San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-22
Sandy, Torn Between Love
and Family Duty, Lays
Plan for Free Life
CONTINUED From Page 1. Part y


~ fered him SIS a week. Think of it
twenty-five dollars, And he had only
n TO write about 800 words a day
5fshort, snappy stuff Of current events,
illustrated with goofy drawings. What
N a pipe.
c.. They reached Alamo Square-looli-
ing far out TO the lights blinking so
daintily-little golden midgets jump
ing on the water. "Pretty lucky,
Jude? Now I can blow you to
good show every seven months or so"
Judith trembled. He had hold of
her hands. waiting with boyish eager
ness for her approval. She loved the
:. ardent look in his rich. dark eyes
loved their sweet, direct gaze.
- She said: OH Tears ran down
her cheeks and she gulped: I'm so
-. slad-so awfully glad. Oh, Doug,
- isn't life gorgeous"
- He gave her a quick pull toward
= him, laughing in her face: What
nut. What a queer. darling thing
Jude, you're the darlingest thing on
the earth
- She walked homeward. drenched in
~ happiness. For long time that night
- Judith sat on her bed smiling into the
, darkness, telling herself with an eager
- anguish: -0h. it was nothing-noth-
- ing-I wonder" She loved Douglas
Keith. She admitted it to herself with
q boundless unrestraint that was both
= ecstasy and pain.
a LII morning she thought of him.
"A Shs was so glad it was Saturday
= 80 glad when the other girls in the
g office began leaving. She was in no
y hurry to return 10 the commonplace
flat in Fulton street-home. where she
= was cherished, of course, but taken for
& granted; expected always TO ''act like
sensible person and be thankful she
had good health and the use of all her
limbs" This was one Of Mrs. Moore's
formulas for keeping her children's
feet firmly on the ground.
Judith hated the violent way her
mother and sisters had of fiouncing
on her thoughts with an irritated
What In the worlG are you incoming
about! Why don't you get up and
do something. / don't know how you
can sit there so idlei" As though
I mere motion were the most laudable
I thing in the world.
as puIt /
turned in the deserted office. judith |
drew the black oil cloth cover over her
: ypevriter-absently, lost in a great |
! sweetness.
The door opened. a voice laughed.
little gust Of perfume fluttered in |
Judith's face. She blinked as one
rudely and unwillingly awakened.
Then she jumped up with bound
Of JOY, mumbled giowingly: SANDY
OF all tbings"'
A tall. lightsome girl caught Ju-
dith's hands. She filled the room with 1
yividness; with charm as though the |
sun had come up Unexpectedly or q
song trilled. She talked gaily with lit
tie throaty laughs. stopping three or
four times TO kiss Judith's flushed
cheeks.
She was Sandy Mcneil. Judith's
cousin, the most captivating person
Judith knew. Everything that was
romantic or unusual, she coupled with
Sandy.
Judith's mother was Mcneil. From
infancy Evelyn Moore's children per
ceived that this was an honor-a kind
of kingly privilege. They were aware
that Evelyn Mcneil had stepped down
woefully when she married their faith
or. Mrs. Moore never allowed the self
effacing husband 20 forget that she
had given up everything-made .
complete sacrifice Of her life to be-
ecme his wife.
THE greatest compliment she ever
i paid her daughters was TO say:
You're a Mcneil In the same way
she charged to the fathers heritage al
the unpleasant traits that cropped out
in her children. Mrs. Moore was a color
full. dOmineering woman. Her children
resented her tyrannies. get they adOred
her; they hung on her words. quoting
her as though she were infallible. Ar
gument ended when one or the other
could bolster her cause with: Mamma
said So" So they regarded it almost
an insult to be told with aggrieved
impotence: Il declare to goodness,
you're n regular MUore.7
In Sandy was concentrated all the
gay distinction: all the beauty Of the
McNeils. Sandy had that thin. visit
ful figure. She had white skin. Its
pallOr made haunting by the intense
black Of her eyebrows: the intense red
If her hair. More than this. she seem
I'd 70 move in color dnd music
Her visits 10 the city were the thrills
of Judith's existence. They had be.
come friends three years previous when
Sandy's father wrote 10 his sister in
viting the youngest daughter. who hap
pened 10 be Judith. to his home in
Santa Barbara for a vacation. Sine
then every month or so Sandy dashed
into the office where Judith worked
and they went off together on a LARK
that for Judith was a priceless adyen-
ture.
She loved walking into the Palace
18th Sandy. She felt proud, as though
they were displaying some rare exotic
flower. She would whisper eagerly:
-Sandy-thc way men stare at you
The head waiter knew Sandy. He
ushered her % O table in the very CEN
Ter OF the room. She accepted tribute
rs a queen might.
Now Sandy drew off her gloves. Ju-
dith watched her. Finally she reach
"a over and touched Sandy'g hand
where a diamond the size Of an almond
glowed.
Sandy laughed: ~Oh. forgot to tell
you. Tn somewhat engaged"
Like taking a glass Of water. AZ
though one became engaged every ten
minutes.
Judith. tense with her own emotions.
asked SOFTLY: who? is he glorious;-
Sandyis brows raised whimsically
-ttIfII--Iq uairhf h. ralied motto He. ]