Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-12-29
4 j ID! e.. At Bridge B! !!.:!!
SSs&SS AS1assEl M - 81 : 49, 4 ssMssoss sxssTss

whom Penny was preceding into
her living room. The Ralph Ham
mond Of Saturday had had a
white, drawn face and sick eyes.
But this boy.
Like his older brother. Give.
Ralph Hammond had dark-red,
curling hair. But unlike his bro
theirs his eyes we're q wide, candid
hazel-the green iris thickly fleck-
ed with brown. A little shorter than
Give. a trifle more slender. But
that which held the detectives
eyes was something less tangible
but at once more evident than
superlative masculine good looks.
It was a sort OF shy JoyousneSs
and buoyance. which flushed the
tan OF his cheeks, sang In his
voice, made his eyes almost I'M
bearably bright.
Before Penny Grain. very pale
and quiet. could sink into the chair
she was cropping toward. Ralph
Hammond was al her side. one arm
going out TO encircle her shoulders.
Don't look like that. PENNY
Dundee heard him plead. his voice
suddenly humble. You've every
riSht to be sore at me. honey. but
please don't be. I know I've beer
an awful cad these last few weeks.
but I'm myself again. I'm cured
now. Penny"
Wait. Ralphr' Penny protested
family. holding back as he would
have Rugged her hard against his
breast. What about-Nita?"
Dundee saw the young mans face
90 darby red. but heard his boyish
voice answer almost steadily: Il
hoped you'd understand without
making me put ii into words, hon.
ey -. I'm cured of-Nita. ] can't
express il any other way except to
say I was sick. and now I'm cured"
You mean'-Penny faltered. but
with a swift imploring glance to-
ward Dundee-"you don't love Nita
any more? You can't deny you were
terribly in love with her. Ralph.
Lois told us-told me last night that
Mia had told her in strictest on
fidence that she had promised TO
marry you, Just Thursday night"
The boys face was very pale as
he dropped his hands from Penny's
shoulders. out Dundee. from behind
the portiereS. was not troubling to
spy for the moment. He was too in
dignant at Penny for having with
held from him the vital fact Of
Nita's engagement to Ralph Ham
mond.
That's true. Penny" Ralph was
saying duly. You have a right 10
know. because I'm asking you to
marry me. now . I did propose
10 Mia again Thursday night. and
she did accept me. I confess now !
was wild with happiness
why did she refuse you bcfore2'
Penny cut III, and Dundee silently
thanked her for asking the ques-
ton he would have liked to ask
himself. was IL because she wasn't
sure she was in love with you?"
You're making 1t awfully hard
for me. honey the boy protested,
then admitted humhly. "Of course
you want to know and you should
know -. No. she said all along
almost from the first. that she low
cd me more than I could love her,
but that there were-reasons. ....
Two reasons. she always said. and
once I asked her jealousy II they
we're both men. but she looked so
startled and then laughed so queer
Nv that I didn't ask again .... Then
I thought it might be because I was
younger than she was, though I
can't believe she is more than % or
so, and I'm 25, you know. And once
I cot cold sick because I thought
she might still be married. but she
said her husband was married again.