Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-09-09
ELEVENTH. INSTALLMENT

HEVEN LII lNSIALLMENT
Dammit, Breen, it's all he'll to get
these rodmen to use their heads" The
experienced engineer was speaking
with authority. 'We engineers got
to hold 'em down." he added with
conviction. John was leaving. "See
you later" Mailing called, and John
left the exciting scene. 1--WE eng
ineers!" He felt a foot taller, and
Monday morning seemed a year away.
John was very young.
He went to his new room, unpack-
ed the photograph of Josephine, and
looked at her image long and thought
fully. He called up Van Horn and
had also talked with Josephine for a
moment over the telephone. She
seemed glad to hear from HIM. He
laugh was familiar. John remembered
nothing but the laugh. Her very re-
ticence conveyed things that seemed
bound to bring them close together
again. The warmth of young summer
was in the air; lovers were walking in
the park across the way.
Van Horn remained in the city.
He just refused to leave, and Jose
phine, in the dark cool house in the
middle Fifties, agreed with those mil
lions who have said, New York is a
splendid summer resort"
AS many people were always in or
about town, and as Josephine had
several insistent problems confronting
her, the city, in the summer, took on
the proportions of an adventure.
Josephine was frankly in the business
of living successfully. She had no
intention of being anything but a
success, and not merely a social sue
cess, but to achieve freedmen, and
expression, and, we'll, lots of other
things besides. In fact she was not a
bove the plane of experiment. The
%artless dropping of a fold of her
crepe, kimono, the closeness of her
firm breasts, for an instant pink re-
Elected light of a table lamp, beneath
Johns eyes, as she had bent over him,
placing a tray of toast and tea upon
his bed, on the morning of his con
valescent luxury, happened as she
planned. She recalled his quickly
mounting color, her busting of the
pillow under his head, bending close
above him, breathing the freshness
of her morning bath. 1t was all so
intimate, and innocent.
And John had never asked anyth-
ing. 1t puzzled her. Boys proposed
to her, almost as a matter of course
Gerrit Rantoul had proposed, and
was waiting her reply.
Josephine still felt Rantoul stand
ing over her, tall and firm and charm
ing, his white hair a mark of distinc-
ton rather than of age. He once told
her, half laughingly, 81 guess l was
born that way"
Rantoul was wealthy, belonged to
good clubs, had Offices in the fnhn-
cial district, and had leisure and just
enough contact with great affairs to
make him al enhancing companion.
He was constantly meeting import
ant men. A word or two, a mere
hint, gave Josephine the feeling Of
'mingling in a consequential world. 1t
was so different from Gilbert Van
Horns world, a place utterly divorc-
ed from business and occupied with
stupid sports, or gossip, or incoming
Women were attracted by Rantoul
women always had been attracted tic
him. Charming women, Josephine
knew, would take him in an instant:
and he loved her. She was certain
of that, loved her intensely, with pas.
sion held in mastery reserve. He was
a compelling figure. She otter
thought of him as a Richard Hard,
ing Davis hero, an engineer of great
renown, decorated by foreign poten'
tates. Josephine laughingly told thi
to Rantoul. When they dined thai
night at the West-Hanbleton's', Ran
tout wore a yellow and red sash acros
his breast with a brilliant ren-Pointes
star. A sparkling order hung abou'
his neck by a purple ribbon. On tn
breast of his evening coat, over nj
heart, was a row of overlapping me
dals. 1t was the night he proposed.
John had never proposed to her
probably never would, or perhaps hat