" Sloan gave a short laugh. "Look in the glass, my boy. You've been off color for a month. Run away for a week or so, play golf, keep out in the open air, forget the business. busi-ness. You're heading for something some-thing an illness, I would say if you don't snap out of it" The thought clicked in Hugh's brain that twice lately he had heard of men sent on vacations by thoughtful companies, men who in a few days received a wire that their services would no longer be needed. "I'm all right," he answered an-swered brusquely. "I feel better working." His superior played with his fountain pen. "Something bothering bother-ing you?" he inquired. Hugh did not answer. "Financial?" "No." Sloan relaxed. 'My advice is to get out of town for a few days. Get a new perspective on your worries, wor-ries, whatever they are. We see things in proportion after a change of scene." He nodded at him kindly. kind-ly. "I c;; spare you next week." yoS w-as yu Promised you would! d, bccausHe really adore3 you looks Dovor uiyou!" oryamotf.anna SasPod as revelation moymoot "Kezziel . . . Not Jerry?" tlio nasuppose we couldn't keep it aborts l0T?gCr- You'd have heard. gathatif Im surprised Lizzie hasn't pain. 'er already, ranting to you!" msonoanna shook her head, gave a WdiagES S0Und her throat Jompouai you realize what you've ip tlio s It's not Lizzie it's Ellen! sconifortior child had confided in me tuo-"8- She was in ve ior the Turning me in her life! . . . Oh, ihood. 2-Kezzie!" hood. & drew her mother's hands uartrt 'som her 'ace, which she PIN Killed- Her voice was light MPOUNHnning. "Sweetest darling ugli." you'll allow him to come - --ouse? . . . You said you And you'll be nice to him "rapP11 crnes? FEEl-S1113 UlouSht "Was she leal--8H)ioti!in8 of marrying him? How rorSoiri rccncile the fact that Jer-ndnnrimwj! Jer-ndnnrimwj! propose to one girl in May THOMPsto love with another in Sep- he may come to the house. nust be no more secret l." 3tiOflIarnb!" She kissed her "And you'll not say any-7. any-7. ; make him uncomfortable' JonCary sensitive- He said it eacrcd l(tr,ade hlm shriek the way ,c bear illdletnns looked down on ot ncccss' Fluvanna's swift thought ists bi"(eiving Jerry casually and lanly, ot y might remove the Milne. of the situation as far as iiT u 3 concerned. "I'll be care. illways'bc'S-sensitiveness., she re- SJooked at her doubtfully. knew I could count on |