Show A amany SCHUMANN baj irwin myers 4 7 M 00 C wu sev ice CHAPTER I 1 I 1 I 1 hush marsh waited on the sta for the 11 1125 25 from platform to ton which was bringing his fishing kezia home from sister amei the tr train ain was a few min mi and annoyed late he was IH agles before he letl left dished be had called office to time its arrival he bis few minutes worked a iulg lorger lager on the cost sheet he was preparing around und him were the milling tor for trains people conle le who wait sau d pl classes and conditions some mill harassed faces who carried cheap suitcases one or two laughing family groups some traveling smart luggage and with salesmen sil esmen to in air of success A long whistle coming from ground the curve startled the groups on the station platform into scrambling activity baggage atas W lifted goodbyes good byes were said the frowd surged forward tov ard the steel cited rails falls as the train thundered by and came to a gradual stop kezia 20 years old slim and de le lerable table her eyes bright with excitement cit a small brown hat on lr her curly ash blond biond hair a jacketed brown silk suit with a spray of orchids at the shoulder came down the steps ot of the sleeping car the smartness of her costume and the supple grace with which she moved made her look much than she really was she liti smiled fled radiantly at the well dressed man of 30 who picked up her ha tags bags with his from the row tte the porter had set outs out chatted to him as they came along the narrow space between the wall of the embankment and the train here horel herel said hugh touching tier her arm augh darling she cried in glad surprise she he kissed him held beld both hands for a second then tea turning to her companion taid said this is hugh the most wonderful ond erful brother in the world mr degraffe nice people should enot mow each other and air degraffe DeG rafIe las has been very nice on this kripl the men shook hands degraffe obviously amused by kezia uttered a few mur inured goodby good by perhaps we may meet again lifted his hat and nl followed in the wake of a taxi driver hugh bugh and kezia climbed the stairs to the street and the wait itz fticar car rugh released the brake aam to starting ever hear lit 5 girls talk to strange asa ell on trains bow do you know I 1 picked him up the she asked pouting deduction perhaps we may meet again 11 she wrinkled her nose at hinl him even emily post says bays you may speak to a well bred stranger in a museum or trave linel lingl dont be she added in a asper with a pert look at him im grown up now know my way ilou abou till tl serving notice just as belll she laughed they went forward on the green 2 HEM abt and edged their way through I 1 narrow barrow street congested with traffic the steel nulls mills beyond the river TO vibrated with a rhythm that was iru like the roar of distant surf bow is mother she inquired almost trost at once 41 very well the lovel love murmured kezia te derly and how is dorrie shea sh es great she had an en cn 91 gement or she would 1 have ave come noon she sent her love ko 0 little hopes for the bassie bassle ette shame on you highl uve been married tour four years give us time were both young think of 0 sister margerye Mar gerys ex cx gimple ale three thre in no 0 time at aall living is expensive and A so Is do dome rrie ine e flicker babel ot of annoyance in his amzy eyes was his only answer 40 03 3 ellen elle asked sited pendleton she ne j shea going S with a boy named erry tj purdue good looking but not to ellen cord co up ac lne lag to mother ellen len still arty tie the edge in her voice did not atea ifft ba 1 ft it i hueh kezia had always in tor for cousin car ellen een a distant t in on 01 their mothers side bide a dinant ant ol of childish le a had jealousy el a natural atil charm unique i n ore appealing which was au all the go provocative because she was itla a conscious ot of it it 1 I think she ag paints a little um he replied aln i ankh and ad lizzle let her u art rt ta school schol yu ya kow 0 o aften erl had i h wondered as he eull huh b d before how the dick to tob gavin gavan and nd lizzie managed produce luce such a lovely lyric crea as ee ellen IT wf loved labov d taster faster up an avenue over which elms met forming a gothic archway A mile further on hugh made a sharp turn there it Is said kezia in a choked voice her eyes misted with tears their childhood home lay before them a white house deep with colonial pillars set back on a deep lawn when they turned into the drive a woman rose from a chair on the porch Mo therl cried kezia she leaped out of the car the second hugh brought it to a stop kezzie darling it has been so long fluvanna FI uvanna marsh put her arms about her daughter kissed her then held her off to look into her eyes with wistful affection so long and it is good to have you home to etayl then her fingers touched hughs sleeve with a caressing gesture although she had seen him only a few hours before on his way to the office she murmured hugh that was part of mothers hold over him thought hugh it if you skipped a day coming to see her she never made you feel remiss at each meeting she surrounded you with an unspoken flood of joy in your presence as silent and intangible as sunshine its great to be home simply marvelously I 1 could have cheered when I 1 saw pittsburgh this morning dear old smoky Pitts burghl it reminded me of corinth and every things just the sams sam the house the yard you oh I 1 do love it all and im going to IRM r mi IT 1 I 4 4 0 4 9 goodby good by perhaps we may lilay meet again have a wonderful time this come on I 1 lugh hugh be a redcap tor for met carry m my grips upstairs and ill wash up her room had been redecorated in her absence and she exclaimed with pleasure pale gold and chintz of gold and greenl green ador abbet she went about joyfully examining her possessions her bookcase book case the pictures on the wall margery was sitting on the porch with his mother when hugh came downstairs hello hugh she lifted her face tor for his bro brotherly therry kiss 1 I wanted to go to the train with you but things were complicated this morning angela would not steep sleep after her bath she walked around her crib clinging to the bars and sang and ashes only 10 months old stop laughingly laug hingl she really sang I 1 tell youl you margerye Mar gerys dainty figure had grown plump but there were contented lines about her eyes and mouth she sorry for herself tied down with three children under six she mind her vanishing prettiness this was the life she had dreamed of ever since she had been a little girl and played with her family of dolls a home an adoring husband and children to tend and scrub and dress attractively margery precious kezia came through the me screen door and ran toward her sister mrs marsh surveyed them all from the head of the table her gentle shining eyes resting on them one by one do you realize this is the first time we have sat down together for years she had never said anything like that before with utmost tact she had made dorrie and will platt margerye Mar gerys husband welcome but hugh felt that it added to her pleasure today to have just them it bridged the interlude since they had left her root roof and become absorbingly sor bingly interested in other pursuits other persons margery forgot her role ot of dignified young matron hugh his position as assistant to the president of the brower steel works kezia her desire to model herself on the lines of 0 a seductive and fascinating person what are arc the headlines about the corinthians marge lne births the weddings the deaths the scandals particularly the scandals I 1 love knowing the dirt about people it makes you teel feel youre not so bad yourself cried kezia over the you would said hugh he tweaked he her r ear as he rose one he must get back to the office put them on the spot use machine guns fluvanna followed hugh to the door give my love to dorriel ashes a thoughtful child she brought me a new book yesterday a novel on china dear of her she did hughs face brightened as it always did when dorrie was praised dorrie mentioned the gift but she had a queer respect and affection tor for his mother a revealing admission he spent the afternoon going over the cost sheets and had a talk with sloan the pre president sideri over the price cutting of the arrow steel which kept him until after five he took his car from the parking shed under the bridge and slowly wove his way through the impatient late afternoon traffic he ran into a gas station to fill ED up his tank A boyhood friend doc killer hiller waved to him as he passed he waved back ile he had a shamed feeling of ingratitude at the sight of doc they should go to see the hitters hillers have them tor for dinner they had called made so many friendly advances and doc was such a dam good fellow but dorrie had a cool way of ignoring debts she did not intend to pay yes she would reply listlessly to his suggestion sometime we must have them dont feel up to it now perhaps next week he lived on a street which had been part of the fairway of a golf course before the town had spread westward the small colonial and english style houses were attractive and well kept each with its hedge and evergreen shrubbery and driveway leading back to the garage his own house was ot of tapestry brick with casement windows green flower boxes on the square porch at the side green and henna awnings he left the car in the drive perhaps dorrie would want to go out after dinner A bridge table in the living room with cards and scores littered on it testified to recent activity ta then lien he saw dorrie in a small sunny room just beyond sitting relaxed quiescent her hands folded in her lap the sun touched her burnished hair accented the creamy pallor of her skin her red mouth the delicately nose hugh stood still a moment while emotion burned through him it came on him with a surprise almost a choke this lovely woman was his his he left her in the house each morning she was his to return to at night the pith of his heart dorrie she started a little as if recalled from distant visions then rose and came toward hirn him her sea green eyes had an excited luminosity in their depths as if her thoughts had been pleasant ones hello hugh you hear me come in she smiled slowly up at him as nis his arms ner hear yu you what were you thinking about she shook her head don dont t know daydreaming day dreaming I 1 guess ile he kissed her her hand curled in his a flush rose on her delicate cheek have a good game soso so so joan and orinda lesley gates for a fourth she moved toward the table and put the decks of cards in the their 1 r pasteboard covers lesley is a poor loser fluvanna awakened from a al dream of jim marsh her huab husband she had the illusion he be was bending over trying to tell her something and all the sick unruly associations that his memory brought unfurled themselves and waved exciting banners presently lying with her eyes wide open and seeing the reassuring light of day the sensation ebbed kezia was home was right across the hall sleeping in the I 1 green and gold bedroom kezia was probably the reason she had dreamed of jim the child look like him no hugh resembled his father in stature and feature but kehias whole personality carried a haunting reminder the eap exp expressions sessions res she had the tricky way she raised her eyes and made them aspiring and wistful her cajoling manner which concealed her purposes the will to have her own way all hinted at the feminine counterpart of jim she rose and drew up the shades the perfume of lilacs came up from a bush beneath the window and brought back the spring of long ago lilacs the murmur of growth and two people under an umbrella just a week after she met him that had been a momentous night a kind of prescience about it from the second the clements had presented him fate did that sometimes usually it worked soundlessly but once in a great while it spoke a single word to you now eua ella clement had said this Is our cousin james marsh from philadelphia he is opening an insurance agency here and eua ella had gone on chattering in her tangential way about the marshes living near some park and her visit to them once when she had met some senator what was his name and the really very nice people who lived in philadelphia later when they were alone lor for a moment jim had smiled with his enigmatic eyes strange the pull of some eyes and said told me about you ive bean wondering how you got your name fluvanna I 1 never heard it before but it has a nice sound like deep water flowing under a bridge she had gone home that night with a disturbance in her heart such as she had never known before and said to herself it he asks me I 1 shall marry him yes it had been like that she found a note under the knocker on keziah door wake me at eight im playing tennis it was five minutes to eight now she rattled the knocker and heard a sleepy response from kezia in the kitchen anna a chunky girl of doumanian Rou manian parentage turned from the stove with a liquid shine of welcome in her long dark eyes Gm orning mis marsh good morning anna breakfast almost ready yes in about ton ten minutes I 1 squeezed the oranges miss kezia be down yes ashes getting up she Is going to play tennis with some friends ill go out to cut some flowers for or the table she went out to the garden eric olsen a young man who took care of the yard and the car was cutting the tender lush grass the mingled fragrance of the lilacs the shorn grass the wild crab sent a 4 tingling response through her being site she gathered a bouquet of dark blue iris then clipped an armful of fragile nodding columbine she wiped the garden mould from her afeei feet before the side door hello cousin fluvanna called a youthful voice from inside 1 I just walked in been wandering about she held the screen open tor for fluvanna ellena been painting 1 I had to this morning I 1 lovely flowers let me take them fluvanna thought if you could paint yourself among those flowers ellena aloud she said just in time tor for breakfast you must stay kezia will be down m in a minute ill call her tell her youre here ellen put out a detaining hand not yet not just yet I 1 have something to tell you fluvanna smiled nice very nice im engaged not no yes I 1 am returned ellen ec statically it happened last ni nighal gitl to jerry dear dear murmured fluvanna you told me quite a bit about him brought him here still I 1 think so soon 11 f im telling you first before anyone the girl went on 1 I can tell you things fluvanna you understand der stand im exquisitely divinely happye why jerry v she shook her head murmured its beyond words tl the ke feeling I 1 never thought anything so nice would happen to met me im so happy all nice things should happen to you ellen TO BE CONTINUED |