The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-11
CHAPTER THREE

possible.
Her mother had died when she
was g. People saT Children don
understand" But some children do
Katharine still remembered that day
with a shudder-nurses hurTying to
and fro in the old stone house; her
fathers racked sobs. She had
understood only too we'll The love-
", fair-haired, gracious mother had
gone. There was no one in her
place. Katharine was by nature a
lonely child. A succession Of gov
ernesses only intensified this loneli-
ness. Many nights her pillow was
wet with childish teas.
Later her father had brought her
a pet: a little Cairn terrier she dear
~ loved When he was run over
by a BRIDESMAIDS car Katharine had
dried her tears and had said angrily
and stOically to herself: "All right
I won't love anybody or anything
again"
She tried to keep that promise.
The entrance of her step-mother
into her life, when Katharine was
l3, had not really meant much.
Katharine had been polite to the
well-dresseG, pleasant-faced Berthe.
She had never called her mother.
The second Mrs. Strykhurst, who
had a good figure and a sense Of
humOr, hadn't tried TO win Kath-
airline over by fair means or foul.
Now, after more than seven years,
they were friends, if not completely
allies.
So, this fine summer morning,
when Zoe Parker, wrapped in
thoughts Of the man she loved, ac-
cused Katharine of being a victim
Of the grande passion, it is small
wonder that the tall, fair girl in
riding clothes turned on her COM
panion almost angrily, denying it.
4 never heard anything so ride
Ulous,' Katharine said.
All right. all right" Zoe soothed
her, smiling. L only thought
you looked at him so ="
Katharine flushed to the roots Of
her hair, in which gold shimmered
and deep wa-es were FURNISHED.
Back at the entrance to the stables
Michael was deep in a conference
with one of the men; something
about that limp Of the dapple gray's.
You can't see a man and a wom-
an together" Katharine began hot
ly, without imagining :"
We'll, honestly, Kay" cried Zoe,
nettled in her turn, "anybodyd
think falling in love was a dis
grace"
Well. leave me out of it, won't
you?" Katharine said with cooi
dignity.
II CAN'T. You're one of the
L blooming human race" Zoe
cried. with a peal of laughter. All
at once both girls were restored to
good humor. Michael, hearing the
sound Of laughter, glanced up and
smiled. Something caught at Kath-
arine's heart. There was something
500 darned attractive about that
tall. rangy. lean young westerner
when he smiled. Those little laugh
wrinkles about his eyes
There, that's better!" cried Zoe.
Now, can YOU ride over to the
Ridge and back? It'll only take Is
minutes. I want to talk TO you"
All right" Katharine agreed,
ashamed of her earlier flare of tenn
per. There was just no use flashing
out at Zoe. She was the most ami
able person in the world, if trifle
silly
But my cars here" she pro-
tested. after elaboration. III have
to stop by again and pick it up
Would Michael think she was
making excuses to see him? Men
were so terribly conceited. After
The other day when he had so
rudely seized her wrist and spoken
so sharply. when they were taking
shelter from the storm in that way
side cabin. she scarcely knew what
to think of Michael. He had apollo
gized. had muttered something in
coherent; but they had both been
conscious, riding home later.
Katharine assured herself that if
things were going on this way she
would have to give up her morning
rides. much as she adOred them.
But this morning the tall westerner
had been casual and unself-con-
SciouS, as usual. 1t was going to be
all right. Katharine had thought
with satisfaction. They could Just
be comrades. People who said that
friendship-and merely that-was
between a man and girl
were just crazy.
Zoe piloted the little car skillfully
up the hilly road winding westward
in a Zig-zag pattern away from In
nic0ck. From the rise you could look
back and see the village, lying sleepy
in the morning haze, and a line of
blue beyond that marked Long
Island Sound. Church bells rang in
one Of the steeples three miles be-
meath them, and somewhere a COW
mooed. long and satisfying.
Zoe ran the car into the shadow
OF a pin-oak and shut off the en-
CINE.
Nice up herel"
7 love il" Katharine agreed.
There were farms on either side of
the River-rd; implanted barns and
rail fences hemming in fields of
clover and rows Of Sprouting corn.
Some day, in the not far distant
future. all this would be taken over
by a suburban development COM
pany. There would be Moorish vii
las and golf tees where all was rus
tic simplicity now.
u ATHARINE dreaded these in
IN evitable improvements. But