Evening star., 1933-11-05
BARGAIN IN L0vEtF:d :d
by JANE DIXON 1kS2,t:A

/ JEFF. Mathilda will help me dress. Ill
| be ready in a few minutes"
jeff came to stand before the older
woman.
DO you think we can make 1t. Ma
thilda?" he asked.
I think we ought to try" Mathilda
said
"Then I'll clear out. If you feel
faint or dizzy Sue. you're to call me.
Meantime I'll prowl downstairs and see
if the way is clear. I'll give Bea to
to remain in bed until further orders,
and that I'm remaining In the suite
with you. That will call off the watch
dogs for few hours-:ong enough for
us to make a clean getaway"
A little country town. A little clap
board house. White ruffied curtains
huttered by Summer night breeze. Be-
hind those curtains
"-Forasmuch as jeffrey and Sue
have consented together in holy we'd
lock, and have witnessed the same be-
fore God and this company, and thereto
have given and pledged their troth,
each to the other, and have declared
the same by giving and receiving ring,
and by joining hands. I pronounce
that they are man and wife. 3. -: -,
Sue saw a jewel flashing on the hand
Jeffrey held. A great dewdrop tren-
bling against her finger. A dream.
She must be drea. ling-this old-fash-
ioned parlor-the parson with his
shock of white hair and his ruddy,
solemn face, his booming base voice
Jeffrey, grave, the color drained from
his face so that the freckleS stood out
like splashes of copper, freshly polished
jeffrey, too, was a dream. Only Ma
thilda was real.
The man with the shock of white
hair was speaking-the parson:
Il shall claim the privilege Of my
Office" He leaned down and touched
his lips to Sues brow. -.
Jeffrey said, why, yes. OF course" !"
The color had come back to his face
now in a flood. He leaned forward,
eyes hungry, lips seeking. Then ao,
ruptly he dropped Sues hand, stepped
backward and asked, with an effort to
steady his voice, That's all there Is
to it?"
The parson observed Jeffrey sharply
Funny sort of bridegroom. Funny sort
of bride too, come to think OF It,
Businesslike, both of them. He hoped
there was nothing unethical about the
marriage. Nothing irregular Probably
not. Young folks nowadays were queer
ones.
"That's all there is to it." the parson
said, chuckling to break the tension:
I'm glad of that" Mathilda BUSTED
over to put an arm about sues waist.
The solemnity was going to my knees;
MY congratulations to you. Jenrey, ano
to you, Sue. May you live long ana
happily, together"
Sue thinking. It's ridiculous OF Matty
putting that emphasis on the %
gether," when she knows we'll do notn-
ing of the sort. ,.o,.a
The man of all work, who looked
after the church and the palsoniS pi tzar, Ea
den and who had been summoned from
his broom and dustpan to act as a
witness to the marriage, twirled a oat-
tered hat between gnarled fingers.
"Im wishin' you young 'uns you n
be hannv as nv Molly here an me" ne
said. I'VE got three fine boys a-growlm n,
ike weeds. It's the parsons helped US
over the rough places, an II mes oone
as good job for you. then you've go'
nothing to worry about
A long speech for the man OF an
work. He was embarrassed by ms o"I
garrulity to the extent that ne clampea
bis bis battered hat on his head before
he reached the outdoors. .,
Sue walking down the gravel path
from the parsonage between sentlneI
lines of old-fashioned flowers. Inc
snicv tang of marigolds Early bloom
ing chrysanthemums shaking tneir
nlImes. sweet alyssum breathing per
fume along the border. Nicotinla, tne
tobacco plant, frail fragrant stars
heavily sweet like orange blossoms
Orange blossoms? Sue leaned over
cluster of the frail stars and breathed
deep. AS she did so, she unfasteneo
the Drowned gardenias from the aur +ta oa
her coat and thrust them into the
pocket Of her coat.
May I have few of your stars
parson?" she asked. And was sur
prised that the request had all the In
tensitv of a bid for crown jewels.
Certainly. my dear. AS many as
Won like" The parson welcomed the
opportunity for magnanimity. Inc
barlknote in his vest pocket was stag
gering. Fees like this came once IN a
lifetime.
Sue helped herself to spray
Through the white picket gate. Here
was the car. Lights cleaning yellow,
back from the elm-arched street. Eyes
peering out from behind the ruined
curtains of those yellow squares. Long
lean limousines with uniformed chau-
feurs were rare in such a street.
Thank you. parson, for the stars"
The car slid out into the elm arch.
Abruptly Sue was caught IN
smothering embrace. She could not
move. She could not breathe.
Arms were about her, tighter tighter,
tighter. Lips covered her cheeks, her
lips. her throat. gently. roughly She
must struggle against those lips. She
would. Another time. This was her
wedding night.
The car snapped to stop. Scream
of brakes. Sue was thrown violently