Evening star., 1935-02-08

41hC G11Ao'
Search me-"
He swung his coat jauntily over his
arm as he stepped through the almost
deserted lobby A gust of rain lashed
at him as he went into the street, but
he flung back his head in boyish en-
joyment of its challenge Life was
good after all, even if man had to
stay up all night to keep his own ex-
istence in its old order
Cynthia'S face. white and weary,
peered at him questioningly as he en-
tered her waiting car Where are you
going, Geoff?" she asked him. I
haven't an idea in the world where
Kim is"
where's the Eastern Shore?"
"He hasn't gone there?"
"Old Mrs. Barlow says the girl has"
"She may be lying for her don't
know, though. They're in her car
Kim's is in the garage. In storm
like this and without his own car,
he'll stay. He won't come back till
tomorrow"
How far is it?"
"She lives near st. Michaels. Mardi
Freer told me. I suppose she'll have
all this in her column tomorrow Oh,
WE'LL" She sighed deeply. IT'S an
hour from here to Annapolis and
another hour over to Claiborne on the
ferry, if it's running. Hours more if
have to go around Havre de Grace.
But we'll have to try it. Geoff'
You won't start any scene if we
do?"
II only want to get him to Savedra.
Kim must go to Bonaventura I've
taken on too many obligations to pass
them up. He's taken on too many to
fail them We both owe it to the
people who've helped us. I've thought,
and thought, ever since you left me,
and I've worked it out for myself I've
loved Kim, Godfrey. Perhaps, in a
way, love him yet Perhaps it's only
pride for myself, but I know that I
must do everything in my power now
in these hours to keep his record clear
and send him to that post
You're right, Cynthia. dear" he
told her in relief. Down there in
Bonaventura you'll find the way back
to each other"
I'm not going to Bonaventura."
Her voice struck at him. I'm going
to divorce Kim. but before 1 do I'm
6OiA4S W pay lily 10 yOu 10
every one who's taken my part. To
him. She lifted the speaking tube
and gave an order to the Chinese at
the wheel. THE Annapolis ferry" she
told him. He shook his head pro-
testingly, but she nodded command.
IF they haven't gone across the bay,
they'll go to the shack on the Severn
Did you say something, Geoff?"
NO" he said, but over and over to
himself as the cur hurtled under the
rain-soaked trees of Washington and
out upon the rain-swept highways of
Maryland, Geoffrey Shannon, senior
Senator from Athabaska, kept mutter-
ing to himself prayer remembered
from poem he'd cleaned somewhere
long ago and far away from the Cap
ital of his country: God of the Gael,
protect me now!"
Two O'Clock
Rain, the deluging, drowning down.
pour of Chesapeake Bay thunder
storm, rioted over the tidewater
sweep of the rivers, tossed It's mon
strous malice upon fields and forest,
drove silvery torrents of water at old
mills and old houses, and flung its
fury of raging wind against the car
where Cynthia Cornish and Geoffrey
Shannon rode eastward from Wash
ington.
Once, halted by the turbulent fury
of the flood, the Chinese chauffeur
halted before a roadside gas station.
'If you-all're amin for the last
ferry" the boy who came unwillingly
at his call told him, you're too late
for a crossin'. The folks who went by
here an hour ago couldn't have made
it on a night like this" The Chinese
had passed on the information hope
fully, I'VE might as well turn back,
Shannon said, little too readily,
CYNTHIA thought. Were not trying
for the ferry" she said. Take the
Baltimore road and turn right from
WAITS Ridge. Where you see the
first air beacon. Keep on the river
road then to Mr.. Cornish's camp. You
know it, don't you?"
Eyes. ma'am," the chauffeur closed
the window, and again spun the long
cleaning limousine against the gale
There's no sense in going there,
Shannon protested, why on earth
should you think they'd be there?"
WHY not? She's Holly Barlow, isn't
she? The girl who wrecks Navy planes
and Navy careers? The moSt-kiSsed
girl in Tidewater Maryland'?"
That's not fair, Cynthia"
"I'm only repeating what all Wash
ington says"
"An washington may be wrong. It
wouldn't be the first time. For my
own part. I'd like to be back in Atha-
baska"
Look what she's doing tonight"
'Riding the roads with Kim! Aren't
YOU riding them with me? Washing
ton might talk about u.s.
"We're different Why wasn't Geoff
reasonable? This chase for Kim had
been Geoff's own idea. I'm not going
to make scene" she assured him.
But aren't you making hasty de-
cision about quitting kim? Don't you
see that if he goes to Bonaventura
he'll be away from Holly Barlow, and
the whole affair'n blow over?"
THAT isn't the point, Geoff." She
marshaled her thoughts into orderly
array for presentation to his legal
mind. Ever since married Kim I've
thought that I was giving him exactly
the life he wanted, life of dinners
and bridge and dances. Not giddy,
though, and not nearly as gay as 1t
sounds, because 1t was all thought out
for one purpose-Kim's future. Why.
every party we've had, every party
we've attended, has been in some way
O stepping stone for U.s."
"Have been set-up, too?"
"Geoff, dear!" she mustn't let him
think she'd used him. How can you
say that? You're my one true friend