Show 01 Z ty JE SYNOPSIS the loss of their family fortune Is accepted stoically by the bristol family including professor bristol invalid ar r che his daughter rosemary and simmons a family fixture the only property salvaged is peppertree Pep inn ian and the move to california to operate it rosemary experiences the hectic turmoil of an Inn keepers existence and is grateful tor for the aid of bot elliot bob leaves when kent standish arrives as manager kent envisages a string of inns while he be is away on a survey trip the hotel Is robbed kent at first furious later tries to rush plans tor for marrying rosemary but she breaks off their engagement CHAPTER XVI kent stopped at the office mrs standish said would you like to come up with me my dear while I 1 get out of this dress and freshen up a bit weve been driving since eight this morning kent was anxious to get here before dinner time rosemary following docilely felt her heart sink kents mother was going to talk to her about the broken engagement but mrs standish opening bags creaming her face brushing her hair selecting a fresh gown for dinner chatted of other things rosemary fidgeted nervously any moment now kent might come upstairs she wanted to come to an understanding with his mother before she saw him if it was possible at last she said bravely has kent told you that im not going to marry him mrs standish sit down little rosemary and lets talk about it yes kent has told me though he put it like that he said hed found you tired and upset over the robbery and hed said some rather harsh things because hed been worried about you and the long and short of it was that you wanted to break the engagement ga I 1 know there is something more than a quarrel behind this dear would you like to tell me 1 I dont know that I 1 can I 1 tried to tell kent but I 1 make him understand perhaps I 1 can try me anyway the tale came less haltingly this time how rosemary had suddenly become money conscious back in philadelphia how she had told kent her troubles and he had come to her rescue in the way which seemed most natural to his generous heart how rosemary had watched ambition being born in his mind and growing from day to day until there really was no room in it for her or any other girl just now how she loved california and pep inn and bear the thought of going back east to live kent and I 1 have never been in love with each other she finished earnestly 1 I think ive known that all along it if id thought I 1 was doing any harm to him by letting him follow me and manage the inn of course id never have consented to the plan but its done him good dont you think hes all waked up and alert now he can hardly wait to get into his fathers firm I 1 really hurt him mrs standish except to bruise his pride a little perhaps 1 I know you rosemary she took the girls soft hand in both of hers As you say hes a different person but do you think that its just because hes found himself in a business way it perhaps because his love tor for you is stronger more mature because hes always loved you dear the dark blue eyes brimmed with tears but you want kent to have a wife who love him she whispered and are you sure of that it S seems to me you had a chance to know much about this new kent of mine of ours first he buried himself in the office downstairs and worked out this chain inn plan then he drove away to talk business all up and down the ca coast ast of southern california ive been with him every day of these last weeks as you know but even I 1 can see how hes changed matured there a chance that you might learn to love him as he is now you say youve changed too I 1 think youve put your finger on the core of the ahe whole situation dear you were two lighthearted light hearted youngsters back in philadelphia you planned to join your fortunes not as you seem to shinki rosemary because you were in need of help or kent longing to protect you it was because there has always been an affinity between you now youre both a little more experienced a little older but I 1 believe that under that experience peri ence under any changes you feel in kent or he in you theres the same strong bond of attraction theres always been but it worth waiting a little while to find out kents proud you know darling if you refuse his ring and send him back east without coming to an understanding with him mrs standish pleads for kent but I 1 do want to come to an understanding she cried im sorry mrs standish but its really not been like that with kent and me no childhood romance I 1 mean kents always been a sort of big brother to me why he used to tell me about the girls he fell in love with he used to ask my advice he never even kissed me until all this came up about my fathers losses and his needing a warmer climate and kent having to get a job before he could marry anybody kents mother was silent for a long time rosemary stole a glance at her but she was looking thoughtfully into space her eyes untroubled im going goin to ask a favor of you little rosemary she said at last and im afraid im speaking one word tor for kent and two for myself you see ive never thought of his marrying any girl but you youre his own sort youre just the right age more than that im fond of you and I 1 respect you yes an odd thing to say to a girl auyoung as young as you but theres yn an integrity about you a fineness and sureness and courage to do what seems to you right even when it hurts yourself and others youve been showing it during this talk it would go hard with me to give you up my child and theres kent im his mother and I 1 think I 1 know him he loves you more than he realizes himself he talks of you constantly he measures other girls by your standards he thinks of his children as yours she cleared her throat ill have myself in tears if I 1 dont top stop the favor is this will you give kent another chance will you let him stay here for a month a few weeks ill go on east oh nol no she cried in in a panic if kents to stay you must too but truly truly it wont make any difference I 1 know im not just guessing I 1 do know kent would be wasting his time id feel he was staying under false pretenses if he A rosemary is there another man no mrs standish kent thought he was jealous of bob elliot the last time he was here but it that he resented bobs advising me to have that party here at the inn if he was jealous at all it was of bobs helping bob elliot is a very attractive man he and so kindl kind these last few j 0 1 but you want kent to have a wife who love him days hes done everything he could to keep me from worrying he even planned a lovely picnic Wor worrying Tying yes I 1 told him about my talk with kent I 1 had to in a way kent said things to him that night when he brought me home you wont respect me im afraid when I 1 tell you I 1 wanted to run away from seeing kent again I 1 asked bob if I 1 stay with his mother a few days my dear child you cryl cry kent will think ive been scolding you if you have red eyes at dinner certainly you wanted to run away from another talk with kent you always were a peace loving little thing but she laughed a little your attitude was that have peace if you had to fight for it you really have run away bob As usual Is on the spot no what bob said bob knows you I 1 see im glad she went on whimsically that hes too interested in his avocados to think of girls As kents mother I 1 dont approve of so much combined charm and dependability daubility dabi lity in a man 1 I thought of bob as charming I 1 dont believe that word describes him hes big and kind and understanding but he has a terrible temper and he get interested in inn irin keeping in a thousand years he spent all his spare time telling me so when I 1 first came here hes just well hes just bob elliot and you wont consider granting my favor dear 1 I wont I 1 cant wear kents ring and I 1 wont let him feel bound to me in any way but I 1 cant pre vent his staying on as long as he wishes Rose rosemary maryl 1 I dont mean it the way it sounds im trying awfully hard to be fair it you really think I 1 dont understand kent 1 I know you dont and tt if he wont consider its an engagement or even an understand ing 0 1 I 1 cant promise for him of course you and he will have to talk this out between you all I 1 ask you to do rosemary is to keep this thought in mind when you do talk that kents mother wants with all her heart her son to have a chance to prove to you that hes bes worthy of being trusted with your future kent and his mother had been at the inn for nearly a week and still there had been no talk between rosemary and him no talk that is of marriage or engagement rings of inns or a return to philadelphia at first rosemay rosemary believed that kent was waiting for the right opportunity port unity but as day followed day and again and again they were left alone together she could only conclude that mrs standish had given her son sagacious advice which he was following she could not analyze her own state of mind she found she was relieved certainly that the issue was being postponed but she felt her own position and kents to be a false one and she moved and spoke under constraint when she was with him something linton grahame had said returned to worry at her peace of mind something about kents being in love with no one but himself but having one eye always on his mother to watch the effect he got and a good idea too she scolded herself Is it possible my dear that youre beginning to be jealous of kents mother but it was not jealousy exactly rather kents own desire to manage his affairs without a hint of outside influence rosemary resented without quite realizing it mrs potential effect on what should have concerned only herself and kent her girlish dignity was slightly affronted by the older womans comans hand feather light and heavenly kind though it was trying to take her emotional pulse perhaps edith standish sensed this at any rate she began to spend long hours away from the inn explaining her absences by a vague mention of shopping or sightseeing often she drove kents car away after breakfast not to return until almost dinner time one evening rosemary was startled to see her come into the lobby on bob elliots elliote Elli arm she was pale with pain and shock but she was laughing dont look like that dear she admonished rosemary its nothing serious truly A truck ran into me A truck oh mrs standish no harm done except to the car and to my feelings ive never had an accident before and how im going to explain this to kent I 1 dont know she sank into a chair and smiled at her listeners bob gave me first aid and brought me home bob rosemary had a passing wonder as to the whereabouts of the accident wont you let me call a doctor you may be more seriously hurt than you know bob answered for her ashes not hurt rosemary she even in the car when the truck hit it not in the car then how 7 1 I had my hand on the handle of the door just getting ready to step into the car the truck passed so f close on the other side that it hit my car and sent it spinning across the road it ended up against a telephone pole I 1 think that was it it bob yes mrs standish was knocked down but I 1 dont believe she was hurt aside from a few bruises however it might be a good idea to have a doctor look her over she was in bed looking very young and girlish in a pink satin bed jacket when kent returned rosemary had told him of the accident assured him that the doctor had found nothing wrong that a few days rest cure howd elliot happen to bring her home he demanded was he driving on that road when it happened no shed been to see his cados she says 11 ves been to see his avocados but that make sense ashes seen thousands of trees do you mean she wanted to see elliot personally why rosemary shook her head 1 I dont know she said shed been to see his trees and was just getting into her car to leave when the truck came by he saw the whole thing and helped her up the doctor said it was better not to encourage her to talk about it for a day or two kents jaw shut hard his eyes were half closed elliot can talk about it and by george he will she made no answer and he went on up to his mothers room kent hears bob s real role nice work madre he greeted her gaily it every woman who can smash up a car so she can get a new one and come off without a scratch herself hersel fl yes bob elliot saved me she said placidly saved youl you you mean he picked you up off the ground and brought you here despite rosemaryy Rose marys warning he pursued the subject no the story I 1 told rosemary what actually happened was that bob saw the truck veer toward my car and he leaped forward and snatched me out of the path of danger that sounds pretty melodramatic the path of danger but it was literally liter aUy that both theia the ii and the truck passed over wh 4 had been standing he forgot everything but her recent danger he knelt by the bed and put his big arms about her and she could feel the shaking of his body against her own dont son she said gently im perfectly all right not so much as a bruise or scratch on me but you might have been to dont think of that its all over now we must both forget it after a time he said why you want rosemary to know about what elliot did I 1 mean he asked me not to tell her he asked me not to tell anybody but I 1 reserved the right to inform my son of what had happened TO BE CONTINUED iza 4 |