The Washington times., 1931-10-10

Persons was saying, I man.
aged to keep control of myself
and to neither go into a
righteous rage nor break down
and sob.
"Just what do you mean,
Thad Parsons, when you say
you cannot marry me nowP"
I managed to speak quietly.
''Why, sweetness. just what I
said-after all that happened.
Never mind the sweetness
part, Thad. Just explain. After
all of what has happened?"
Come now, sweet-Oh I say,
don't be like that. Don't try to
be so ritzy, honey. You know
as well as I do"
81 don't know. But I know
you talk as though you thought
I was-I had been-silly, Or
or wild"
cat least you were discreet
and careful, until the Malvern
murder stirred things up so dis
agreeably."
It's like that, is it, Thad?"
isn't it, Katie?"
"You think that because /
had been friendly with Forrest
Malvern it naturally followed
that I had been bad-isn't
that it?"
"You said it, Katie-it nat
urally followed"
"And believing that, you
spring the love nest wheeze
on me?"
"You wouldn't have a worry
In the world, Katie, you know
that. I've always been crazy
about you. I'd always take
care of you"
Her Answer
"You weren't so crazy about
me but what you married a
society girl who was a rotter."
IT explained what a. sap I
had been over that situation"
"You don't believe that I was
merely friendly with Malvern,
and nothing more?"
Thad laughed softly, and
that was like a knife thrust to
me. I was speechless for few
moments.
"Well, sweetness. why waste
words? What's past is past,
and always forgotten. What do
you say?"
"I say, Good night" I said
It so low that I had to repeat
it when he said "What?" I said
it plenty loud enough the next
time and started to get out OF
the car. -
Thad had not attempted to
detain me or even to reply. !
think my attitude gave him a
big joy. I shall always believe
that it made him wonder if he
hadn't been as dumb as he was
unspeakable in his suspicious.
I lost no time getting into
bed. 1 was beyond crying
then. I thought of what sister
Cora had said. I thought Of
millions of things, it seemed.
Had Thad Parsons any right to
harbor such suspicious about
me? I tried to convince my
self that he had not. But there
always came up the old stories
and sayings, such as one can
not touch pitch without being
sullied, and that dog Towser
was a good dog, but got a bad
name by going with bad dogs.
A Bad Name
I suppose those who knew
Forrest Malvern best believed
that no good girl could be his
friend, or that no girl could
long be his friend and be a
good girl.
I could feel my eyes smart
with the tears I could not shed,
and my cheeks burn, not with
shame for anything I had done,
but with shame that Thad
should think such evil Of me.
Perhaps he would come to me
soon and apologize and offer to
marry me. That would ne i'm.
possible now, for I would for
ever feel that, despite his love,
there would always be in the
back of his mind a suspicion of
me.
I heard Viola's voice at the
door. I heard her gay little
laugh, and a mans voice. I
couldn't make out from the
voice who he was, but I was
surprised, for she never let
Denny or the others come up
beyond the street entrance with
her at such an hour.
More talk and low voices and
giggling. Finally she came in.
I was in no mood to talk and
pretended to be asleep. Now
ordinarily Viola would never
awaken me, nor would dis
turb her, but this time she
pumped herself down on the
bed beside me.
Wake up, old pal," she said,
putting her hand on my cheek.
wake up and hold everything
for a Shock!"
AS if I hadn't had enough
shock to last me a life time!
But I opened my eyes and sat
UP. Viola leaned over and
kissed me. She was so excited
that she didn't notice that I
was feverish.