The Washington times., 1935-12-31

1
sitting on this blue sofa, or is it
just something I am imagin-
ing =. :"
Ann said: 1T am really here,
darling. If you would touch me,
you would know"
Kipp touched her. He touched
her slim brown hands first. Then
he touched her face and that soft
dark bang then his hands
fell on her slim shoulders and
stayed there. MY God, Ann"
he said huskily isn't there any.
thing that 1 can do, or say that
will convince you that you've been
wrong about everything -.
isn't there anything?"
Then he said: Perhaps this
will :" and he put his arms
around her and held her fiercely,
hungrily close to him. He bent
her head back and kissed her
lips. He said, his mouth so close
to hers she could feel his lips
moving: "I couldn't kiss you like
this, if I had let you down {.
you know I couldn't, Ann 4.
tell me you know I couldn't?"
She told him. She told him
with the sudden, swift surrender
of her body against his, with the
pressure of her slim arms about
his neck, with her tears that were
| ea1f Iaie
His arms frightened about her.
please, Ann" he begged softly,
don't cry like that you'll
make yourself i'll, darling :"
Ann said, her voice lost against
his shoulder: 'I'll stop presently
really, I will. But I have to
cry for just a moment or two . {.
because I'm so happy, and never
never expected to be, again :"
Kipp's face tightened grimly.
Lord, Ann, how I managed to
mess things up for us!"
It helped" protested Ann, in
small, humble voice. II was more
than half to blame. You see, you
we're right, I was insanely jealous
of F'rancine from the very
first. From that first afternoon,
really -"
you mean you knew that
day :"
From something Steve Cluett
said and then when she
came back like that and you be-
gan seeing her again. I thought
Don't" said Kipp grimly.
Lets not go over that again. If
spend the rest Of my life trying
to make it up to you, I'll never
come out even :"
IT don't get off any better" in
sisted Ann honestly.
He said: "I've had some bad
moments myself that night
you walked out on me with Sher-
man, for instance :"
Il know" said Ann. IT must
have been crazy. I thought I
didn't care what happened to
me that night but I found
out I did. That was the night I
tried to be casual about love .
but it didn't work"
His arms held her so savagely
that they hurt her. He was press
ing her head against his breast.
He said. his lips against the dark
fragrance of her hair: what
happened to us anyway, Ann?
What went wrong with us?"
Nothing, really. Just a lot Of
little things. But everything's all
right now. Everything's lovely
now you see >"
But now the telephone was
ringing. Insistently, shrilly as
even perfectly correct, sleek black
French telephones are apt to
ring.
Kipp let Ann go reluctantly
out of his arms and lifted him.
self to his feet. He crossed the
room in three long strides and
picked up the offending instru-
ment. He said: Hello i" Then
he said in slightly different but
scarcely more cordial voice: "Oh,
hello, Jeff. ;"
Good heavens" moaned Ann
remorsefully, Il forgot all about
the book :"
NO" said Kipp, speaking with
great definiteness into the tele-
phone, Il haven't changed my
mind and what's more, JEFF
fiery, my lad, I don't intend to
change it, not tonight, nor tomor-
row night, nor any other
night :"
There was a slight pause and
then he said, all the fierceness
gone out of his voice: What?
Say that again, will you, jeff,
and say it slowly. +"
Jeff said it again and Kipp set
the telephone gently back on the
table and looked at Ann. This"
he told her quietly, his voice be-
having abSurdly, sis one of those
well-known moments you're always
hearing about :. you know" he
grinned feebly, "'the turning point
in his life. jeff said I'd damn
well better change my mind about
the book because he bumped into
Mason a few minutes ago at the
Algonquin and the Novel-of-the-
Month Club have chosen it for
their January title. is that mar
velouS, Ann" he demanded un-
steadily, "or is that marvelous?"
Ann said, in a Small, breathless
voice, her hands clutching the
back of the blue sofa: Darling,
it's simply to darn marvellous to
be true. ("
He took her in his arms again