Evening star., 1932-08-21

III
turn to Already. They would read, alternately,
abound and discuss the best passages Scott was
splendid, particularly in description. His mother =
was an able critic. too. He liked to criticize,
himself.
His rush into the kitchen revealed only the
stolid cook, who handed him note. His Aunt
Sara it seemed, had been taken suddenly SICK
in her Blue Ridge home; his mother had left
to aid.
Its a lie!" he exploded "A lie! Aunt
Saras strong an ox!' 1t was the flrst time
he had ever sworn before woman, even
servant, and he apologized to the astonished
cook In the bath room, viciously latherng
his sullen face to shave, he munbled, She
did it on purpose! She left me to the mercy
of that hussy."
Later he had to go to the door when the
horn of an automobile was imperatively sounded
without and. as he had glumly anticipated II
was his Nemesis. She was in bathing sult-
red, of all colors- probably to advertise her
plump hips, and it seemed she was waiting for
him to join her and the gang" for moon
light swim in the lake.
He couldn't swim and he didn't know 1t
was dangerous to try to learn so soon after
dining So he went albeit acknowledgement,
and had the satisfaction of nearly drowning.
He stepped into deep hole offshore and,
ashamed to call for help, foundered about until
the strength abruptly left his frail body He
was going under when she spied him and
plunged forward
When he revived, his head was in her warm
lap. the fuzz of her damp suit against his pale
cheek Befuddled, his eyes opened and saw
her eyes staring down. There was in that
flashing second a queer CLEAN in hers-a gleam
of fierce triumph and possession-a gleam,
vaguely he knew he had seen before.
Where? When? Yesl The time he was
kid and his mother holding him close, had
beaten off mad dog; the time, at 16. he had
passed the crisis in serious illness; the time,
at 49, he had definitely renounced marriage.
He stumbled to his feet embarrassed, and
the gleam faded swiftly, cannily, from her
eyes. He tried to thank her, but gruf11y she
cut him short, turned her piquant face aside
Leaving her later at the Gentry door, for
lack Of something else to say, desiring to ex-
press his appreciation in some manner, ne
stammered she might like to go with him TO a
movie the next evening.
ITO be brutally frank" she said coldly, Il
would Toodledoo, Wesmuller, or kidd" -.
The movie concerned the Cooper chap. He
was a 6-footer who chewed tobacco and
cuffed his around He was amazing
and perplexing, and the oldest fact OF all was
the way the girls in the picture loved him.
But, of course, it was only fanciful story.
Not realistic, like Scott.
CITTING in the dark, however the impress
- sion came that it was family pleasant to
nave her close TO MIN. oIe Stcultu 81 CdPoDie'
so sure, so self-reliant.
She was plump admittedly but that was
probably a sign of robust health: Swimming
was good for a person; he might take 1t up
some day himself! And her dress, even II
plain and severe undoubtedly represented great
serviceability. Flounces ruff1es and laces after
all, did but adorn
Over a soda she waxed serious and exhib-
ited to his amazement, a heterogeneous store
of knowledge. Excerpts from Kipling she re-
cited sounded intriguing as did illusions to
Shaws plays. She had even read romantic
Shelley.
Her slang and cynicism were only veneer.
he added. And to climax it all. when she bent
to sin through the straw he discerned that the
smudge on her olive neck was tan-exclusively
tan He sighed with vast relief. :
The third afternoon Of his mothers absence.
they played golf. He then became aware Of
what she had meant when saying he had haz-