Show dragons D drive rive you by EDWIN BALMER copyright by edwin balmer service 7 SYNOPSIS jtb jeb braddon addon Cr young anil and ran L as L I 1 catty successful access tul broker of chicago to Is bintai with agnes Gl glendith eneith beautiful daughter daur titer of a retired manufacturer rodney ft a doctor in love with agnes visits his hi brother job jeb rod plans work at rochester jeb suggests that he make mak a try for agnes before leaving in n rod there Is a deeper obstinate de decency c eny en y and much sterner restraints restraint than in jeb aunes believes bel levei to be happy a girl must hind bind herself entirely to a man and have adorable babies rod visits agnes aenes and tells her of his great creat desire but realizes it can never be fulfilled agnes aenes mother Is attempting to regain her husbands love bob glen alth ath arrives from new tork agnes has bas disturbing doubts as to what attracts her bar father there CHAPTER I 1 continued 3 there was no DO mark of deterioration upon him it was plain that his bis impulses and his needs for closest emotional contacts had not fled or even retreated plain too it had been tor for some time that they had failed him here what was he doing what had bad he be done dont think about it instincts warned her he swung about to her when I 1 was in new york tork I 1 got out or of something I 1 got into awhile ago and I 1 made half a million tell me what you want little light one 1 I 1 dont want anything father she answered before she realized how much she was disappointing him for she die was thinking once more of her mother ile he would offer to buy her too anything she liked but it was nothing that he need buy which mother wanted from him and this half million additional la in his bis hands bands would not help her no it would not help mother at all bob they both heard tier her voice bob are you home she had come to the top of the stairs and was calling down agnes saw him start slightly hello he be called back walt up there coming they screened their first meetings these chese days from their daughter anybody for dinner tonight he inquired of agnes as he be turned jeb I 1 guess father and she added rod was here this afternoon the deep sea her father said and suspected aloud why was he taking off the afternoon he was going away hes gone 1 I see said her father satisfied with that and he be did not inquire whither good fellow but his brother how that young man does know his way about 1 and he started at last for the stairs headlights played on the windows and swung away as a car skidded to a stop jeb came in cold and stamping and all 11 alive she was his goal this girl who braved her bare arms and shoulders to the chill from the door to meet him she above all others and all else in the world tonight was the sole object he sought and nothing could keep him from her that was how jeb made you feel when you faced him hello glen he held her making her palms press his hello glen jeb why did you drive tonight lie he laughed and his happiness at the triumph of this arrival thrilled down her arms from her palms held to his thought the train might not get through glen I 1 had bad to are you glad a little oh yes im glad jeb lie he tipped ripped open his overcoat and threw it oft off and upon a chair for cravath to pick up rod bod came he asked as they pass passed edthe the blazing hearth before which her father had halted yes he came hes wonderful jeb wonderful we talked in there why did she indicate the room and void avoid it she had bad no idea of taking leb jeb to it IL something quite separate from jeb had transpired in there and she he would not cot have him intrude upon it but you do it said jeb no I 1 do it they were in the great drawing room where on this stormy night a huge wood fire also was blazing he turned to her in the warm light tall its is his brother and straighter there was no ready made suit no marks of carelessness eare nothing could make jeb appear pitiful her mind flew to her mothers room where there was another man whom the he could not picture pitiful the four were alone at dinner her mother and father had dressed tor for they were going out there was always in these days something for them to go 90 out to it if they wished and tonight though he was just home they utilized this escape from their evening together so father sat at his bis end of the table in his bis dinner jackets jacket and mother at her end in she was forty seven for she had bad been twenty two when she had borne isee bee the dark one the daughter daug liter like ber herself self but bee after barely three years of marriage and two babies as mother had bad had bad was not now as happy as mamma had been for the flip twelve years in the little house where he hc had been a bride was happiness shortening what ended 14 it once you had it both of you as be at his end of the table and she opposite him had had were together I 1 it good I 1 good I 1 good to be together together sol that was how bow the old house had felt here it was gone most host particularly tonight it was gone from rather father and mother you rou could feel no current of clot closeness eness across the table jeb sat ant tie he was happy to be here and to have her here of course it was because he was close to tier her the table temporarily separating them that he was happy ile he was in business clothes as he had conae come from his office ile he and AK ag nes were not to go out to seek escape from themselves tonight quite to the file contrary why did conversation drag so her father mentioned insult insull to job jeb stronger every minute jeh jeb said im putting all my people into ald west utilities there mother sat alone no longer the closest most necessary person to any one tier her figure once as slender was by no means heavy women complimented ted her upon it it but men had tell me what you want little light one ceased to turn when she passed she had lovely hands beautifully shaped fingers with almond like nails which agnes had inherited her skin though not dark was less fair than net her husbands and it needed color now there was not too much tonight agnes thou thought glit there was too little the they Y had gone gene out together simmons simy driving them the leaping blaze in the drawing room had burnt down to red glowing charred logs that lay lazily on the andirons and irons jeb gathered agnes against him dont fig bt it he its no use its mer 01 cr for them all whys ghys it over job jeb ills his arm about her also claimed her right hand with his ile ie fitted her slender fingers in between his as he liked to do and clasped palm to palm because its over all any one can ever say theres just so much in the lie cup sometimes I 1 think glen you can sip it all your life afraid ever really to taste it or you can dare to drink it down vints what they did I 1 I 1 figure from nhat ive heard from you they had it all they took it all tipped it empty together if hed died or she ten years ago been a break for the poets true love for a lifetime put but why bother about such a thin tiling olen glen do you want it what anes agnes said love for a lifetime tepid tasteless stuff you can bear to sip and never need to gulp down do you want it by god never get it from me ive had girls glen clen but never one like you want well give each other will be beyond telling I 1 dont know how long it will last and neither do you and and I 1 dont care nor do you well have it well have it all white while were young well tip up tip the cup wont we and drink the whole damn thing down while were living do you dream your mother today would trade what shed had bad for anything else she ever heard of lie ile thrust his bis free arm under her knees and claimed her close tie ile arose with her in his arm and took a step or two carrying her then he lifted her higher bringing tier her face so near to his that he be could by bending an inch more kiss her but he did not instead with ith his lips over hers he be whispered it taunted and tantalized tier her what Is it jeb what are you saying to me the line dont you know it that francois villon wrote dear for himself and his friends the night before he was sure they were ere all to be hanged banged men lien brother men that after us live let not your hearts too hard bard on us be but why do you say it ah why glent glen because we god help us glen we are going to be married and then at last he kissed tier her beatrice Ayre forth had bad had bad a sun bath built in her home the enalo ure sure under the quartz glass root roof wu was like a little japanese room with softly padded straw mats fitted together to form the floor and with a slightly raised section laid inid with thicket and softer mats for lounging lou nelna upon and sunning here in the soothing sun you could play with your boys round strong little bodies and imagine them men great mat men splendid men inspiring important and thrilling when you did this you omitted imagining them like k e ali their el r father they must be more ia than h a n D dails a vis ever would be davis your husband who was only th thirty airty but for whom you no longer held it illusions of greatness or of real importance though you loved him film of course you loved him lie he lacked something that tor for one jeb braddon had jeb who had been at the house last night as beatrice had learned when site she phoned hir her father after dinner to say liello hello how much further had agnes and jeb gone last evening cee bee that agnes would hurry over er there site she nas as they faced each other in the sun but agnes immediately bent to the babies rubbing her hands bands briskly to be sure of their warmth before she touched the brown little bodies cobble bobble kissed back on her cool cheek after site she kissed him she swept with her lips the soles of davys chubby little feet one after the other hows jeb asked tier her sister seating herself before her agnes held to one of davys feet all right nee bee she answered did you go anywhere last night not us father and IN mother Iother went to the Stin sons but we stayed home said agnes a bit breathlessly you do demanded pee bee bee I 1 guess job jet and I 1 got sort of engaged beatrices gaze jerked up dont you know 1 I know he said e were pee bee agnes leaned over and resorted to clasping both of davys feet feel and pulling him blin gently along the mat beatrice quickly touched a bell behind her been long enough in the sun she decided suddenly and bundled her babies into robes when the nurse knocked she handed the children out and secured the door again all right now sald said bee dropping to the mat 1 I liked him a lot last night bee I 1 let him know it how about tills this morning beatrice demanded im going downtown to have lunch with him today but are you engaged did you say marry him 1 I for I 1 know I 1 I 1 would I 1 dont know now you mean you dont know whether you want to 1 I guess I 1 want to marry hambee him bee then what in heaven Is it you dont know what it will be like tobe to be married to jeb said agnes I 1 want to talk to mother about it it at all ashes too unhappy you aren arent Ll no said bee quickly how was father when he got homel home no different he made a lot more money in new york 1 I gathered that put cut you and jeb lie ile thinks we ought to get married as quick as we can arrange it oh bee I 1 never never had such a day rod came in the afternoon rod 1 I cant tell you about that I 1 can never tell anyone about that then father came home and mother was making ready for him bee separate when I 1 get married I 1 know then I 1 should think hardly rush oft off and marry but that males makes me want to dont you see oh if you were in the house you would 1 I nt sald said pee bee agnes proceeded to chicago 0 on D the noon train As site she neared the it ile city slie she uon wondered dered more practically what plan lip lie hail find made for her and himself for she felt that today of all days he would have a special surprise for her agues agnes started when nhen she saw him low how much more hers since last night was man at whom women gazed and for whom they turned after they had passed now he saw tier her oh this its as something I 1 site she was shaking from excitement as hardly she had bad last night lie he took her away in a taxi and still saved the tension of their restraints lie he named a restaurant where a few of their set were sure to be so they sat side by side at a little table looking out upon the wide gay room just as it if nothing at all had happened happen d since they had been seen together so many people gazed at them and agnes knew that they whispered to each other theres jeb braddon agnes hand on the seat beside tier her touched his and his closed on hers briefly only nothing today he told her or more morel 1 more than last night what could he mean marriage today had lie a license in his pocket they left the restaurant and agnes agne watched the women looking up at him lie watched the mens eyes on her and as very satisfied ile he tool took tier her into a taxi and gave an address on the north side im going to show you a building glen he told her then where I 1 fig ared Y you on and I 1 would start oh 19 1 1 I spotted it for us you with me long ago how long jeb TO BE CONTINUED |