The Washington times., 1931-01-06
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her being. She knew safe men
by the score, but not one of
them, except Duke son,
could inspire the faintest thrill
of provocative fear. He was,
she was convinced, what would
be called bad man-and this
thought had a thin edge of
pleasure for her.
Minutes sped, heightened,
and an intuition came to Con-
ME that Kitty and Jim again
would be absent from the table.
This time, however, she was
mot amazed. She wondered,
with a little amusement, what
their story would be; they
would have to think Of some
thing better than a puuctured
tire. It didn't matter; with
her mother coming down to
dinner she would get along
very nicely with Duke Carson
until, eventually, Kitty and
Jim should return. Her in
stinct about their absence was
right; at 6 o'clock the tele-
uhone rang. The development
was that they intended stay
ing in Stamford for dinner
and seeing a movie, the first
show.
Counting In Haste
"They are courting in haste
and probably will marry in
leisure" she told Carson, vino
had come down stairs freshly
shaven and immaculate. Jim
is courting fast"
why not?" Carson replied,
succinctly.
Connie shrugged. After Ill,
why not? Without admitting,
secretly, she had been in the
wrong about them, Connie felt
a tension loosen. Her interest
swerved sharply and centered
on Carson.
Dinner is at I've have al
most an hour yet" she told
him. Shall we walk outsider"
They followed the path along
a low stone wall that carried
them down a terraced lawn,
velvety and green under a
cloudy sky. A turn brought
them, at further distance, to
an enclosed garden, it's surface
as smooth as a billiard table.
In the center they stopped and
sat on the rim of a Sunken lily
pool, where elaborate Japanese
fish moved lazy, ornamental
fins. The earth, the shrubs,
the slowers, released a frag-
rance that held, almost, an
aching sweetness. All of this
beauty, carefully shielded from
the worlds hubbub, made no
visible impression upon Gar
son; he accepted it without
comment.
Sentiment Only?
II can't understand" Carson
said, without preliminaries,
why you ever thought of mar
rying a man you think so little
Of as Tracy. Was it all senti.
mental nonSenSe?"
This, strangely, did not seem
preSumptuous, at the moment,
to Connie, in view of GarSon's
announced purpose of trying
to fathom her. It was on that
basis, precisely, that he was her
guest.
Il don't know why should
talk about these things to you,"
she said, quietly, except that
want to be agreeable. I can't
tell you about Jim and me-it's
as though it never existed. No,
wasn't under a SPELL just
got so used to Jim that it
seemed natural~that we should
marry"
And then you woke up?"
And then I woke up-just
in time. Does that help you
to understand me better?"
Il think I understood you
better-best-When I saw you
put aside all my threatening
talk down on Tenth Avenue
and let your heart warm up for
Kitty, in spite Of the way we
were bullying you. That was
real stuff. All the other-Jim
Tracy-was more or less acci-
dental"
"Tell me about yourself"
Connie commanded suddenly.
I'D rather not" he said,
slowly. I'm not your kind.
You aim to be broadminded,
but you wouldn't approve Of
me at all"
Nevertheless" Connie stated,
"I think you're going to tell
me everything"