The Washington times., 1935-12-28
CHAPTER 40

The cab moved swiftly through
the crowded, shrieking 6 o'clock
traffic and Ann sat very quietly
in one corner Of it, her hands
clenched tightlyA her eyes looking
out of the window. Looking out
the window but seeing nothing. {. L.
aware of nothing =.
And presently she began to cry.
Silently. Tears running down her
face and falling upon her hands.
She lifted her fingers and pressed
them hard against her mouth. 1t
was all too absurd. It was like a
bad dream from which she would
waken presently, spent and
shaken, and eager to be reassured.
This thing couldn't have hap
pened to them. not to Kipp and
her. They had meant it all to be
so different. They had meant it
to be so beautiful. so fine and
clean and decent. and it had
come to this. To clenched hands
and a sick feeling in her heart
and tears shed in a taxicab that
was careening down Fifth Avenue
through a thick, blue dusk. What
had happened to them?
Carlotta was putting on her
hat. 1t was a small. tilted affair
with a tiny, transparent nose veil,
and it made Carlotta look even
more beautiful than she really
was. She pulled it a bit more
over her right eye and waited
until Ann had closed the door.
Then she said: Hello, child, it's
about time you showed up. Some
one has been trying to get you
for the last half-hour :" Then
she stopped suddenly and regard
ed Ann accusingly. you've been
crying again, haven't you?" she
demanded grimly.
Ann made a gallant little at.
tempt at carelesSnesS. She said:
"Oh, I cry quite often, Carlotta.
Especially between five and six
o'clock in the afternoon in taxi
cabs. It's a pet little diversion
Of mine :"
"All right" said Carlotta grim
ly, "be that way about it if it
amuses you"
Perhaps it doesn't amuse me, !"
said Ann quietly, perhaps it's
just that I have to be that way
about it if I want to go on
:" She said then: Did you say
someone has been trying to get
me on the telephone?"
Yes" said Carlotta, her voice
suddenly contrite. Ever since three
o'clock. He left his number .
it's written down there on the
pad. He said his name was Hack
ett, in case that means anything
to you :"
Jeff said: "I suggested this
place because it's always quiet at
night and we can talk :"
Ann had met him at a small
hotel in the Forties and he was
leading her toward the restaurant.
She smiled at him. II think it's
nice here I come here quite
often with Steve Cluett. It's a
favorite haunt of his"
you mean Cluett who reviews
books for the Herald Tribune? I
didn't know you knew him. Steve's
a swell guy"
Ann nodded. She was still wear
ing that gray wool dress and
casual little red hat; but she had
bathed her face and applied fresh
makeup and she was trying very
hard to be careless and bright
and glad to see Jeff.
She said now: "Oh, I've known
Steve for years. We come from
the same town in New Hamp-
shire. I suppose" she informed
him seriously, lit was really Steve
who gave me that well-known
start in life at any rate he
found me my first job and a place
to live E"
"Sort Of made you a present Of
the City of New York all wrapped
up in cellophane," grinned Jeff.
EYES," said Ann, and a waiter
pulled a small table away from
the wall and she sat down on the
cushioned wall seat and slipped
off her gloves and smiled at him.
They were both making polite
conversation and they continued
to do so until Jeff had ordered
dinner and the waiter had gone
away. Then he said: IT want to
talk to you about Kipp, Ann"
Ito be COntinued)