Evening star., 1935-12-15

Heaven bless dear Dr. Granger" thought
Sandra. 1t was thanks to him she was having
this final fling before matrimony engulfed her.
She had seemed restless and diSpirited, that
Spring. Easily tired, pale and run down. Per-
hapS it was all the hustle and excitement of
the winter - getting engaged to Berkeley,
buying the trousseau that lay packed away in
lavender and tissue paper in her bottom
drawer at home. All the business of finding the
dear little house with its Japanese cherry and
lilac tree that waited for them and bits of
furniture picked up at sales to put in it.
Send her away by herself for rest and
change, the doctor had said. do her good.
Heaven bless him." murmured Sandra
again.
She walked along the deck, the wind blow
ing out the soft flounces of her frock and max
ing her look for all the world like woodland
fairy.
The young man in his chair in the corner
did not notice her. Even the hutter of her
crimson shawl did not draw his eye from his
book
Sandra was not accustomed to being over
looked. 1t made her angry. Il haven't" she
told herself, comfortingly, really got down
to him yet"
There was dancing on deck that night.
There, far off, stood Nigel Raynor looking on.
1t was, said Sandra, cruel waste. Her eyes
as she passed him in another man. arms said,
Won't you?" Her wide red mouth smiled
eager invitation.
But when she passed that way again. his
place was empty. The preposterous fellow had
simply gone to bed. The glamour went out of
the evening leaving Sandra suddenly tired
Did the old charm that had never failed her
not work any more? Was her power of attrac-
ton already on the wane? When Sandra
smiled, most men smiled back again, and we're
pleased about it. This person went to bed!
Later, seated on her bunk in blue silk
pyjamas, Sandra lit cigarette and looked at
the situation dispassionately. 1t would have
been fun to teach the inaccessible young man
lesson. Great fun. But since he so obviously
did not want to play, let him go. There were
plenty of other nice young men on the ship.
The First Officer had very experienced
twinkle in his eye; there was Ronnic, going out
to an Air Force job somewhere; and there was
charming person going to the Soudan. With
all this good material, why waste time mourn
ing over one lost sheep that would not Join
the fold?
She wrote her evening bulletin to Berkeley.
Il already feel new woman. The sea air is
working wonders. We danced on deck tonight,
but for some reason or other wasn't awfully
keen on it, and came early to bed. l have had
another and closer look at the inaccessible
young man. have come to the conclusion he
isn't really worth worrying about. But there is
a charming person called Ronnie, and most
awfully nice man who is going to the Soudan."
Sandra wrote her tongue in her cheek.
From the first she had made it clear to Berke-
ley that he wasn't going to monopolize her,
not even after they were married. She must
have her friends, and he could have his. She
had no intention of turning into one of those
stuffy married women. Berkeley usually smiled
quite kindly when Sandra talked like that.
He knew his world and bided his time, not
wasting energy in talk.
Sandra threw her cigarette out of the port
hole and went to bed. But once the light was
switched off, the face that looked at her out