The Dolores star., 1924-05-02


"Oh. wish | knew what to do!'
He pulled her up then in his arms
and kissed her. and she, with deep
drawn sigh, returned the kiss. We've
still got an hour" he said, and for a
long while after that they spoke of
nothing more to the purpose than the
sailing gulls and the sheets Of silver
left by the receding tide.
She asked him. though, at the end
of a protraCted silence. what he was
thinking about.
I've been trying not to think about
it," he confessed. But | am beast.
and l can't get 1t out OF my head"
She neither spoke nor stirred until
he went on.
"All you'd have to do tomorrow
would be to keep your Mrs. Wentworth
from actually putting you on the train.
You come down to the same station,
but you take our little train Instead.
And Tn on 1t. And we come out here
and have our llttle-holiday. Two
days out Of lifetime Oh. I know
it's impossible. But you asked what
l was thinking about, and that was It."
do you want me to do 1t, Joeg'
The simplicity of the question, and
the intensity OF the emotion that pro-
PEELED 1t, literally, for an instant,
stopped the beat of his heart. His
eyes filed with teGrs, but through the
blur he could see hers, wide with a
sense OF great adventure, gazing up
ut him.
81 don't know" he said. 81 don't
know whether | want you to or not"
Her arms tIghtened about him and
she uttered shaky laugh. 81 love
you for saying that. I'll come, Joe.
I'll give you those two days We've
got to be starting back now. You go
find the man and tell him. He'd bet
ter not see me like this"
Joe made his arrangements. and
they caught the train and contrived.
very tidily. how her meeting with
Alice Wentworth at six should be
made plausible.
Violet managed her meeting with
Alice Wentworth with entire success
But Alice made her jump. though, by
saying-holdIng her of in both hands
for a good look, you've been deceiv-
ing John. Violet. I've never seen you
looking prettier, or any younger, hard
ly. since ] was your bridesmaid. Have
your redcap give your bag to Wrenn ;
and give him your trunk-checks, teo."
By the time they arrived at the big
brown house on Riverside drive Violet
was near enough to her natural self.
There was nothing the matter with
her. except she couldn't sleep.
81 guess you had better telephone
John, If you feel equal to it." Alice
told her, when she had gone up to
Violet's room, hes been trying to get
you all day"
There was a long silence. Finally
Violet said, 81 see what happened
John thought l was coming on the
Broadway. / was, but ! missed 1t.
And he always laughs at me for miss
Ing trains. so l didn't call him up and
tell him l suppose l ought to tele-
phone him now"
MY dear" said Alice. "you can't
talk across the room to me, let alone
to Chicago. III wire John that you've
got here all right-or telephone, If
you'd rather"
"No. Wire is better" Violet mur
INJURED.
Despite their protests. she did come
down to dinner and played bridge fu.
riously all the evening 1t was her
last night out, she told them, and the
only thing in the world she dreaded
was going to bed. Doctor Brown could
make her do It, but nobody else could.
And, indeed, when she knocked on
Alice's door, about five in the morn
ing, she was not undressed beyond n
negllgee, nor had she lain In her bed.
She was beaten by then. While
fearing what Joe might do in his rage
at being disappointed she resolved to
90 back to John. And so she told
Alice that she must take the first
train back to Chicago.
She gave John. who met her In the
LaSalle Street station at seven o'clock
liIs next IuDrNIne, tHe most eleCtrify-
Ing surprise he had experienced since
she had told him. twenty years before
that she would marry him. The sort
of hug and kiss she bestowed uuon
him On the platform was unusual
enough, but nothing to what followed
She made light Of her iIlness as they
walked through the station 10 the car
In which he'd driven down from Lake
Forest to meet her. Shed had a silly
attack Of the futters, had got over II,
and had come home as quickly as she
could to reassure him that she was ali
right. He'd have found this rather
hard to believe had not her looks com.
pletely borne her out.
After they were seated in the .-,r
With the chauffeur waiting to be told
where they wanted to 20, he asked
her-jocularly, 40 that It would bs
easy to rsfuse-if she'd Ike ~ have
breakfast at the club with hin, before
she drove home.
Cant you come home TO breakfas &,
sith me. JohnT' she asked. Just 10,
the ride aod the yisitT' And behina