Evening star., 1935-12-26
s&/maQ Town Girl
N@ Y BEN AMES WILLIAMS Z
VMWe1z4szsazed5 5v JAMES MONTGOMERY FlAeG
CHAPTER XII.
FTER luncn Dane insisted tha

~ Kay see some of the bed
~ rooms. The proprietor was a
motherly woman of French
antecedents, on the best of terms with
Dane; so that it was clear they were
old friends. Once or twice they even
spoke French together. Kay's visual
knowledge of the language did not help
her to understand their rapid idiom;
and she was uncomfortable, like one
who sees two people watching her and
whispering. She was even a little
afraid, stirred by some deep f1utter of
terror. When they went on again,
she felt like singing with relief to be
once more upon the open road.
The tender was waiting at the
landing stage when they arrived and
she and Dane got in while sailors
fetched their luggage. One of the
boatmen asked Dane:
Put your car in a garage, sir?"
Dane said: mo, put the top up
and park it here on the dock. I
may want it later. You never can
tell" And as they left the float and
began to make their way through
the yachts at anchor. he told Kay
whose this one was. and that one. E. Z.
From the decks of one and another
people called to them. Spoke to Dane
by name; but others seemed merely
to offer a free-and-easy hospitality to
all corners.
Every one seems to know every
one" Kay commented.
Just one big happy family" Dane
assured her. After we get settled,
maybe we'll go visiting
Harry Mann's was the motor yacht
Griffin, Diesel-powered, sleek and tre-
mendous. Harry's Aunt Madelon greet
ed them at the boarding ladder; and
Kay thought her a shy little old
woman, playing hostess from duty
rather than desire. Kays proved to
be a single cabin. and Dane was
lodged lust across the companion.
KAY was little uneasy to find that,
save for Aunt Madelon and the crew,
she and Dane appeared to have the
Griffin to themselves; but when they
came on deck again others were ar
irving. Harry Mann proved to be
dummy, humble individual. whom Dane
treated with a jocular contempt. Kay
had met most of the otheEA and Sally
Hays was, of course, avoid friend.
Kay saw Sally with delight clung to
her arm for a while with an instinc-
tive desire for the others guidance and
sponsoring. She felt very keenly that
she did not belong here. These others
were clearly wealthy: the gowns they
wore made her best look like home
made product. She, Kay Brannan'
with less than 81 in her purse and no
other tangible assets except a weeks
salary due her tomorrow, was an IN
truder here. She must win her way.
paw for her entertainment somehow.
And she tried to do so, putting on.
as the cocktails began to circulate,
Fictitious vivacity, straining to be as
charming as possible, not only to Dane,
but to them all.
| When they went below to dress,
Sally came into Kay'S stateroom
Haven't seen you for weeks, darling.
she said. Dane wasn't even sure you
were coming"
Kay said: "Oh, needed to-go on
a tear! Lost my job yesterday, so I'm
/ celebrating"
Sally looked at her thoughtfully;
but she asked no questions. She only
said: "I knew there was something,
when YOU took the fourth Martini
Where do you put them, Kay? Your
capacity is a continual surprise to
me-"
Kay remembered another conversa-
ton curiously like this one. Its in
herited." she said reckleSsly. Fathers
always been a periodical drunkard. "
Sally urged: Lie down for while
before dinner, Kay, dear. I'll have
them bring you some milk or tomato
iuice. Harry's Martins are dyna-
mite"
"Oh, I'm not drunk" Kay said in
differently. Just little tired
! She felt when she came up to din
ner as thought she were walking in
/ her sleep. Her legs obeyed her, and
her tongue. too-though sometimes
she heard it saying things which sur
prised her. But her emotions were
all in allowance. and her cheeks felt
as though they were crawling up into
| her eyes; and all these people were
delightful. Only Sally, she thought,
was rather a sobersides; but Dane was
the most amusing of them all. 1t
seemed to her hilariouSly funny when
he put a spoonful of brandy into her
glass of champagne -.
Afterward she was rather glad
when they all went on deck to watch
from the shelter of the awnings a gust
of rain sweep across the harbor. Then
there was dancing and stewards with
tall glasses and visitors. She and
Dane sat on a broad divan built
against the deck house facing aft; and
the rain came again and passed again,
and the others began to drift indoors;
and Dane drew her head down on his
shoulder. She realized at last what
he was saying. Something about that
pleasant inn where they had lunched
this day. Her thoughts slowly focused
on his words.
/ O~-'
Everybody milling around won't
miss us. They'll sleep to noon tomor-
row. Well get back before they're up.
What do you say, Kay? Going to be
nice to me?"
The half hour that followed was like
a nightmare; like one Of those ugly,
formless dreams never suthc1ently
tangible to wake the sleeper, yet tor
menting and hopeless and wearying'
1t was like half-waking in a strange
room and being unable to remember
where you were, and Kay tried to wake
up, growing toward consciousness and
sanity again. Danes kisses bewldered
her, interfered with her fumbling ef-
fort to make the swimming world
Stand still. to make chaos give way to