| Show out ont tt tell P fant BY WILLIAM LLIAM NEY A 01 CHAPTER I 1 IX X night had tucked a sable shroud over the uneasy seaway A blue black gauze pinned to the top of the uni universe by stars arched tautly overhead its ends lost in the lark dark voids of the horizon the wind had freshened and aipa v i 3 of clouds scudded studded in low from the t N e cast telltale forerunners of j stormy legions to conic long island sound in its atlantic extremity is black of nights almighty block black lighthouses lighthouse are few and far between and the gap from the connecticut shore to the sandy strands of the island is so broad that even the customarily heavy shipping does not give a crow crowded tied aspect to the nocturnal ave I 1 passages and cannot overcome the impression of lonesomeness loneso menes and immensity men sity calm though the night be otherwise and smooth the seas elsewhere the confluence of many currents current off point judth judith lends turbulence alwaes to the waters water there and sp spreads its choppy effect in a radius of many miles the speedwell slicing silently alon along under full headway again was wa beginning to feel the influence nf the boisterous cape sometime after midnight the big yacht would veer south and slip out to the open sea between towering montauk light on the starboard and lonely block island far to port that ws Ls the sailing plan braced on the bridge against the increasing roll captain marty cocked a weather wise maine eye upon the be spangled heavens sniffed the message of the salty reind ind and lowed to the mate that its goin to blow alov up a bit thick small difference to that bunch b blow v 1 hig high h blow low grinned the rn mate lo 10 e two hours more the way thearl st ste camin anun up now and they wont know I 1 whether were comin or goin or whether were in davy jones locker do that crowd good to get shaken up a bit ca captain etain marty glanced aft and grunted rumbles and clack of dinner revelry came from the brilliantly illuminated illuminate d lounge deck which was closed now at the hides by sliding glass partitions that had been noiselessly adjusted by the moonfaced steward to shield delicate bare shoulders from the chilly night air livingstone anti and his guests had dressed formally for dinner the speedwell was that kind of a yacht it was a resplendent scene by the wizardry of the suave coupled with the ingenious mechanisms of the luxurious x fittings the lounge deck had been converted for all intents and purposes into a palatial secondary dining room in mild summer temperature the speedwells Spee dwells lounge often served this dual role while unclosed to the air but for just such occasions as this when there was a bit too much zest in in the breeze it could be virtually enclosed like a huge conservatory it was merely to humor a very rich mans idea of a lark and not because proper that the lounge was sometimes so used the real dining room one dek deck below with its walnut panelled panel led walls and open fireplace and gorgeous gorg tapestries and genuine antique italian renaissance furniture was known as I 1 t he h e finest fi n ead dining in i ng room afloat fin in the v horld 0 rl d it ha had d cost livingstone stiv ner many hundreds of thousands thousand s of dollars that dining room the income from many acres and many deals tonight it had contributed only its silver service the sheen of its crystal and an 1 glass glash and the dic of its napery p e nr to the dinner these with the flowers and potted plants indi indigenous lienous to that lounge deck formed a colorful background for the glittering evening gowns and the bared shoulder back and bosom flesh of the women and for the tuxedo dress tire ss of the men it formed too a fitting social battleground tle ground for the tournament of jealousies susies the eye and wit mt jousts of the host and four of his guests and for the delighted sea scandal adal mongering through the medium of furtive nudges and covert whispers of the remainder of that smartest of smart society parties abner gratman was counting the dragging draz qing hours until these communal gatherings would be over for that night anti anil the week enders would be asleep in their respective cabins then he could go about the spicy business of his tryst with joan joan with lier her mature beauty and marble skin shin as proud and defiantly calm as clare was restless and brazen under the ever watchful eyes that table round felt herself treading on the fdge edge of an und uncertain ertain abyss given as much to quick tears as to swift haq rages es joan silently fought within herself h tho q question of whether to melt into weeping orto or to indulge a tantrum vicariously by surrendering herself without constraint or reservation to the cons consuming impulse of the hour the surcease to her heart promised in long beckoning arms joan was quite sure of her own n mind un d she loved abner body and soul she desired him but is was provoking to see her husband even though she did not love HIM any more passing wholly and shamelessly into the wily toils toil of an adventuress it was one thing for joan to fall in lovee love herself but to have tle the humiliation of seeing rann ranny nr race her publicly neck and neck or rather necker and necker along the primrose path of dalliance aroused at least a point of pride it was not that she cared joan avowed to herself but it would have been so much more decent if the had been lone done with nith clean hands if ranny had gotten a divorce and given her the freedom she needed to consummate her new love without deception one thing she had always admired about ranny was his consistent disinterestedness terest terest edness in women since their niagria marriage ge even after their quarrels had attained the status of utter and unabridged incompatibility much aluch as joan joa n had wanted the divorce she secretly admired the innate fi which had kept ranny from illicit liaisons now suddenly in one fell swoop ranny had apparently cast aside all his inhibitions and reverted to crude and unrefined first principles but there were compensations in being disillusioned joan felt for over and above her hurt pride she grew conscious of a sense of being unshackled to be continued |
