Evening star., 1935-08-28
CHAPTER Is.

MARSHALL pressed ner CLOSER, u HuSky
whisper in her ear that made her
knees 60 weak beneath her:
Betsy, was a fool, I know. and
everything else you want to call me.
And love you, Betsy. That's the
hell of 1t. love YOU"
Betsy bit her lip. Tears were on the
surface of her eyes, but she held them
back.
TITS q lovely tea, isn't it2" she said,
trying to keep the trernble out Of her
voice.
Marshall stopped short and held her
tightly in his arms. For Gods sake,
Betsy, don't dismiss me as you might q
eervant-without even a character ref
erence" His voice was husky. pleading
with her. TIT kills me to have you
oct like this"
They danced q few steps then and
suddenly. like a sob wrenched from
= her tortured heart, Betsy's defenses
crumbled and she cried softly, II can't
bear it, Marshall. thought oh,
what made you do it2 What made you
do it?"
"You mean marry her?
She shuddered pitiably in his arms.
~How could you if you loved me?"
But I did love you. Betsy" he in
sisted, miserably. Its hard, darling,
always to keep your head when women
throw themselves at you. But I'll get
out of this some day-somehow!"
"Oh, Marshall-Marshall'
sobbed and pressed her head against
his lapel and Marshall, feeling the
warm sweetness Of her against him,
had the first fine emotion of his life.
II he could have he would have undone
all that had happened, he would have
married Betsy, had the little two-room
fiat, the cheap car, CHANGED that
shabby middle class existence. In
that moment he loved her more than
all the things he had married.
The stays spotted Betsy then and
made swift black streaks across the
alistening floor to rush her. A German
baron, young and blond, unaccustomed
to the cutting system in America,
reached her first and smiled with en-
barrassment as he tapped Marshalls S
arm. Reluctantly Marshall let her
20. Betsy had danced only two steps
with the baron when John Storm broke
In on him.
Going into his arms, feeling as she
always did when with him peace,
comfort, a haven in time of trouble
=. she clung to him desperately. No
running fire of conversation with John,
as there was with Marshall and most
men no looking down at her. no
swinging and swaying without break
In the continuity of talk. John danced
expertly, and for all his silence made
her more aware of his presence than
constant chatter ever could. But even
as she danced the beat of the music
seemed to echo the tortured thoughts
that stalked her brain. "Oh, God,
don't let me fall low enough to keep on
loving another woman's husband. Oh,
don't let that happen to mel"
That night after the debut Jennie
Travers had q cocktail party and sup
per in Betsy's honor aboard the Star
bright, an old four -masted cargo
schooner that had been turned into a
night club and anchored at the Seventh
street wharf. John Storm, Lee Trav-
ers, Libby, Marshall, Angelica Dodd,
Barbara Stone-they were all there
that gay young group moving in the
seasons whirl.
Jennie was thinking, Betsy OWNED,
that now that Marshall was married
to Libby, somebody had better be find
ing another man for Betsy Seymour
Always the perfect hostess, she rounded
up the stays one by one and introduced
them to Betsy-college boys home for
the Christmas holidays, young diplo-
mats returning from foreign posts on
leave of absence. Washington boys like
Wayne Kingston, jr., and Thaddeus
Simpson, I'd, who were always around
except for occasional flying vacations
to Florida, to New York, to Baileys
Beach and ever so often to Europe.
Betsy danced every dance, had glbly
~itty remarks In answer to the nu-
merous toasts to her, wondering all the
while in that secret inner self how she
could smile, could look so happy when
ice flowed through her veins, when a
gnawing ache clawed at her heart. She
had heard Of people being miserable
she had been unhappy before herself
but not like this. Never had her feet
felt so like lead, never had her head
throbbed with the confusion Of her
troubles. AS she danced and laughed,
leaning back in her partners arms,
flirting up at them little, she re-
Trained from even glance at Mar
shall.
He was sitting at one Of the small
checker-covered tables beside Libby
She said, st hate him" into the empti-
ness Of her heart. But as she said the
words she knew that they were not
true. She knew that because he was
the first and only man she had ever
Soved, because she had loved him with
an intensity that she could never give
another-not even John Storm, who
was worth perhaps hundred of Mar.
shall-that she could not hate him
Love couldn't change to hate ovel
night-not even when the adored ont
had eloped with a wealthy girl Love
wasn't o faucet that could be turned
OF and on at convenience.
She was dancing with Thad Simpson
now, the slant of the ships floor add
ing to her dizziness, and Thad was ask.
ing, with his slight lisp, Am drunl
or Is this hill we're climbing?" Sh'
thought, "I must say something clever
7 mustn't be q mug. Jennie wants he
party to go. But I feel as if viii
never again In my life have anything
to say" She said, brightly, "we'll hir,
skis, Thad, for the downward Journey
silly remark. Thad was laughing Il