The Washington times., 1935-01-05


Morrow nodded, not meeting
Stuart'S eyes.
"shs told me yesterday" Stuart
said, easily. And I met Kent
Damerell. Swell chap!"
WELL" said Lucien, explosively
shes foolish. l always thought
she'd fall in love with you-"
Nonsense! We've known each
other five years-the best OF
friends-but she's never been in
love with me. Not the slightest.
And at this moment Sharlene
was saying to Kent: Don't be
silly, dear. Stuart's Just my very
best friend. You know you have
my heart!"
"1'u never be sure I've won," he
said, until I get the officia
award" They were walking up tc
the little Japanese tea house
which crowned the highest point
on her estate. The path wound
beside pools where goldfish flashed
among the lily pads, past minia
ture mountains with dwarfed trees
and tiny temples with the figures
of Shinto priests in front Of them
past the great Buddha smiling
fatty from his niche, and over the
arched stone bridge.
In the cool, bare, little house
Sharlene prepared tea with her
own hands, while Kent stretched
out on a mat, arms under his head
in sleepy content. There was
everything there to make tea, care.
fully locked away in q carved
cabinet. Fragrant orange pekoe
tins Of biscuits, an electric plate
and tea kettle.
She stopped her preparations to
kneel beside him and put her
hands about his face. She looked
with q kind Of fierce intensity
down into his dark, laughing eyes.
There's never been anything
like this for me before, Kent. I've
accepted love-So unthinkingly.
But I've never known the splendor
OF giving before. It's-it's gor-
geous to give, darling-to give!"
Ardent Kent
They forgot all about the tea
kettle boiling away on the electric
plate.
Marry me tomorrow, shar.
lene!" he begged.
She shook her head, smiling
down at him.
mo. mothers set the date for
the fifteenth, all according to the
stars. Mustn't upset the stars in
their orbits, you know!"
Lets run away-and be mar.
ried quietly-just us two and a
justice Of the peace"
"Oh, Kent! I want the clergy.
man-and the veil - and the
orange blossoms! It'll be the only
time for me-and neither of US
has been married. 1t isn't as If
we had been, and had been di.
vorced several times like many Of
our friends. With them it's Just
a legal contract, but it's more
than that to us, Kent. And I love
the old sacraments. There's
something fragrant and hallowed
about them. I still get a mystical
satisfaction out Of communion
truly dol"
"Funny little kid! You're so
many'sidsdl You're the freest
thing ! know, and yet-you're
bound by ancient formulate"
do you mind?"
"Darl1ng-you shall have your
Sacraments! OF course, I shall dis.
cipline myself to the long wait"
Long? Fifteen days! But 1t
Is 1ong-Kent, I love you so! I'm
frightening myself already with
fears Of dreadful things happen.
Ing to YOU"
'Nothing's going to happen.
Sharlene. The gods smiling on
u.s." And he pointed down the
path to where the old Buddha was
still smiling fatty. But now the
late afternoon shadows fell across
the statues face, and changed
1t...
Ten glamorous, exciting days
had been cut from the calendar Of
the fifteen remaining before the
wedding, when the bridegroom.to-
be returned to his sumptuOus ho-
tel quarters, @ little before five in
the morning. to find slips On his
desk informing him that New