Show R ca ki ea TAR by MARY SCHUMANN copyright ty by macrae smith co service CHAPTER X continued 21 oh mother he sighed his eyes were tearless but the aching pain was released her arms folded around him her cheek lay against imundi his hair la r they were close in that mystic bond of mother and son its hard hugh olm im glad you know he groped to his feet stood by the mantel dont grieve too much I 1 have boget to get myself together met me t it it has happened happened d to quite a few others lived through it it hopeless tell me about it for while I 1 saw you getting haggard and silent it until dorrie dome came this week that I 1 realized did she speak of it she shook her head 1 I 0 only knew something is very wrong I 1 met lizzie pendleton this week in a department store she said too bad about hugh and dorrie I 1 asked her what she meant and she gave me an odd look and said she supposed I 1 knew and swept away I 1 pieced it together he began to pace the room then lie he told her the story or as little as he could minimizing suppressing scanting details 1 I suppose you have to know I 1 hoped you but situations like this never stand still to go back to where we were he shook his head is impossible something is killed joed destroyed his mothers eyes were filled with tears she looked suddenly old and white her vitality borne away by her deep suffering for him the telephone rang in the closet under the stairs and they heard i kezia scramble to answer it her ament by you wont be home yes cars have a way of get ting out of commission at times ill tell your husband not to expect you here of course hes here got in an hour ago she appeared at the library door then hugh the telephone she lingered a moment caught by the gravity of their faces its dorrie she whispered hugh took up the receiver hello hugh she be began an with hesitation 1 I think be home until tomorrow you no I 1 her voice strengthened and had a whip of defiance in it anyhow im at the lawrences Lawren ces and they find they have a flat tire wanted me to stay all night but if youre home ill send ia for a taxicab shall I 1 come for you no need of it its way across town ill be along in half an hour 19 very well said eaid hugh grimly but i dont come here go to our own house ile he began to gather up his t things ill take your car mother if you dont ont mind kezia hovered over him in in ex cited c solicitude ill drive you YO u over Hughie come jerry help me e get the car out she paid ano 0 o attention to his protestations that he drive himself but hurried away with jerry following soon kezia sounded a summon ing horn from the driveway hugh put down his burdens in a corner A of the hall im going but un ill be back in a little while im conly only going to talk to her 1 he strode strobe out the door he waved to kezia in dismissal thanks but ut I 1 want to walk CHAPTER XI the walks were littered with cleaves that scuffed scuff ed under hughs I 1 teet feet his r shadow adow leng lengthened as he s passed under one arc light i shortened as he approached the I 1 light at the next corner he walked slowly took the long way round that he might give dorr dorrie ae i V time to get home for cun to get away time for her to rehearse her etory for the last time 16 and nd he twist must be cool as he was now f I 1 viewing the whole thing with balance i 1 the turmoil which had r mounted to in him the last hour and which had increased when he heard dori rles ne s voice on the wire el ebed e bed 4 away dorrie had taken oft off her hat and oat at they were thrown on the d davenport I 1 v elport A plaid scarf with rusi I 1 it et tinges was still around her aleck briefly baffi hello hugh she said i 1 hello dorrie 11 she he lea leaned ned over and tied the lace I 1 fw a her shoe have a nice triv trip she inquired as she raised her head in spite of himself the sight of her flushed cheeks her strange shining eyes sent a tremor through his blood he rested his arm on the mantel 1 I had a profitable one she cogitated this meaning what I 1 said very well if you wish to be enigmatic abic cruel pin pinpoints points danced in in her eyes are you going ing to ask me if I 1 had a profitable time while you were away 1 I took it for 9 granted ranted she shrugged then said the house is cold better build a fire if were going to stay here under his steady gaze her eyes dropped 1 I must have a talk with you he said slowly they went into the sun room with its wicker furniture form 1 19 I 1 ga ja yes dorrie dome im through ally hugh drew up a chair for her brought her coat and laid it around her shoulders he touched a match to the asbestos backed grate adjusted the flame then stood in silence dorrie looked into the fire her white hands were clasped around her knee she lifted her creamy eyelids going to tell me youre th through fough she asked yes dorrie im through gb he thought she trembled a little and the discernment that she w was a s in need of pity even as he battled with his resolution he stood watching her eyelashes flicker over her cheeks as she looked down hugh make it easy for me certainly she relaxed in her chair a trifle its one of those things which cant be helped at first I 1 was dis appointed in him he act the way I 1 expected when you found out but when joan went off the deep end nothing seemed to stand in his way then except me her yes was small almost inaudible curling curlina bronze hair white skin lovely face he must look his last upon them even desire was forbidden the hate which surged up in him at her shallowness was almost as great as as his desire something rose in his throat which made it diff difficult to speak he swallowed no need to prolong this is there she started youre going you wont be afraid to stay alone tonight she gave a gesture of dissent ill be at mothers after yo you u apply better go away a bit not far it was on his tongue to s say ay near enough for him to see ee you occasionally keep him from other entanglements entangle ments but he checked it he turned and left the room hugh went back to his mothers mother S house to live occupied his old room in the south corner he spent some evenings at his club playing cards others reading in the company of his mother or in long rambles margery and will were unobtrusively sympathetic when he met them kezia was crassly exultant what a relief we can have sage in our chicken dressing now dorrie had disliked sage but if kezia saw hughs annoyed look when the radio moaned out a love song she usually shut it off and dialed a different station she made an effort to be more thoughtful of hey mother in his presence evidently wishing his approval once or twice she tried to discuss jerry with him why do you give jerry a mere nod when you come in you could be civil say a few sentences now and then I 1 tell him that its just your way one of those big silent business men with the reconstruction of the nation on your shoulders but I 1 wish be decent its no go sis I 1 dont like him how can you say that you dont know him she was aggrieved he rattled his paper as a signal signa 1 that he wanted her to take herself from the arm of his chair so that he might read 1 I think I 1 do their eyes met and a thwarted look crossed her face she flounced off his chair with all drive me to something one of these days no one takes me seriously A few nights later he was sitting by the dying fire in the living room leaning forward staring at the embers when she came in a little after twelve TO BE CONTINUED |