Show EA TY 4 DAU T E R 1 B kath e 6 n nor r 1 S CHAPTER L I 1 victoria herrendeen Horren deen came up from the beach with her sandy fingers tight in her fathers hand those girls down there had been mean to her because she understand der stand the french they were jabbering with mademoiselle and they had laughed at her when dad had ap appeared p eared with his usual smile wearing his blue coat and the loose old white trousers mother sometimes let him wear on a summer morning he had looked to his Is daughter like an angel of light here was her unfailing friend and champion he came down from the san francisco office when he could not every weekend week end but at least every other weekend week end and when he was there victoria had the companion she loved best in the world and the best time any little girl ever had on a beach dad was a chemist whatever that was and worked in a laboratory with a man named butler who was mean to him and a lot of ther other men who were nice victoria knew about butler because she had often heard her mother say bufter butler put it over on me that th t way keith id fd not stand it I 1 wonder what you do they loved each other dearly she and her father they were exquisitely happy together while she waded and he made a beach fire and scrambled eggs and boiled cocoa they liked to plan dim future days in which they two would live alone on a desert island and signal to the people on the shore for what they wanted she was an odd looking child not pretty yet but too small to worry about looks herself her mother however was extremely concerned about them she had just begun to realize that victoria might be quite lovely some day or striking anyway distinguished looking and was watching her keenly for signs of it but victoria did not know that mrs herrendeen said to herself that if the child ever grew up to that big red mouth and if the deep set slate gray eyes opened a little more and if the thick straight tawny hair were cut and curled into a becoming shape and the dark freckled skin cleared she would wo III d be all right but the big teeth had to be straightened and the hair brushed e d magda herrendeen might indulge in a little sigh about it deep in in her own soul she was far too fond of victoria far too loyal to everyone she loved her own small daughter included to give the child any hint of it life must be happy confident free she must never feel any inferiority or shyness magda had no trouble with her own beauty it had been given her at about fifteen as a complete gift gif t from the gods it was flay less it was only comparable to other perfect beauty but it was not anything tangible or even describable about berthat her that made her lovely nor the firm straight body with its wide shoulders and thin lips nor the fine nervous hand and modeled arm it was a glow a fragrance a light that seemed to emanate from her and that was somehow in her voice too and in the clothes she wore victoria could not appreciate her beauty even when new men were introduced to her and held her small sandy hand while they asked her the question all the other men had do you know you have a very beautiful mother she would look at her mother on these occasions and smile shyly pleased but a little puzzled too was it so important evidently it was very important anyway for that reason or some other everyone did really make a great fuss about mother she laughed about it but of course she liked it too victorias vf mother always had flowers men brought them when n they came to tea even in winter the Herren deens did not have dinner parties themselves because the apartment was so small but even if mother did not have a maid at any other time she always was in touch with a nice colored girl or a clever japanese woman or a young chinese in purple and gold and blue who came in to serve tea and men or more often a man came then and whoever he was he brought flowers orchids and gardenias and great soft melting be gonias in tones of peach and warm cream and long stemmed roses and sweet dark violets these were always in mothers rooms she said that she would feel really poor without them and victoria suspected that dad would do any anything thin to keep mother from beelin feeling really poor he had confided to victoria that they were poor quite poor he had bad been very verv rich once an and d could give mother those pearls and furs and everything she liked and then she had had flowers many more than these even every day and then ab she e had had a great big how house ae to put them in and servants to f ind find vases for them mother had had a maid and iad dad a valet and did you like that dad victoria might ask i even when she had had bad nurses gil to herself she had not ilk liked ed them nurses liked to talk to coo cooks and to other nurses in parks and an kitchens and hotel dining rooms and on beaches to a little girl they had nothing at all to say but this had been in the old days when they had the big house with ferdinand and in the downstairs hall and the dumbwaiter dumb waiter and the chauffeur these had faded away somewhere around the time of her seventh birthday and the big motorcars with them and the herren deens deena no longer went to great big hotels and lived in great big rooms with letters embroidered on the towels and telegrams and flowers in n yellow envelopes and big green boxes they moved to a small apartment and victoria discovered to her ecstasy that her own bedroom was right next to a similarly simple room where her mother and her father slept now she could goin go in her pajamas in the early morning and sit on their knees while they were in in bed and talk to them and now she was never lonely anymore any more for there was school and there was dad every night he taught her how to cook chocolate cornstarch custard and baked potatoes and apple sauce it was all fun on this hot august saturday coming back from the beach with her sandy hand tight in his she said did mother meet you 1 I dont think mother knew I 1 was coming 00 oo dad said victoria fearfully she likes you to let her know 1 I know she does darling and I 1 did but when I 1 left the station just now the telegraph man came out and said are you going over to cutters and I 1 said yes and heo said heres a telegram then for some mrs herrendeen the telephone wires are down and it looks like my telegram ob yes they are down victoria agreed eagerly giving a skip of sheer delight because I 1 it t was summer and saturday morning and almost time for au lunch rich and da dad was here 1 I know because she tried to telephone johnny last night johnny the polo po lo 10 jo johnny hn ny 11 oh ob yes mr kendrick it sounded like one of your friends youre my friend dad 11 victoria said kissing his lid hand they went up the path where the daisies and marigolds were stirring uneasily in the tha soft sea wind and past the white gate that always looked as if it were washed and blown clean by the winds and into the big wide open porch door of the boarding house her hand was still in his as they crossed the hall ball and entered her mothers room an airy room with flowers in it and the good scent of the sm sea not here said keith herrendeen ashes playing golf maybe well what shall we do victoria feeling a little uneasily apologetic for her mothers ab sence regarded him hopefully would you like ake to do lets have lunch first then we can decide so they went out to the salisbury steaks and the corn muffins and the baked potatoes and victoria had two pieces oi of pie get fat vie vic her father said salt air said vie vic they went to a little tent circus that afternoon all the children were going and victoria was enchanted the circus was wonderful too and victoria was tired and blissful and quiet on the way home but she did rouse up when she and her father went into their big room to find mother there stretched out flat on the bed with the powder blue tafetta cover over her sleepy delicious affectionate oh hello you darlings she said she stretched a hand toward tier her husband and he stooped over her for one of their quick kisses 1 I knew carried her off somei somewhere ere because cause the ings urse nurse came up here half an hour ago she added jerking her long lovely body over so that he could find a narow ledge on which to sit sit there keith did you have a nice time vicky victoria burst into a very delirium of reminiscence but b ut as she presently discovered neither parent was listening to her her father took off his coat and vest and collar and began to walk back and forth between the bureau and the washstand there was an old fash cloned washstand in an alcove and he washed his face and hands there combed his wet hair found himself a fresh collar meanwhile there was a little idle talk between him and his wife and victoria had an uncomfortable familiar sense that something vaguely unpleasant was brewing nice down here perfect days that is except tuesday member that tuesday was windy and fogy vie VIC it was cold in town keith herrendeen said without waiting for victorias answer so somebody was fla saying ying 01 mrs herrendeen bunched her beautiful shining fingernails and looked at them thoughtfully great doings here for the harwoods the newspaper p a p e r people p e ople she said T tonight on ight the man asked evenly after af ter a cause pause small party his wife said lightly and briefly bridge for lady lad Y cuthbertson S hes here on the harwood hai wood yacht all gone mad over her youve got to go I 1 suppose A pause you I 1 suppose another pause no dad said briefly and quietly 1 I suppose not but being bridge victorias mother began hesitantly she looked at his face as she spoke you feel you have to go well keith his wife began with an eloquent shrug you see sec its only two tables she went on 0 malting a fresh start all right keith herren den said heavily in a tone that belied his words do you play good bridge mother victoria asked to lighten a certain heaviness in the silence that had fallen in the room she was washing herself now busily and effectively the muddy soap squeezing in great firm suds through her fingers her wet straight tawny h hair aj r dripping on her shoulders she took a comb and dragged the damp locks back severely now take your fingers and soften that around your forehead vie vic yes mrs helendeen Hemen Hernen deen said jerking another pillow under her head 1 I do play good bridge does dad asked vie VIC he like it nor dancing nor night clubs nor big cars and yachts and distinguished persons nor anything I 1 like magda might have answered from the sense of checkmate of complete bafflement in her heart but she said only the first phrase aloud for the rest she lay there thinking watching her husbands face victoria and ill take care of each other keith said in a hard bard voice 1 I could telephone and say ill be up after dinner magda offered A what good would that do well it no they arent dining until nearly eight eilish Ei tish sybil said be all through here by seven well take care of each other keith said again there goes the dinner bell victoria said leaping from rock to rock beside him boody are you hungry hung y 11 im in starving mrs herrendeen coming to dinner caging emma said giving vig them their napkins and setting two glasses of cut fruit before them the m no she cant come tonight upon their return to their room immediately after dinner vie vic and her father found victorias mother all ready to go her manner was the prettily careless one that disguises in a beautiful woman a sudden touch of self consciousness 1 I wonder speak to me for being such a runaway she said to them with her appealing smile she was always gentle victoria nad had never seen her mother harsh or angry I 1 you look lovely magda her husband said he said it without enthusiasm almost wearily as he sat down the lovely vision stooped to kiss his bis forhead she caught up the familiar wrap victoria had seen her catch it up a hundred times it was her only one except for the two shawls and mother said sai d shawls were not really smart any more in ore and now she was giving to dad and d victoria her familiar goodby good by laugh and nod an excited triumphant an t laugh la U g 11 and nod as if she said now that im all ready rin im not seared scared anyone who looks as I 1 do must have a good time and she was running away there was wag a young man in a light overcoat outside the french windows there always was and there was a rakish low car waiting in the drive that was always there too mother met the one ran to the other and there was the roar of a deep engine and she was gone dad and victoria went out to the front steps and sat there in the soft summer night there mere was a little boat waiting at the pier just below the lodge a white little boat gushing blots of M while rhile dancing light onto the dark water going out to that yacht ou out there for dinner victoria told her father oh ohl yes he said lookin looking g in the direction of the lodge dad why dont you like going to the lodge well for one thing I 1 cant afford f rd it vie VIC can mother ali ah but they ask her they dont let it cost her an anything athin g 11 they give her dresses too victoria va actoria said thinking who does mrs uster did that dark blue dress 1 I 7 thought she bought that at a sale no mrs desters lesters Lc Le maid lotty brought it over in a box and another blue dress too they walked along in silence for a while presently vic victoria torla said 9 weve had bad a happy day ae we im glad you have her father said stopping to bend down and kiss her victoria had to sleep on the porch cot that ni night as she always did when dad was there in the night she wakened and hoard heard their voices her fathers and her mothers her mothers was almost inaudible and had a dlease hush note in it with which victoria was entirely familiar millar fla her fathers was not very loud but b ut clear rm im not saying saving its easy for you magda I 1 say its simply your luck we had it lots of it and god knows I 1 hold out VI on you then now we got it any more in ore and your bad luck silence and then mothers voice verv low and gentle keith I 1 know how bard it Is for you sear dear and if you feel that way I 1 simply wont go but it does doca seem a wonderful chance chanc e we happen we four the harwoods and grace cuthbertson and I 1 to play a marvelous marv clous foursome of bridge and collins the brother cuts in now and then so it makes it t perfect only to be gone five weeks I 1 could get victorias things straightened out and ask hetty to get your dinners there was another pause presently the man said you have no aurther affection no interest in either one of us I 1 know that oh please the womans comans voice protested 1 11 mildly 1 I suppose this thia will go on into the forties and the fifties boarding houses and pine street apartments it wont vont be forever keith herrendeen said be until im to old to care carel victoria heard her mother say then there was a long silence while the little girl lay listening on the porch with her heart hammering like a wild birds and her ears strained and her whole little body tensed with fear go then said her father out of the pause they gone to sleep then the quarrel was still on oh ohl no I 1 wont go now 11 her mother said gently and sweetly in a normal voice well now I 1 tell you to go that d e ant suit ault you it would be impossible for me to go now mrs herrendeen murmured firmly as if the whole matter were settled now why do you want to act like that about it magda the man demanded with a faint hint of uneasiness of change in his tone silence silence victoria Victor labeard heard her fathers father snore light at first swiftly deepening her heart began to beat more quietly A night bird cried in the garden the sea rushed and retreated on the rocks A whimpering sob broke through the other sounds victoria froze her mother was crying bitterly brokenly crying and keeping the |