The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-11-22
CHAPTER xxxrll

N0AEIGR AAAlll
"Susan, this may sound childisl
to you," Allen went on, ssbut you'll
have to choose between those peo.
pie and me now. There's no real
reason why you cant come with mn
now. Tonight. And tomorrow
I'll start getting some kind Of home
together and you can come TO Il q
soon rs you're ready. But I want
Steffen and your people 70 know
you belong to me. / want to know
Susan was standing with her faee
toward the house. She saw Lutte
come TO the open door and speak "a
Aunt Edna. Then both figures dis.
appeared into the house. and the
front door closed.
II can't leave tonight-not even
for m hour or two," she said. "In
two or three weeks perhaps" She
began to back away from him
drawing her hands from his, hatina
to leave him. knowing she must.
Susan, please get this through
your head. II 60 without you to.
night. I'm not coming back to this
place. I'm going for good"
He didn't mean it. She was sure
Of that. He was just sore and hurt
because Wallace was in the house
after she had told him she VA
through with Wallace forever.
He threw one arm around her,
drawing her back to him. "Listeu
to me, Susan. Think Of Connie
She dropped everything in the
world ct . few hours notice and
went out to an unknown place with
John. She didn't even 70 down home
to say goodby to her people. She
walked out on her job" he said.
that's what . girl does when she's
really in love. Susan. That's what
you'd do now If you really gave {
hang about me. ;. Look here, We
could get Anna hack here for . few
weeks. I could scrape up the money
to pay her"
"And give up law schooll" Susan
finished the sentence in her own
way. mo. indeedl" He wasn't 20
ing to spend . nickel on her, she
told herself. until he was making
money 8 . lawyer. He had 20 little.
and he needed It Ill. Every cent.
"The thing for you 70 do u to
pass your bar examinations and
then talk marriage. darling. I'm
not going to hang around your neck
like the well-known milestone" She
tried to put her arms around him
but he pushed her away from him.
Goodnight" he said.
And then she WAS running mp the
front walk and Aliens tall shadow
WAS moving across the lawn - he
started toward the corner where the
street car stopped i Was not un-
til long afterward that Susan. 90
ing over their conversation in her
mind, remembered that he had made
no engagement with her and said
nothing 1t al about calling her up:
The moment she opened the hall
door tho vague feeling Of impend-
ing disaster that she had not been
able to shake on Ill day deepened
into quick alarm. Wallace was
standing 1t the foot Of the stairs.
his forehead bent against the newell
post. listening. From upstairs came
IN odd rafting grating sound that
seemed TO fill the house. lt Was .
sound utterly unlike any sound that
Susan had ever heard before and
for q few seconds she did not realize
that it was Uncle Worthy's breath
ing. Then al ct once she knew that
that was what It was. She dropped
her coat on the door and raced up
the stairs to the sickroom.
Lutte and Aunt Edna were plan.
ming their future.
Il Was the Sunday after Uncle
Worthy's funeral. The smell Of
flowers was gone from the house,
and the winter sunshine streamed
in through the Battenberg curtains.
The rooms were warm once more,
o II IL had been Death and not the
zero weather that had made them
% cold the day that Uncle Worthy
died.
Aunt Edna and Lutte were "a
their armchairs and the parlor VA
filed with the sweet inky smell 81
their dyed black dresses. Susan VA
ii black. too. Black crepe Do chine
that brought out the gold along thu
ripples 81 her hair and made hel
mouth sesm unusually red against
the honey-whiteness 81 her skin.
John, with . black hand on hi,
coat sleeve which Lutte had in
sisted upon sewing there. sat in hil