Show C IRS ca c A NJ RJ 6 N ar S E JACKSON av MEARILL S ca 5 ervice THE STORY Renel nga childhood attachment 8 of a wealthy family Is 3 attracted by will todd newspaper artist so aon of a carpenter CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 I 1 she fe felt it her horizon widening what ft a world men lived in binl I 1 papa had his quarries and will his curlicues carlic and loring lil his law I 1 how flow wonderful to live in something and for it I 1 she felt that her own life was dim and futile vow now that she was out of school she was expected to have a good time until she married will was the only inan man she knew outside the old familiar circle now flow dull her interests were compared to his thrill over a twenty five dollar a week job but will she turned to him in such buch a manner that tt it seeped seemed their faces aces would touch drawn by the strong attra attraction that brought them so close 1 I thought you were going to be a real artist iio lie said why I 1 stand fhe he art institute I 1 I 1 want to be a cartoonist ive discovered that you can do a whole lot more with a pencil line than make a petunia I 1 think you can make a line stand up and howl you can mikeli make it do all sorts of things for or you caricature design nonsense I 1 dont want wa nt to be a color artist 11 but the birds you made for me when you were only ten the colors and the way their heads bent its a beautiful book will I 1 showed aitto it to my zoology teacher when J I 1 was in school at lake forest and lie he praised it I 1 take anything tor for it will brushed the birds abida impatiently tient ly kid stuff lie he told her have you seen these little shadow figures just straight lines for body and limbs you can get action into one of those things look here ile he had been busy with a soft pencil on the edge of the stiff menu cardana car card dand and he showed E ernestine rn estine now a sketch of a cat sitting there looking at the fish list licking his whiskers a predatory hungry tom she laughed involuntarily and dereyes he her reyes eyes filled with admiration 1 I see what you mean she said its a new kind of art like jazz Is a new kind of music I 1 know what youre trying to td get at and you do it too its disrespectful though dont you think I 1 tie lie was entranced with her understanding of colim course its disrespectful lie he said robustly i why not I 1 think the time has come for a little healthy disrespect well show them tie ile was very compelling ernes tines look of admiration was extravagant and he was becoming a little drunk with tt it ive done several column heads you watch the first page of the second half of the sun I 1 always put at a little cats cais he head ad down in one corner of my stuff were not allowed to sign our things lings ti but you can identify mine if you watch the paper the fellows all encourage me and my boss bosa does too ile he looked at her for a ion ions moment and then exclaimed gosh agosh its good to talk to you ernestine you xou always did get rl ht inside of roy my heart I 1 a bit surprised tasee to see you you lou may not belleve believe me tut but till all these years ive often thought id meet you I 1 never forgot that day you came to our house ive often seen seed your shadow sitting there lo in the kitchen eating bread and milk and talking to mom I 1 remember I 1 wanted togiva you abu all my things ev every ry oi one e you should have leaie taken them it would have bave made a lonely kid happy she was tender remembering 1 I made an aa awful fuss because they dra dragged 9 ed me to the lake that surn summer mer bhe told him him 1 11 I wanted to stay slay in chicago with you and the practical af of leaving a child behind did not interest me we should have been together more we were real fr lenda A boy never forgets kindness he said so soberly IL irly you yon were so good to inland tac and aliv always Ilys took my part I Inui dot will you did something you ift never ever knew for we ua I 1 you told me one day daya ia thing ive never forgotten I 1 A i thought your brace gave you a wonderful advantage to la the way of a lever ever to get your own will and you scorned me for such a thought it would be taking advantage you said ive never forgotten that you were the one who taught me to be sporting the spell was cast the mysterious bonds of spiritual understanding were forged youre sawfly pretty ernestine you were a cute kid but fat I 1 can remember what round cheeks you had rut but now your cheeks slope dope down in that perfect line he touched the line of her cheek with a tentative tore fore linger then quickly withdrew hla his hand and flushed dark eyes dark hair and pale clear skin what more could a girl want unless it Is such perfect bony structure be pretty T wei at were you running Erne ernestine atine way dark or thin or pale or flushed because its real deep now youre blushing and that gray coat he 1 laughed delightedly and the deep color suffused Erne stines cheeks at his personalities but she was not displeased only smiled at him arent you glad we knew each other we were kids he said to her it makes us seem so much closer now they swayed together and fellanto fell fel linto into a warm hypnotic silence ills his little aln anger er brushed her hand ns he knocked his ashes into the tray the waitress had placed for him and at once they rose talking and laughing artificially ernestine felt the need to nde her bright joy in him she was acting like a moon struck agh school girl acting as though she had never talked to a man before well slie she not like this certainly she had listened to plenty of them raving rubout themselves and explaining tho the technicalities of football but she had never r taken part in such a satisfying conversation but she dissembled as they left the tearoom and turned toward the newspaper plant it was dark now and the streets were crowded with home going workers so they instinctively drew close together she asked after his bis mother in a formal tone shell never be well he told her sorrowfully nn an d at once her sympathy drew them back into intimacy he tried to put the conversation back into place hows flows your pretty sister lillian she answered that lillian was a beauty now fair and slender and exquisite qui lul site A lady shea going to marry loring hammon hamilton I 1 guess she said eald hes at the house a 6 lotas lot as hes always been hes awfully good to both of us but lillians ills his choice hes in his fathers law office now ile he inherited a nice practice I 1 believe he wants to be a judge dont you remember him A big blond buy ile he was almost grown whoa when we were kids ya yea I 1 remember him ile he treated me with un an air of weary catl patience erice I 1 hadd him lie ile used to tease you and pull your hair if he prefers lillian hes changed for he always noticed you I 1 was imply jealous he had the run of the house and I 1 was no an outsider and treated well only because I 1 was a kid 11 why will not a bit nice of you to say ay she protested and he ha i laughed good natu both of them knew it was true Is your mother just the same she had such a pleasant voice but she was bossy kind of a queen I 1 admired her tremendously she fitted entirely my juvenile notions of a grand lady ernestine laughed now theres nobody like mamma for or mana managing gilic every one she admitted they came to the sun offices and as aa they went in through gh the squirrel cage the rhythmic crash of great presses came muffled to Erne stines ears will to took ak her over the whole place upstairs and downstairs and in my ladys chamber he said in the syndicate rooms he introduced deuced herto half a dozen young men who were much impressed with her youth and beauty he showed her the stool he be sat eat on the work on his board air poole came out and shook hands with her and she was conscious of disappointment he was waa a huge untidy old man with fat chee cheeks ks that had fallen a little and a shiny bald head but his eyes were intelligent his voice was very kind she felt that she might like him if she could only know him wills vanity seemed excessive although she knew he was proud to show her he was none the less proud of himself but it was like the vanity of a capable child not at all displeasing not until they got into the street again did ernestine realize that they had walked all over the big plant with their fingers interlaced but she clung to him now shamelessly he ha was such an old friend she was filled ailed with strong reluctance that this vivid hour should end lie he sold said goodby at the bus bug without mentioning another meeting ernestine could not let it go at that but you m must come to see vie awit she said as the conductor waited impatiently for her to board the bus bug 1 I want to see you again will 11 sure lie he said vaguely his mind had ad already gone back to works work sure call me up some day ernestine went quickly along her feet were dancing and her heart was dancing too she was wag extraordinarily happy and full of life it if only such an encounter could be a dally occurrence I 1 some one was standing on their doorstep watching her waiting for her she ran up the steps and loring hamill on was there big and fair and hand handsome nome in his bis dark coat with the fur collar 1111 hello ello lorrie have to rush in im late ate are you just leaving ile he looked down at her the light from the drawing room window streaming on to his face and ernestine paused surprised she was maled with at an inward dismay for she had bad never seen him like this his hia face usually complacent was keen now his blue eyes were brilliant sparks his whole countenance quickened and fired his voice when he spoke again had a barely perceptible quaver why were you running ernestine 1 youre still a kid half the time when I 1 heard you running I 1 knew it was you because my heart began to run too nonsense said ernestine briskly but he was persistent 1 I was just going away disappointed that I 1 seen you and here 1 I have you alone for a moment at last ive been wanting to tell you how beautiful you tire are since youre grown where have you been your face Is shining I 1 could see it luminous I 1 in the dark street Ernest ernestine lne dont be silly im to tell you I 1 care for you I 1 she pulled away from him with determination ormi nation youre the silly one she sald said impatiently and dumb ca as well she passed him quickly and closed the door behind her shutting out his bis hand some desirous face in her room dressing for dinner she was furiosi with him for intrude ing on the enchantment of her hour houi with will lie he know that ira ha bad nd made mad himself conspicuous all last year with his attentions to lillian 1 ho he was waa not her lover what was waa the mutter matter with him lillian came in from her room which adjoined ernestin Ernest lac s and the tha aru younker ng ar SIS sister t e r I 1 looked P at the elder ona with old but eyer ever fresh admiration loring was wag kidding we me she told liti self of course hes crazy about abou lillian nn TO BE CONTINUED |