The Omaha morning bee., 1923-12-30
PATTY

ltemptuous and kind of inscrutable,
ltoo. He's been taking care of Joyce
Saterlee's measles. Joyce says he
commands her so. it's just too thrill
ling for words. Daisy Cady and Milly
Darlington drive to the postoffice an
hour and half late every day SOS
they can meet him. making his MORN
ing call on Joyce"
| You are not to meet Arthur Rae
burn, Laurian," Patty ordered crisp
| ly, ''or IL you find it unavoidable, you
are not to invite him to the house. :"
"I don't see why" Laurian was
beginning Indignantly. when Because
say So" Patty came down crush
ingly on her. IT have never liked
Arthur Raeburn.'' Patty continued
IT'LL hate him. / despise him. I"
II don't see why you should despise
him. Patty" her father intsrfered
gently. Hes splendid surgeon. His
record in the war proves that. And
North Belaize is going to be a won
der. He'll be matrimonial prize be-
fore he gets through-and you're
bound to meet him a lot socially"
II despise him because he was a
sissy" Patty went on relentlessly,
that strange darkness still on her
brow. that strange sternness still on
her lips.
"Well,' Laurian said. my letters
done. How 1 hate to write bread
and.butter letter. She arose and
moved toward the door Then I hope
I meet Arthur Raeburn in other peo-
pies houses" she flung a vast def
ance over her shoulder, as she fled
through the hall, I'm simply crazy
about him."
Between Patty and Judge Dade en-
sued a tiny interval of silence. Then
his voice lowered a little 1T wasn't
Monty Vielle. was it, Patty?' her
father asked.
mo! OF course that's what every
body thinks. And I'll admit that
when we got the news of Monty's
death How long ago that seems!
The day after the armistice, wasn't
It'll was young enough not to mind
seeming to be broken-hearted.
OF course. l did feel rotten
Poor old Monty, He was the
handsomest thing in his aviator uni
form that I ever saw in my life
No. father, l really suppose I've
never been in love-that is to say
honestly and truly blackly and bluely
knock me down and cut me in twoly
in love in all my life."
Then why do you fiirt-''
"Oh, just love of conquest" his
daughter interrupted, land because
I've nothing else to do-sometimes
to discipline them-and sometimes to
show fresh young fappers-or proud
newly-engaged girls-or fatuous. over
confident brides where they get off.
and to keep my hand in-and to prove
to myself that ] haven't lost my
knack-and to show knockers and
crepe-hangers that I am still doing
it-oh. a lot of high spiritual mo-
tives like that"
"Wretched girl! You need Petru
chio,'
"Petruchio! Don't you know. old
dear, I'd have a Petruchio tanned in
two minutes?"
Her father gazed at her.
Don't underestimate Raeburn-"
There came a second thunderous
darkening of Patty's face. But she
curbed all expression OF that sinister
emotion. What are you so anxious
to get rid of me for?" she demanded
lightly. You'll lose out by 1t, you
know. Haven't l always treated you
with the most improper respect?
Laurian won't indulge you the way
do. You know perfectly well what
she'll give you to eat; all the things
she likes-messy. sweet fruit salads
and sherbets with nasty nuts on 1t
and cake that's all icing. Do you
expect she'll ever feed you liver on
the sly-and tripe-and boiled dinner
and spareribs and lowbrow truck
like that?"
.If only she doesn't cook 1t her
self" Judge Dade observed grimly,
"I may manage TO survive"
"I don't know why I'm wasting
all this time on you and your weird
ideas, Julian" Patty remarked with
severe infection, springing to her
feet, when I've got to get over
to Belaize and do all my ordering
this mornin gand then get into ,town
and back by night. Don't bother
about me, I've reconciled myself to
being the old maid of the family" She
dropped kiss on the exact spot on
| her fathers head where his stiff.
thick hair made a silvery whorl. and
| departed.
She was whistling when she left the
big shadowy library. And she was
whistling later when she re-appeared
on the uncovered, brickedin back
piazza which by means OF a terraced.
formal garden. broken by pools and
| fountains, sloped in velvety gradations
| to the sea. She did not look at the
sea, however. She looked at the sky.
The whistling died down, for her eyes
were fun of tears. Suddenly her arm
came high In a lovely 1.-THE gesture as
she threw kiss up into the deserted
empyrean.
1t was true that in his aviator's uni
form, Monty Vielle had been the hand
soonest thing she had ever seen. II
was true, too, that her heart had
been lightly touched by his debonair
comllness. 1t was true also-she had
known 1t even then-that he was
weak, that she would always be the
controlling spirit and that in conse-
quence she was not really in love.
That thrown kiss was remorseful
recognition of this condition.
Five minutes later, however. In her
trim little roadster she had become
dry eyed and serene. The road wound
out of the big Dade place into the
wide nacadam main road of Ring.