The Washington times., 1935-12-31


three flights of stairs.
Once he had negotiated these
same stairs two at time. Once
the flat at the top of this old
house on Twelfth Street had been
a private little heaven made to
his special order but tonight it
was just three rooms. Three cold,
completely desolate and rather
dusty rooms to which he was re-
turning because he had to go no.
where.
He had left Jeff shortly after
six. Since then he had been tramp
ing the streets. You can cover a
good deal of ground, he was think
ing, between shortly after six and
something to eleven. You car
walk until you are no longer 81:
or blind with defeat or incoherent
with humiliation or blind with
rage. He was no longer any Of
these things; he was no longer
even angry at Francine. He was
simply deadly calm and horribly
tired and little hungry. He had
stopped on Eighth Avenue and
bought some SausageS. . when he
had mixed himself drink, and if
it still seemed worth while, he
might cook them.
He climbed the stairs, dog
gedly. his coat collar turned
up, his hat br n pulled low over
his eyes, a br> wn paper parcel
beneath his arm.
Anyone watching him would
have guessed the truth: that for
him the sun had gone down. I.
definitely this time.
He had never admitted it even
to himself but he knew now that
I'll the time he had hoped. had
even prayed little, that when the
book came out Ann would have to
do something about it would
have to make some little friendly
gesture. perhaps, it would only be
a note in her funny, straight, little
Up-and-down handwriting. E. Dear
Kipp, it's nice about the book.
OF she might even telephone him
-. Hello, Kipp, I just called up to
tell you I'm so glad about the
book. -"
It wouldn't be much, of course,
but it would be something. Some
thing to start on again. A little
opening wedge.
Perhaps he could say, if she
did telephone: "Yes, it's swell,
isn't it? You wouldn't care to
meet me at Twenty-one would
you, about five-thirty, say :. to
sort Of celebrate, you know :"
Things happened like that
sometimes as easily and
casually at that. And he didn't
believe she really cared anything
about Sherman =. she liked
him Of course, and she appre-
ciated all he had done for her
:. but she wasn't in love with
him or even if she thought
she was, there was still a chance
that he might convince her .
that is, if he could see her again.
But now he wouldn't. Now the
book would never be published
and Ann would never write him
that little note or telephone him
.. and he would never ask her
to meet him at Twenty-one for a
cocktail or anything else.
He couldn't go crawling back to
her :. not now, not now when
the wornout fragment of once
shining belief in himself.
He reached the top of the last
flight of stairs and slid his key
into the lock.
The door swung open but Kipp
stood still. He stood perfectly
still, his hat pulled low over his
eyes, and he thought: I'm seeing
things I'm imagining this
She had taken off her casual
little hat and her hair curled
about her small head crisply and
fell in that soft, careless little
bang over her eyes. She had
found some wood and lighted a
fire and she was curled up on
one corner of Ted and Judy's
blue sofa just as she had been
on that other far-away day, but
she was not reading an old copy
of Vanity Fair, she was simply
sitting there, waiting for him,
her eyes wide and shining and a
little frightened.
CHAPTER 42
Kipp closed the door. He tried
to smile at her. He tried to say
something something casual
and light and unimportant be-
cause he didn't, at the mo-
ment, trust himself to say any.
thing else. He started to say:
Hello, Ann -
But she stopped him. She said:
"No, no that isn't right :"
Kipp said: Wait a minute.
Don't tell me :" Then he said:
"How do you do? This is my
partment, isn't it?"
"Oh, YES" she told him polite.
ly, I'm sure it's your apart
ment - She laughed delight
edly. Soft, tremulous, remember
ing laughter. Even from where
he was standing he could see the
little dancing lights at the back
of her eyes, could see that her
lips were trembling outrageousIy
and that there were tears on her
absurdly long eyelashes.
SSGYTIaat