Show D A c many SCHUMANN tio baij bij granv myer se ace SYNOPSIS kezia marsh pretty selfish and twenty arrives home in corinth from rom school chool and is met by her older brother hugh lie ile drives dries her to the tarsh marsh home where her widowed mother fluvanna Ft uvanna a warmhearted self belt sacrificing and understanding sout welcomes her kehias sifter margery plump and matronly with the care of three children is at lunch with them hughs wife dorrie dome has pleaded a pr previous vi engagement on the way back to his job at the steel plant founded by 1 one I of 0 his has forbears hugh passes doc hiller a boyhood friend abom hom he no longer sees frequently because of dorries domes antipathy fluvanna FI uvanna marsh wakens walcena the next morning from a dream about her late husband jim whose unstable character the she fears cars kezia has inherited ellen comes over she is an artistically inclined girl who is a distant niece of Flu vannas she happily tells fluvanna FI uvanna she lias has become ens engaged d to in jerry purdue ellen fears that her father and mother gavin and lizzie will not approve the match hurh hugh and dorrie go out to the freeland ecland Fr farms to dance with their friends cun and joan whitney whitney who has been out of work has landed a new position cun and dorrie dance together and then disappear tor for a while dancing with joan hugh Is amazed to find her in tears apparently ahe has some secret worry over her husband cun when ellen and jerry speak about atouk their engagement to Elle ellena reit parents lizzie Is disagreeable until jerry sympathizes with her imagined ailments the matter is lett left pending unexpectedly hugh has haa to visit ft a neighboring Deigh boring city on business return fang ang home to ask dorrie to accompany him he rinds finds her telephoning in contusion confusion she be quickly hangs up without saying goodby good by she finally agrees to accompany him they spend a delightful day and hurts hufh Is happy AC a family party kia kezia encounters jerry they had met a few evenings before at the freeland celand Fr farms ellen Is disturbed when jerry is absorbed by kezia fluvanna FI uvanna is is concerned about kezia who ho is evasive about dates she he has been having at night she muses over the resemblance ol of kezia to her late bubi husband recalling how t leinger e mr er am ectal moody and improvident be had been she recalls the tragic picture of his death how after drinking and gambling to excess he be is faced with financial ruin how he be tries to force her to mortgage her resources to pay his debts and threatens her with a run gun how in a struggle tor for its possession he be it is fatally wounded CHAPTER V continued IS it came after weeks she found herself able to rise from her bed and make her way downstairs the rooms were halt half dusted and had ID cm air of neglect and disorder the bird had not been fed regularly or his cage cleaned the geraniums I 1 in the window boxes were dry and yellow the sound of altercation came from m the basement and a slap kehias voice rose in a wail of abused misery katie the maid came up dragging kezia by the hand never was such a mean little braal into everything she stopped stared to see fluvanna FI uvanna on the first floor kezia seven but bui her baby a mean little brat only a mischievous lovable darlinge dar lingl she took a swift step forward and kezia ran sobbing to her she heard the story of kehias blowing out a fuse while katie was ironing her dress tor for a picnic she sent katie back to her work she sat in a big chair comforting kezia knowing the delicious sweetness of the childs fragile arms amis around her neck hugh came in presently his lean boyish face too grave for his years leggy and awkward in his first long trousers she saw the look ot of incredulous joy in his eyes hugh hugh always one child who is Is closer to the heart hearl hugh was sensitive had a grave inarticulate idealism he was shouldering a burden too great tor for sixteen he kissed her fondly margery argery was bicycling on the speedway she should she mother it was black with cars going forty miles an hour and if her bike wobbled but she would rit come for him he would go back and tell her mother wanted her fluvanna FI uvanna began to laugh they stared at her round eyed then they all joined in with sheer relief it had been so long since there had been any laughter in that house life was kinder now all seemed going coing well vell faintly she heard K kezia ezia moving about upstairs eric was cutting the lawn now evidently had finished his work on the car the sound of the mower came in with steady rhythm the swish of the grass as it fell the sunlight was so bright that it had a quality of phantasm she heard wheels on the drive the click of a brake then voices small pattering footsteps ran over the borc porch billy and mike has come to play a childish voice announced CHAPTER VI hughs oan office cc was a comer room on the twelfth floor of a midtown building and three great windows window view of the gave him bun a panoramic city his steno stenographer grapher miss ruskin came in ahe he was a thin girl with an engaging pleasant manner a 8 scrubbed looking freckled face she was wa supporting uprooting her mother who lived on the edge of town next week I 1 want you to get together all the correspondence we have with the dayton people on that contract have it ready by monday noon they are talking of a lawsuit and I 1 want to go over MOP it her face looked a little bricky with the flush which spread over it she bent over her pad ill have miss jones do it or ill work late tonight next week have you yol forgotten im to take my vacation 1 I had forgotten you asked for or the first two weeks in september you and what are you doing during your vacation her face lighted four ot of us girls are taking a cabin on rocky creek well cook our own meals go swimming fishing just be generally lazy and forget all about the steel business she smiled yes it sounds like a nice vacation ive been counting the days and it it seems as though I 1 could scarcely wait the cabin has a big fireplace where we can burn bum logs on cool ni nights 9 ats its near enough to town ten miles so that our friends can drive out to see us well have suppers for them play cards sing dance to the radio friends mused hugh any ally special ones special the reticence of her english blood made her look suddenly shy you mean ment men well theres always someone who takes an interest and hell come out yes we cant get along very well unless someone takes an interest can we it its too special ill lose my very good stenographer however that would be a calamity unless it was essential to your happiness he enough money said miss ruskin in a low tone she moved her pad on her knee and lifted her pencil for his dictation hugh turned in his swivel chair and picked up a sheaf of letters just one or two ot of these should go out today the others can wait I 1 know you want to get away early mr marsh said miss ruskin speaking with an effort you say we cant get along without someone who takes an interest I 1 say we w cant get along without a vacation it helps us to look at things differently we are stronger to take care of our troubles when when we come back you had a vacation you you look as if you needed one hugh shook his head just lack of exercise im all right too many problems this summer to get away starting tonight im walking home two miles im going to walk night and morning exercise is all I 1 need after she left the room he remembered that doc hiller whom he had run into at lunch had said the same thing doc had asked him what he be was doing to himself burning the candle at both ends he had gazed at him critically better drop in some noon let me look you over that old plant will be there after youre dead and gone my boy you are killing yourself with overwork ile he took his hat to leave the office five saturday afternoon he would walk home although he be feel me like it it would be good to have a vacation play and swim as miss misa ruskin intended doing but that was out of the question he had ur urged ged dorrie dome to go away visit her sister beryl or her mother who had married a dentist in rochester go to the seashore but she had shaken her head she was contented here it was no tun fun at the seashore if he go along late saturday afternoon traffic tied up the crossings in a 0 tangle of cars and hurrying pedestrians the september heat was as aa oppressive as that of july and it seemed a long way to his home when he entered his front door he was grateful tor for the coolness of the house I 1 le he whistled a signal and received an answer from upstairs he looked at the paper for a few minutes before going up dorrie was dressing he entered their room was pinning the shoulder of her yellow dress she pointed to her cheek and he kissed her there my makeup make up she said smiling it been ghastly hot I 1 envied you high up in your cool office it was hot ariere too youre looking unusually devastating the answer are we going out were going over to joans nave have you forgotten she did not say gay it t with a hint of impatience as she he usually did dd when he farj far for j got her tons ton was indulgent had lo 10 0 work late again Satur saturday dar a after ter noon poor hugh why dont you ile he down and nap tor for a half hour before your bath ill III call you in time I 1 bridge bridee i I 1 yes but one of joans good chicken and spag spaghetti hett dinners first I 1 like that thal she folded the spread of one ol of the beds with meticulous care pulled down the sheet invitingly ile he could have slept for hours but he was awakened in a few minutes by dorrie standing over him saying time to dress hugh drowsily he be opened his eyes the late sunlight was glimmering yellow on the ivy which arab esqued the screens he had to dress and go out to that confounded dinner play cards would you like me to lay out your shirt and tic put the buttons in your collar dorrie spoke gently As if she had been in error about something and was tacitly apologizing ile he rose rubbing his eyes no apology was needed ot of course it was understood between them that saturday night they should entertain or go somewhere perhaps she felt the bridge game was an ordeal ill wear white flannels and a blue coat then want a white shirt and a blue tie dorrie pulled open his drawer he felt revived by her sympathy in better spirits more alert lately she seemed to be thinking thoughts apart biorn him listening to him and not hearing what he said sweet sometimes sharply critical others he took his shower and was dressing when dorrie said anything happen today down town not much just the usual then his face brightened yes it did I 1 had lunch with doc hiller met him in the grill ot of the renshaw benshaw house it was great to see him I 1 talked to him for a year you know doc and I 1 were just like that he crossed his fingers when we were boys go on said dorrie not all not all just about he had some foolishness that im not looking well and wants to see me monday at his office he looked at her from the tail of his eye should he have said that would she be alarmed but dorrie was observing him with taint faint derision go on with the rest of it what do you mean hugh you have no finesse absolutely sol bonel you were just about to say levs lets have the hillers over some right night soon weve never returned the dinner they gave tor for us now you 1 I dont think I 1 was replied hugh with irritation it have been any use and they probably come it if we did ask them tell us to go hang bang they have some pride youre mad teased dorrie do get mad I 1 like you when you storm like that and get red in the facet oh rott he pulled his tie undone and retied ia it muttering we could have been courteous to them at least in silence he finished dressing and in silence they got into the car halfway half halt way to the whitneys Whit she ebe laid her hand on his knee be nice the she coaxed his left brow went up whimsically you be nice 1 I 1 win will she promised and began to chat gayly about the clever way an agent tor for a coffee concern bad wormed his way into the house that morning he was just like a treat them kindly even it if you dont buy he advised dorrie its the hardest kind ot of work and they make scarcely anything 1 I ordered a couple ol of pounds ol of his bis coffee sent him on his way rejoicing jo curi cun greeted them at the door with a hearty welcome the ice is almost I 1 made the mistake ot of shaking them up too carlyl come on joan joan came hurrying in from the kitchen the open door wafred wafted in an odor ot of appetizing food are the marshes dry or wet evening joan coant 1 very dry with this blistering heat beat well soak this up said cun I 1 refilling hughs halt half emptied glass dorrie say when joans table with its lace cloth tall tail candles candle sand and centerpiece of red and lavender wild asters was attractive she kept no maid and served everything herself with the aid ot of a tea wagon the spaghetti was cooked in italian style with a highly seasoned pepper and tomato sauce the spring chickens were browned to a delicate crispness tho the endive salad had bad a dressing made ot of yolks ot of eggs and rose petal vinegar the dessert was strawberry shortcake A perfect dinner commented hugh jonny jenny you make cooking an artl art it should be she said blithely we practice it enough notice that vinegar tor for the salad asked curt cun she makes it in june from the rose petals much milder than any other and the strawberries dorrie exclaimed fall bearing ones 1 I never see them where did you get them from the mennonite Mcnno nite farmer who brings me eggs each saturday theres a settlement ot of them a few miles south very unworldly so carefully honest about every penny religion means everything to many ciany people said joan cun settled in his chair more comfortably his eyes sparkled his florid skin was pinker than nl 1 I grant you that jonny jenny but I 1 t cant see it too many by hymn singing hypocrites in it church when I 1 vas uns young blasted my youthful illusion sl joan looked at him steadily you dont believe in anything do you ive never felt the need ot of it it life has been pretty good to ire and when its over r awant want n to be overt dorries eyes were applauding my sentiments cun religion is the refuge ol of a defeated soul exactly nodded curt cun A person has been overthrown by life and prays tor for a heaven heave which will be a wish fulfillment fulfilment of the things missed on earth then there is no reality in religion merely wish fulfillment fulfilment questioned joan so glad to have it explained I 1 never understood dorrie took no notice of her irony she went on its good for some individuals we have a case in our family hughs mother oh dont look shocked kedl your mother sacrosanct is she im only saying it before joan and cun hughs mother has had a tremendous help from religion then I 1 would say there is reality in it hugh defended how can one ten tell there is not its supposed to be experienced a spiritual adventure which convinces people joan jumped up from the table gracious we stupid to get in an argument over religion I 1 jonny jenny you yon make cooking an ar art t when it always ends in a yammer curt cun tell nugh hugh about your new work while I 1 clear away we went over that the last time answered cun what do you say we do the dishes tor for joan wash and dry em a valuable idea a approved p hugh dorrie dome youre always getting out of work oh ob yes you are you can begin washing the glasses classes jonny will give you an apron to cover up that creation youre wearing angil oh cun dorrie will spoil her marti manicure curel said joan but dorrie entered into it gayly took the dishpan filled it with hot water sprinkled some soap chips in it bring on the glasses wash em cm clean my girl or get fired wash |