The Washington times., 1935-12-28


gay and exciting.
She was wearing a gray wool
dress with red patent leather
belt and a casual little red hat
and she was looking quite lovely
and a little tired and little alb
Stracted.
Lewis looked at her and he
wanted her more than he had
ever wanted her before, and he
had wanted her very much, off
and on, for some time now. He
told her so. He said: Ann, how
much longer are you going to eX'
pect me to be satisfied with buy,
ing you an occasional cocktail and
helping you to become one Of the
most important young designers
in American"
Ann looked at him and smiled
q little apologetically. She said:
"I'm afraid you will have to be
satisfied with it indefinitely,
Lewis" Then she said, frowning
slightly: But I thought we had
been all over that once and de-
cided that I liked you a lot
but: -"
Couldn't possibly love me even
a little" finished Lewis pleasantly.
His blue eyes were regarding her
with a sort of amused detach-
ment. II know we did. But that
was several weeks ago. You will
notice, Ann, that since then I
have been very careful not to
make love to you. You see, I'm
selfish enough to demand some
thing in return and for some
time now you haven't had any
thing to offer. :"
But you think will have.
presently?"
"Yes. When you have recov-
cred sufficiently, that is, from
this marriage of yours"
This marriage of hers.
Suddenly Ann was no longer
sitting at a quiet bar on quiet
street in the Fifties. She was
back in warm. firelit room some
where in Connecticut "a small
room wrapped closely in blue win
ter twilight. her hand was be-
ing gripped firmly in Kipp's, his
eyes were smiling at her, tenderly,
encouragingly. A gently imper-
sonal voice was reading the words
of the marriage service. E. In
sickness or in health. for better
or for worse. from this day for
ward.
From this day forward.
Ann caught her breath in a sud-
den choked sob, her fingers
twisted tightly about the side OF
her cocktail glass. do you real
ize, Lewis" she said in piteously
drained little voice, chat this
marriage of mine lasted less than
eight months?"
Lewis looked a little disturbed
and said, smiling reassuringly:
"Well, I wouldn't feel too badly
about it, Ann; a good many mod
ern marriages don't last that
long"
But" said Ann slowly, her
smoke-gray eyes looking carefully
over his shoulder, "ours was going
to be different. It was going to
last forever. I'm sure we both
meant it to be that way. E.
Lewis said: "Of course. But
then" he continued with a nice
reaSonableness, "I suppose every.
one means it to be that way, don't
you? That is, I don't suppose any
two people get married on a with
any luck this should last about
eight months and some odd days
basis. That is, not many anyway"
NO." said Ann, and she twisted
her cocktail glass around and
around in her fingers, "at least,
not nice, normal young people like
Kipp and were. We were young,
Lewis, and quite nice and beauti-
fully normal And we intended
to make such a bowling success of
1t being married, I mean. :"
Suddenly the glass spun out Of
her fingers and fell with a little
crash on to the bar, the cocktail
Spilling over the polished wood
and running down on to her gray
wool frock.
She said: Forgive me for being
so stupid. I didn't mean to go to
pieces like this. really, I didn't.
I'll be all right presently. .."
Lewis said. mopping up the
liquid with his handkerchief: "It
doesn't matter, darling; perhaps
I'd better call a cab?"
Ann said: "YeS,. I wish you
would, Lewis, and would you mind
very much if I just got in it and
went home alone. 2"