Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-02-25
Chapter IS
81 HAVEN'T ANY PRIDE"

In a desultory way Hope began to
buy her own rousseau. Occasional
piece here and there. But the shop
ping, lost all tang as Mama Ross md
Goody began to take 1t over in an
experienced manner. running all cur
of bounds with their ideas.
Yet Hope was happier as days
went by. With a safe feeling. A
quiet satisfaction in Rusty's tender
possessiveness. A strange comfor
IN the thought thar she was being
owned n taken care Of.
Her engagement was officially an
nounced in September. Just a few
weeks before Judy's wedding was to-
be performed. And Hope went about
with a fiashlight on her finger at
bosom, and n strange bIazing in her
head.
And all would have been we'll. Very
well indeed. Were it not for another
newspaper announcement right along
sdie of her own in the Times. An
other announcement that caused Hope
to go weak with panic. with a pain
ful flash of hot excitement thru her
blood.
Eileen Argyle. her picture beside
of a nice, paddy-cake facet, admit
ted that her engagement to Richard
definitely.
Now what difference would h a
make to Hope? None at all! None
whatsoever. What possible concern
could II be of hers?
And yet.
There was a sharpness in Rusty,s
voice when he called up an hour
There was an unhappy questioning
In Rusty's eyes as she sat opposite
him and avoided his direct glance,
smiling broadly and chatting con-
tinuously Rusty had seen ii In the
paper. and Rusty knew she had seen
1t, and Rusty wondered. Poor
Rusty, She mustn't let him be hurt.
Desperately Hope forced herself
to be in love. Earnestly she set out
to prove to everyone how truly hap
by she was with Rusty. Until the
worried light died down from the eyes
all around her that had seer the two
announcements side by size in the
Times. And Mama, and Papa, and
Goody. and Rusty were satisfied at
last-and silently thankful.
Nervously she refused to set a date
for her own wedding with Rusty. beg
ment was over and she had time TO
think. With boundless energy Hope
threw herself into the maelstrom OF
Judy's wedding to the boy who had
cast away his E-flat s%axophone and
engaged a publicity expert.
And then. the night before Judy's
wedding, Hope found one last item
in the newspapers-merely a line in
Winchelis oelIrious gossip column
that Hickey Dale and son were 'to
mal-de-mer on the Paris manyana."
1t struck home, that simple state
ment, like a bolt of lightning into
Hopes uncomfortable SOUL 1t was
as If she had been waiting for
thing Just like that Dickey was TO
sail on the same boat that Judy would
take! The same boat-going off with
his father.
Further arguments were useless
Hope saw that herself before three
highballs and thirty cigarettes were
consumed as she paced her floor.
No use trying to think things out
There wasn't any answer to all the
endless questions-no use to do any
thing except what o want to do.
What you had to d~o-regardless of
the cost
Quite cannily Hope made her plans.
Quite calmly the next day she march
ed down the aisle behind Judy and
Thomas Post as maid-of-honor. With
she slipped two OF her own suitcases
In with Judy's luggage. And In the
evening with checks and passports in
her purse. and Sassy under her arm.
Hope got into her rUseeSter and fol-
lowed Tom Posts car into New York
Ito see Judy off on the boat!"
In her heart was only one wild de-
sire. One thought that drowned out
every shameful guilty feeling h
beat In the back OF her mind. II she
could just see Dickey, And If by
any chance she felt as she knew she
would feel at the sight Of him. ~
Then the devil take all her sinsl And
might everyone forgive her for the
wretched treatment she was giving
them. Too u~nspeakably bad if Rusty