Nogales international., 1932-02-03
Third Installnent

StuGleS her surroundings.
Lynda visits her father in his dingy
quarters. She finds four men playing cards
! when she arrives, One of them, Jock Ayle-
ward her father tells her, is like a son to
him, but warns the girl he is triAer.
NOW GO ON WITH TIE STORY.
1t silenced Lynda on that theme
He chuckled wickedly at her height
ening color and the lift of her chin
And that's that" he said delight
cdiy.
He put her himself into taxicab
escorting her down through the house
with its rumors OF revelry and play
She fancied that from behind one
of the closed doors of the ground
floor she heard Jock Aylewards
voice, cold, angry and excited. 1t
brought back upon her oddly that
light shiver of fear, of unhappiness
and CT regret.
AT the very beginning there was
this especial difference between Lyrl-
da Sandal and Jocelyn Harlowe
Lynda was without question the more
open and ardent of the two. Her
eyes lad burned upon Nick, his
home, his life, his friends with a
golden fame of interest, of sympa-
/ thy, Of the will to understand. 1t
was the gift which Marcella had re-
fused and. Felix Kent had not even
desired to evoke.
! One evening Felix questioned her.
Heretofore Jocelyn had been the
/ questioner.
why" he asked her, "do you look
so conventual tonight"
oh" said .Jocelyn realizing that
she must answer. "You used to say
I didn't look as ought to; conven-
tual, that is.'
Tonight you do"
f'That's funny"
Felix laughed a dry little laugh with
secret meaning.
Il wonder whether it isn't very
funny" He went over to her, sat
on the arm of her chair and bent
above her, capturing her in one strong
arm.
Look, child, | have to be away
from you for a fortnight presently"
Her heart went plunging, whether
for JOY or sorrow she could not for
the life of her have told. when
| come back don't you think we could
shorten this engagement of ours a
little? I'm getting weary of convent
airs. | want" and suddenly his
face was dyed in deep hot color, Il
want a wife"
Marcella spoke as though she were
reciting from her volume.
Il can see no reason for keeping |
you waiting much longer, Felix. I i
did say a four months engagement |
but it seems to ME that you have
tested each others affections now suf-
fciently, have had time to draw close
te each other"
The girl looked from one to the
other with scared golden eyes.
You mean you'll both go away? |
You'll leave ne alone here for all
those days before =. before 2"
Her heart beat visibly under the
ivory silk across her breast.
Felix bent to her lips. Before his
own fell upon them he said in low
key, Much safer for you, my dar-
ling, to be rid of me just now" Even
lower his voice dropped. Il can't
wait. | can't wait" And the kiss
she dreaded fell upon her with the
anguish of blow.
But she endured it, withdrawing
into some faStness, anesthetizing her
soul. All her body, however, drew
itself up and back into the chair as
though it suffered pain.
She listened while Felix and Mar
celia discussed details. She breathed
deeply, her heart at bitter, at defiant
labor. She was to be left alone in
her ignorance Of life. And then she
was to be given to this man. ooh,
no." said Lynda Sandal speaking
desperately to her own heart, 1--WE
shall see first. There will be fort
night at least of liberty and of ex
perlence. Perhaps my mother is
wrong. Perhaps this Felix does not
understand me. Perhaps this one
correct and most indulgent gentleman
is not the only doorway into life and
love. [ have chance to learn the
truth, just a brief mad chance, and
If during this fortnight | discover
that my anger and my shame and my
terror under the embrace of future
husband do not mean what my mother
assures me that they nean," her
chest lifted, wind seemed to blow
across her mind, then l will never
marry him, so help me God; not
even to escape from l1erl" To
the terrible estrangement of this pro-
noun had Marcella driven her.
Events shaped themselves rapidly to !
make her quest of the truth possible.
Cousin Sara came; an old woman
with an ear trumpet, very active and |
very lame, who gadded about the city
all day with a passionate enthusiasm |
for shopping, and went to bed at
night exhausted by her own nervous
activity.
So, after Felix had been gone four