Show 77 0 4 come home 7 71 BY ja BETTY ZAN E WATSON 74 johnny davis dans returns to the dally daily clarion newspaper owned by his bis father S J D davis after three years in service he becomes interested in kit lovely lobely reporter and Is upset t to 0 learn sue she is engaged to his cousin basil martin a weakling lie he learns that his grandmother jennifer bl martin artin who has never acknowledged him or his father because she holds them responsible tor for the death of her daughter at johnnys birth has continued to refuse to grant some of her land to build a park for the children he goes to martindale to make a personal appeal but Is turned away later he and kit meet near the park site and he kisses her ile he knows then he loves her CHAPTER IV and suddenly johnny knew what he was trying to ask he wanted to know if he had seen the portrait ot of his mother above the mantel this was even more important to his father than if he had talked with jennifer martin yes dad I 1 saw her she was lovely she he looked at his father and saw that his eyes eye s were misty and he looked quickly away giving him this moment for himself and the memory of his mother 1 I only saw the painting once he said f finally still not raising his head to look directly at his son but it was her as surely as it if she were standing above me and looking at me again when did you see it dad before you were married this had surprised johnny who had never known that his father had been inside martindale no it was painted just a short time before she before you were born johnny I 1 was only inside the house once for only a half hour the day she was buried her mother did allow me that much time with her a his voice was not the least bitter as he spoke of jennifer martin J D davis had no place for bitterness in his character oh I 1 could have had her taken from the house but where could I 1 have put her a funeral home no martindale was her home and the kind of place she belonged eventually we would have gotten things straightened out it if linda had lived but his voice was low as if he might have been talking to himself telling himself things he had tried to believe tor for many years and then I 1 sort of messed up things for everybody johnny stood with a quick impulse and shoving his hands in his pockets went to the window and stood with his back to J D johnny boy dont ever say chati shed never forgive you for it she would be more than satisfied with her son however I 1 think her husband might have done a little littie better twenty five years ago I 1 owned a dinky newspaper in a one horse town and was one jump ahead of the bill collector and trying to get a park built and twenty five years later im exactly in the same place with still no park progress my boy progresso Pro gressl he gave a hearty laugh and threw an arm around johnny standing now beside him looking down main street but were not through yet dad maybe were just starting maybe the old determination was coming back into his voice again the stuff johnny if we cant talk down the old lady we can always outlive her then well only have henry and basil to account to they turned simultaneously and sat at their desks ready to work at twelve noon johnny looked at his watch and decided it if he wanted to see kit before she left for lunch he had better hurry he mumbled a hurried excuse to J D that he would be back before they went to their lunch and opened the door to the outer office however he had timed himself a few minutes late tor for just as he walked into the long room he saw kits green plaid coat disappearing out the door it was with a sense of excitement that he followed her thinking he could catch her and they might have lunch together from a purely casual encounter he opened the door to the street and all his excitement cit ement turned to disappointment as he saw her standing at the curb waiting for basil who was boldly turning his convertible completely around in the center of the street he stopped for a second before going on down the steps and then continued as nonchalant as was possible in his present state of emotional upset kit looked around as she was getting in the car and she smiled hello johnny she called but there was no sign nothing which might give him any hint of her reaction to last night johnny walked to the drug store and bought a pack of cigarettes before he returned to the office to go to lunch with J D miss handley called to him as he opened the door good afternoon john she giggled a high pitched laugh and smiled up at him the office gossip does her bit Is it he was still on cagey territory with her since that first encounter although she had been particularly friendly with him since then 1 I have thle the files ready for you and the noon releases are here I 1 dont believe miss willett got quite through her personals she really have stayed out so late last evening you know early to bed her tone implied her feelings for kit willett Willet fc oh was miss willett burning the midnight oil last night it was a surprise to johnny that kit would discuss her evenings with handley especially last evening yes and she seems to have had quite a time she and her boy friend went to kenton and really did the town so she said all this with a superior air oh did they funny I 1 saw her myself just on the street of course about ten or eleven johnny tried to sound uninterested but knew he was making a poor job of it il yes she said she just decided to go out around midnight and called her basil he certainly must sit around just waiting for her to call to come at a time like that she touched her hand nervously to her hair not every girl is that way she smiled sweetly up at johnny but it was lost because johnny davis had already turned and was closing the office door behind him so that was kits reaction that was what she wanted after they had stood together in the field and had kissed and clung to each other well at least now he knew As kit climbed into the seat beside basil she wondered if handley had told johnny yet what she had been so particular to tell her during the morning if johnny had any notion she had changed her mind about marrying basil after johnn johnny had kissed her that surely would set him straight again it was a rather cruel way of telling him buthe would have to know sooner or later that she intended going through with the marriage darling turning to him quickly she realized she had been too busy with other thoughts to greet basil you look sleepy and why I 1 be baby he reached a hand over for hers just the same im glad you called me last night sort of proves a point it you know that I 1 love you you dont need proof of that baz she answered quite definitely no but 2 they drove in silence for a few minutes before arriving at the elms a seafood restaurant just outside lexington where kit enjoyed lunching basil was in particularly good humor kit decided for her that girl why im sure sare ive seen her some place having called him the night before he also seemed to have some sort of surprise tor for her and throughout the meal hinted at its subject without letting her know what was in store for her he kept her in suspense until within a few blocks of the clarion office and then kit Is invited to martindale kit I 1 cant keep it up much longer tonight you have been invited to martindale for dinner and of course my grandmother accepts no refusals this is very important my dear you can either make me or break me tonight so be at your best oh so it she had never before been invited to martindale having met basils father and mother at a hotel where they all had had dinner together the warning of basils of course my grandmother accepts no refusals 11 irked her and she had half a mind to refuse for mere spite but weighing the matter she decided she had no real excuse tor for not going As she went on into the office she pondered over his statement that she could either make him or break him with his grandmother this she hardly believed because she felt certain if jennifer martin actually forbade his marry marrying in g h her e r basil would respect her wishes s S she he I 1 had thought that when the time came to meet the old lady she would be governed by a sense of fear and could not act naturally but now she found herself looking forward to the occasion and as the afternoon wore on to evening she could hardly content herself until six should come six did finally come and she was ready and waiting for basil when he rang her bell she had spent almost two weeks salary on a sheer black dinner dress and decided this was the evening to initiate it she wore little makeup make up as was her usual custom her complexion being radiant without the help of cosmetics the moment she opened the door to basil she knew she was dressed according to standard tor for after looking her over critically he held out his hands to her and smiled his approval perfect baby you should really lay her low in that oh but I 1 fully intend to darling we break you must we now she had decided against any sarcasm that his speech of the afternoon might have provoked but found she could not keep this barb silent thomas opened the door to them at martindale a few minutes later As he took their coats kit stood beside basil at once impressed with the luxurious surroundings and awed with the massiveness of the house basil turned to her and lowered his voice like it sweet when she nodded approval he went on all this will belong to us some day soon if we play our cards right shall we go in kit disgusted with his constant reminders of the inheritance looked toward the living room door just a couple of things kit his expression changed to one of business 1 I mention that you work at that filthy news office with davis and well perhaps you better not say anything about our engagement until she kit turned to face him fully until she approves of me Is that it basil why you come right out and say that you would not want to marry me if shed cut you off tor for it what you meant it her voice rose higher and basil took her by the arm farther back in the hallway away from the living room entrance be reasonable you little fool of course that what I 1 meant id marry you anyway but it might as well be with her blessing only logic he had both his hands gripping her shoulders when he noticed that thomas was standing in the archway addressing him well his voice was demanding 1 I beg pardon sir but your grandmother is anxious to start dinner he bowed politely and left them kit standing beside basil looking at the group in the room they were about to enter thought she would never forget the picture of the family before her as long as she lived jennifer martin was seated at the fireplace her small hands nervously crocheting an intricate piece of work upon which her eyes rested only for second intervals henry basils father was standing beside her much the faithful son in subservient position mrs martin henrys wife was sitting at the grand piano playing the first strains of Beet hovens sonata it was the perfect home fireside picture of a contented family that is until one looked at the face of each charac ter henrys was a theme ot of utter boredom at the moment the greed and selfishness havink having been temporarily pora rily covered over his wu V 3 too pleasant greeting told p pig 1 ot of her insincerity while the no agy kled face ace of the old lady at the fireside wore an unchangeable expression of a long practiced mask it was impossible to read behind it there was cruelty there and determination mi nation basil introduced her to his grandmother who nodded curtly to her acknowledging the introduction it was then as she was standing beside the mantel that she looked up and saw the portrait of linda she was speechless with the beauty of it and finally when she regained her senses she spoke before she thought that girl why im sure ive seen her some place As soon as she spoke she felt basils anger at her forgetfulness of course it was johnny johnnys eyes we these eyes quickly correcting 4 ge self she added oh now I 1 k it was someone who looks like her jennifer martin looked up at her her small eyes searching the girls face after a moment she spoke who was it kit had not expected this further inquiry and answered hesitatingly why oh someone im sure youve never seen the old lady did not seem even aware of her answer and sat crocheting until she came to the end of her stitches she stood and her p posture ma made d e even her fier short stature seem tall and turning to kit she spoke curtly although the expression of her eyes belied her tone perhaps I 1 know who you mean and turning on her heel she led the way to the dining room working forking overtime at the clarion the centennial celebration kept the office of the clarion busy during the next week deciding which of the twenty some families should be given the place of honor as lex ing tons first family was a job that entailed more than a little diplomacy several nights the clarion force stayed after hours in order to F 1 out an extra on the eve of the c M bration it was to be a real sc so venir for the people of the town and each one in the office was more than willing to give it his time on wednesday night they finished most of the copy and the layouts thursday morning it would go to press and be ready tor for friday evening when it would go on an the streets johnny was working at one of the desks in the outer office as he was going over copy with both handley and kit heyl he exclaimed quickly in the middle of a sentence he be was dictating look at the time the guild had better not hear of this it was almost twelve to the surprise of both girls and johnny shall we call it a day and a half TO BE WL |