Evening star., 1935-02-05

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envoy to Simon French.
He had tried to carry off the situa-
ton with light amusement, trying to
make Cynthia feel that Kim's infatu-
alton for the Barlow girl was too
transient to be taken seriously. 1t
was an irterlude, he'd told her, as
evanescent as the cherry blossoms
along the Basin had been, and quite
as characteristic Of the Washington
Springtime. Tomorrow, the next day.
Kind be over it. Even If they lost
places. Not for me-" Cynthia had
hurled a bomb Of threat over the
wall of his complacency. I'm going
to divorce him as fast as can get
to Reno
"Yeu can't" he had insisted, ter
rified by the knowledge that, being
Cynthia, she had already planned
second move before she announced a
first. If she divorced Kim she
wouldn't sit around in the habili-
ments of uasi-widowhood Shed
marry the first available man who
could give her higher power. more
established position, and he, Godfrey
Shannon, was that man. You can't
be too hasty, Cynthia, my dear" he'd
assured her. IF Kim goes to Bona
ventura it'll end this affair. We
don't know yet that the post is alto
gether lost to him"
"Of course it's lost" she declared.
Even if it IS" he'd rushed on
desperately, you can't let it appear
that you've quit him when he's down.
You never did things like that in
Athabaska"
This wouldn't have happened
there"
II know your fathers daughter
wouldn't do it anywhere"
"Oh, wouldn't she?"
He'd won from her. though, a re-
| luctant consent to put off any action
until he'd found out where Kim stood
on the appointment, but the angry
determination of her blazing eyes had
shaken him.
| Back in his rooms at the Mayflower
he had sunk down into a chair near
the window, relieved to be out Of
| the seething current of Cynthia's
emotions, but the more troubled now
that he realized the danger threaten
ing his permanent contentment. APP
praisingly, as man menaced by food
or storm counts his possessions, he
stared over the sitting room, checking
trophies of his accomplishments Two
photographs of former Presidents.
with heralding of their affectionate
regard for him sprawled upon the
prints. Photographs of actresses and
musical comedy singers, and Of
few minor motion picture stars one
of them youngSter from Athabaska.
and all inscribed with more or less
blatant declarations of even more af-
fectionate esteem. Books everywhere,
fooled leather sets in the cases, ultra
modern volumes on history and eco
nOmicS strewn on the tables. The
skin of a bear he'd shot in the
Rockies. His own Chinese rugs, his
own paintings.
An old Spanish mirror that gave
him back a reflection that he studied
with interest.
Geofrey Shannon, senior Senator
from Athabaska, was still something
of a good-looking boy. he acknowl-
edged. Not as young as he'd been
when he'd come to Washington, but
infinitely more distinguished One had
to pay something for the loss of
/ youth. but he'd made a pretty good
bargain. He'd long time Of happi-
| ness ahead Of him yet. What was
that line he'd declaimed in his boy
hood; The best is yet to be. the
last of life for which the first was
madel"
He'd make it that. but he'd have
to walk warily through this crisis of
Cynthia's affairs. Why did it have
to break on him just now when the
Senate was refusing to adjourn at
the Presidents wish? If only he
, could. He'd have to get away from
Washington in a hurry! It'd have
/ to be managed. He hadn't particu-
larly cared whether or not the Execu-
tive would win the point, but this
urgency of his own need of escape
whirled his brain into plans.
He'd call the chairman of the Ma
tional Committee and find out what
he knew about the roundup for the
bills that waited passage. There might
be good trading points there. He'd see
COrllSS in the morning and tell him
he'd vote for the Pennoyer bill if the
| Pennoyer group would vote for i'm
mediate adjournment. He'd swap a
vote with Bateman on the reclamar
ton project. He'd tell Murray to find
out just how many votes the ad-
miniStration needed. He looked toward
Murray's room to see if his secretary
was still awake, but no light shone
beneath the door.
Who'd have thought, he ragged, that
Cynthia Cornish. of all women, would
go of at half-cock like this, blowing
up like an oil-camp cook on a Satur-
day night because her man had looked
at another girl. and. worst of all,
threatening to involve him in her
eruption? He couldn't marry her.
Didn't she see that? He didn't want
10 marry any one. Hadn't he lodged
washington widows. grass and sod,
long enough to have won immunity?
Cynthia had been sword and shield
for him against them while she had
been willing to keep his admiration,
his attention, his sentimentalized old
love. and remain Kims wife. Now,
with her free and wishing to marry
MIN, she'd be the most dangerous
woman of them all. Marriage to any
one was out of the question. consider
ing the woman vote of his State.
He had to get away as fast as he
could. He'd get the Senate adjourned
the end of the week. The course of
history might be changed thereby, but
Godfrey Shannon would stay free.
In such fashion he had been reason
ing when Mardi Freer had telephoned
him. Now hanging up the receiver
on her sharp insistence that he play
the game on Kinn,s side ha fannd a