Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-06-22
Chapter q
TWO PROPOSALS

GT AM taking you with me to my
Ayacht, aboard which I shall spend
the rest of my life," Ashwood told
Nancy.
"she Is a magnificent vessel. some
two hundred feet long. with suffi-
cient fuel oil capacity to cruise
around the world without stopping.
/ have spent a year and an absurd
amount of money QUILTING her as a
home afloat. She Is now anchored In
Mexican waters, her steam up, COM
pletely manned with q most excellent
and dependable crew, ready to sail
at a moments notice. We will nave
to leave In the amphibian shortly
after breakfast the day after tomor-
row and should be aboard the yacht
by SUNRISE"
Nancy's brain reeled. She gasped
n arms OF her chair. She must con-
centrate upon one thing at a. time.
What has given you to believe
that | am for sale?" she demanded,
forcing herself to speak calmly. Not
for nothing had she been rated a
fine actress.
Are you in love with your fiance.
the venerable Mr.. Macomber?' he
countered imperturbably. you will
remember that the announcement of
your engagement attracted consider
able comment in the New York press.
| noted that some OF the so-called
scandal sheets were somewhat Gym
ical in their observations. Didn't one
OF the columnists stoop to the banal-
lty of referring to 1t as the union of
May and December"
mo, I'm not in love with Philip
Macomber," she flared up. But what
difference does that make? I was tired
so tired-of having men make love
to me. Philip Macomber Is a wond-
erful man. We've known him for
years. He is kind, patient and father
ly and a promised to demand moth
ing that / do not wish to give him,
When I've married him the others
win stop. You don't know all the de-
tails, Of course, but"
Il wonder IL you do?" he interrupt
ed. his voice mildly questioning. THE
arrangement, the settlement, IL you
please, between Mr.. Macomber and
your mother was quite considerable,
one is told. Therefore Ii Is difficult
to regard the matter as other than a
cash sale. That being so, my preda-
Macomber of q substantial sum of
money-not In cash, but in property
that he has purchased for cash.
Nancy wondered If she, too, had
gone mad. Nothing seemed real. Those
stars, so close that she might have
reached up and plucked one Of them,
Knocked her. The three-quarters moon,
SiliouSAlliE the palms on the next
island in a clear-cut half tone, had
a a which grinned sardonically at
her. And the man beside her was still
discussing the outrageous proposal in
a matter Of fac voice which made 1t
sound all the more unreal.
After the first few days upon the
yacht, Nancy, you will be quite con-
tent, | hope. You will have all the
privacy you wish. A large, private
suite will be set aside for you into
which you may retire when you
choose.
we will get under way at once
and begin a leisurely cruise around
the world, calling at every unknown,
seldom visited port on the seven seas.
You will find me, / daresay. an
interesting companion. We have many
things in common. You are the first
woman I have known in ten years
with whom | could be content to
spend the rest Of my days. You have,
thank God, a brain and to watch 1t
develop will be a source Of never
failing stimulation to me Books,
music, art-all these things will fill
your life to an extent hat will amaze
you.
1T is entirely possible, of course,
that love will come TO us. Propin-
guilty works magic, good and bad, as
you nave already observed here. But
we will not look ahead too far. Com
.panionship is all that I require at
this stage of events. That Is after
all, what you expected out of our
marriage to Macomber."