The Washington times., 1935-11-09

know too damn many women
already"
mot really?" Suddenly she was
not laughing at him at all. She
was furiouSly, righteously indig-
nant. "And they all find you ire
sistible, I suppose? And never
give you q moments peace? And
you think I'll be like that. If you
speak kindly to me. show me a
little ordinary hospitality. Well,
assure you I won't. You can
pour your cocktails down the sink
.. or out the windowl Nothing
could persuade me to bother you
another minute!"
Kipp set the cocktail shaker
down swiftly and wheeled around
in time to block the doorway. His
shoulders were exceedingly wide
and it was a comparatively easy
thing to do. Then he put his
hands on her arms and shook her
gently. Listen" he said, I'm
sorry. You've got me all wrong.
didn't mean anything like that
at all. It's just that like you a
lot. and I've got to work. I've
got a year to write a novel in.
Just one little year. And I've
waited for it all my life. Do you
understand? All my life. And
I'm not going to let anything
interfere with my writing it. And
you're the kind of a girl who
would interfere. I suppose knew
that almost at once. knew it
when first opened the door and
saw you sitting there with the
freight shining on you. And
knew it definitely just now when
you stood there beside me with
your head just brushing my Shoul-
der. Confound it, it's like that.
See?"
mo-" she said in a small, frozen
voice, II don't see. I think you
must be crazy. And you're hurt
ing me-"
Listen" said Kipp, and his
fingers relaxed but did not release
her arms. Forget what I've said,
will you? Forget it all. And We'll
go in there and drink these cock
tails and then I'll drive you home
or wherever this date Of yours is
E. and tomorrow I'll telephone
you and we'll do something.
Something nice and sane and nor
NAL like dancing at the Ritz or
seeing a picture at Radio City.
Will you do that?
She began to laugh. Softly. In
spite of herself. She said, you
are crazy, Of course. You must
be. But III stay"
His hands fell away from her
arms and he let her go past him
into he living room. But when
she would have sat down in a
chintz-covered wing chair, he mo-
toned her toward the blue sofa.
do you mind?" he asked.
"You see, I particularly like the
way you look sitting on that
sofa"
''See here" she stood quite
still and regarded him anxiously
-"yon aren't going to get funny
again, are you?"
mo. Honestly, I'm not. Sit
anywhere you want to it
doesn't matter in the least. You
must think" he added, flushing
darkly,. that I'm an awful sap"
"On the contrary. I think vo,,'re
nice. Not quite normal, perhaps,
but NICE" -,
"But I assure you I am
normal. Disgustingly so. I'VE
never done an original thing in
my life until today. That's why
I'm like this. I told you this was
an important day"
But you didn't tell me why it
was"
Kipp poured cocktails into gay
little red glasses. "It probably
won't make sense to you I
mean just moving into a place
=. a place like this :"
"But, she said eagerly, "it
does. I remember the first time
I had a place Of my own. It
was darn exciting. had been
in New York only a little while
and I was Just a kid :"
YOU'RE just a kid now"
mo, I'm not. I'm twenty
"I don't believe it,"
She shrugged. can right. Don't.
But I am"
"Tell me-" said Kipp, setting
his cocktail aside, forgetting it
completely, "about yourself. Be-
gin at the beginning"
THAT would be with my birth,
wouldn't it?" She was laughing
at him again with those smoke
gray eyes. well, I was born at
two o'clock in the morning in the
town of Middleton, New Hamp-
shire, in the year nineteen hun
dred and eight. It was In Oc.
tober and they tell me it was
raining. I was supposed to be
named Peter after my grand
father but I turned out to be a
girl so they named me Ann after
my grandmother"
Ann" said Kipp gravely. "Ann.
I like that"
eyes," said Ann gently, cts a
good name. Neat but not gaudy."
Then what?" prompted Qipp,
lighting cigarettes for both Of
them.
ITO Be Continued
| CCopyright, 1898. by King Failures