The Washington times., 1935-11-15

hind her and put his hands lightly
on her shoulders. He said: I'm
tremendously excited about being
married to you. Ann" Then he
said: II suppose you will want to
have a bath and change for din
ner. but first I have to kiss
you"
He did. Lightly. Just once.
cupping her face in his two
hands. His hands were trembling.
They were still trembling when
he released her and went into
the bedroom to unlock the suit
cases.
Ann stood quite still where he
had left her. She had to stop
shaking so abSurdly and have a
bath and get dressed. She hoped
all her things weren't too hope
leSsly crushed. She thought:
Being married to Kipp is going
to be a beautiful. terrifying,
breath-taking adventure"
After a while, during which
Ann. bathed and dressed, and
Kipp smoked innumerable cigar.
cites and turned innumerable
pages of a magazine, she came
out of the bedroom into the liv-
ing room. Kipp looked at her
and caught his breath. She was
wearing dull, green frock that
claSped her slim body lovingly,
her dark hair was swirled softly
about her small head, her mouth
was smiling at him, her eyes i'm
plored him to find her desirable.
He said: "It isn't quite fair Of
you, darling, to look so completely
devastating and then expect me
to take you away from this room
and give you dinner. I suppose
you do want your dinner?"
Ann said she did. She. said:
"And so do you. or you will
once you put your mind on it,
Kipp said, Maybe" doubtfully
and put her into her fur coat and
took her down a path that
cleaned Whitley in the moonlight
to the inn.
When they came back an hour
later, a maid had come in and
repleniShed the fire. unpacked
their suitcaSes, and turned down
the covers of the spool bed in
the bedroom.
Kipp laid AIMS fur coat over
the back of a chair and began
doing a lot Of quite unnecessary
things to the fire. Then he Lit
cigarettes for both of them. Ann,
watching him, thought: HE is
just as self-consciou~ about all
this as I am. and I love him
for it. I'd hate him to be COM
posed and sure of himself"
He put one of the cigarettes
between her lips and stood look
ing down at her, his eyes dis
turbed, definitely embarrassed.
"I don't know, darling, whether
I am supposed to suggest that we
retire. or whether I am supposed
to go on talking to you indefi-
nitely as I have been doing for
the last three hours. .aS If you
were a quite lovely but almost
complete stranger with whom I
happened to be sharing an eve
ming"
Ann looked up at him and
laughed shakily. She wanted to
put her arms about him and bury
his face in the warm curves Of
her throat. She wanted to reas-
sure him. to show him that she
wasn't really fin lg any Of this
at all frightening or awkward.
But because she really was, even
when she didn't want to, I'll she
could say was: 81 know. there
is something frightfully embar-
RAISING about just having been
married, isn't there?"
IT suppose" said Kipp thought
fully, cts because it's such an
ultimately proper relationship. . .
you feel as if all the nice, we'll
meaning conventional eyes in the
world were turned upon you ap-
provingly ad you must behave
accordingly"
Ann said helpfully, in a small,
bright voice: why don't you go
in the bathroom and shave
and :"
Kipp stopped frowning and
began to laugh and reached
down and picked her up in his
arms. Holding her like that,
such a small, fragrant, dark
haired girl, he said: "If you
could have seen your face, Ann,
when you said that you might
as well have added. And then
the worst of it will be over!'"
But he put her down gently
and did as she suggested. and
Ann undressed swiftly and
turned out the lights and slipped
into that wide spool bed. and
presently Kipp came back to
her..
Ito Be COntinued)