The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-14
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! Nan Carroll. She's Curtis parent
pro tenn. What's parent pro
/ tenn, Nan?"
MAN could have kissed the nurse
~ for the delicate diplomacy
which made her engage both the
| father and the doctor in converse
ton while Curtis was still shouting
! his explanation. Her face was fam
ing as she drew up a chair to the
| injured boys bedside, but when the
door closed upon the three whom
I Curtis had ordered out Of the royal
/ presence she bent and kissed him
with the passionate love of a
mother, rather than Ike a parent
/ pro tenn"
Little Pats a hero, Mana, Cur
( It's began eagerly, holding fast to her
hand. like The boy stood on the
burning deck But he amt dead.
Both his legs got broke, and only
one of my arms, and Cop wasn't
hurt at all. In the story books the
dog always gets killed saving his
little master but I'm glad Cop
didn't get killed
Nan let him talk on, telling her
the whole story, hind part before"
but sometimes her attention wan
dered. so that Curtis scolded her
petulantly. She was reliving, over
and over, that precious minute when
Morgan had drawn her close, his
arm about her shoulders; then with
sickening embarrassment, that other
minute when Curtis amazing
designation Of her had been hurled
like a bomb into the room. What
was he thinking?"
You're not listening again,
Mana" Curtis complained. but his
voice was dragging with drowslness.
Can I go to the hospital to see Lit
! tie Fat? And take Cop? Can I,
Mana? Can 70"
Yes, yes" Nan promised rashly.
/ Then because his hand was dragging
at her shyly. she knelt down beside
his bed and laid her hot cheek
against his pale cheek until he was
sound asleep.
MAN slipped out Of the house
~ without saving goodnight to
/ her employer. From the hall she
heard the masculine rumble of what
seemed to be q very. earnest con-
versation which she had no in
clination at all to interrupt She
found Willis Todd patiently wait
ing for her, and the glow of his
Clgaret was strangely comforting to
the overweight girl.
The kid all right, honey?" Will
lis asked gently as she climbed in
20 the seat beside him.
yes Oh. Willis, what all
awful fool I've been!" She slumped
into a forlorn little huddle and be-
gan to sob gaspingly against his
coatsleeye.
Who says SOP" Willis challenged.
q dol" Nan sobbed. oh, Willis,
Willis! Why didn't you take me
when I said I'd marry you?"
I've often wondered myself"
Willis Todd answered gruffly. Just
selfish, 1 suppose. I wanted you
to be crazy in love with me as
1 am with you. 1t never happens
that way, 1 suppose. One always
loves more than the other. Morgan
and his Iris-sorry, honey you
and You and Morgan! Heigh-ho,
darling! It's a great life-if you
don't weaken. And I've Weakened
so have youl
"Will you try it with me now,
Nan? I'm licked. I'll take What
I can get and be thankful for that.
Maybe it's better to be privileged to
devote your life to the person you
love than to be a hog about ro-
nance, which doesn't wear any too
well, if the cynical young poets are
to be believed, as well as the eyi-
dence Of our own eyes
Nan giggled through a sob. THAT
sentence is becoming terribly in
volYed, dear, and SO is the senti-
ment! Butt know what you mean.
You are darling, Willis"
"Then-will you?"
Il want to, Willis" Nan con-
fessed miserably. II want to-w1th
all my common sense and all my
weak feminine yearnings to be pro-
tected and pampered. Butts too
late now, Willis, dear. All my
hearts gone clear out Of my body
to-another man and-his child.
They do need me so and I'm not
unhappy-all the time. In fact"
and she sat up deterninedly and
dabbed away her tears, I'm so
happy most of the time that I'm in
mortal terror that something will
happen to take what have away
from me-"
TINE next morning, after more
sleep than she had hoped to get,
Nan Carroll took up her temporar-
lily neglected duties in Morgans Of
fees. 1t was good to have to work
like whirlwind, nice to be leased
by Evans and Blake about her pro-
spective status as a "f1apper law
YER
You'll have to grow a new crop
of hair and straddle that babyish
nose of yours with a black-ribboned
pince nez," Blake told her Even
grumpy old Evans had his jokes,
addressing her ponderously as at
tOrney Carroll"
It was into this genial atmosphere
Of work and lust that John Curtis