The Washington times., 1935-11-19

anyone to lunch. or tea, darling,
it will be you."
But" protested Ann, laughing
at him softly, that sounds COM
pletely mid-Victorian! Both Of us
have to do things with other
people occasionally. Besides" she
continued reasonably, bringing the
conversation back to Cynthia, IF
you did. If you were nice to her
and took her out a few times. she'd
probably stop bothering you."
Kipp said maybe, but he doubt
ed it. He said, "You don't know
Cynthia% and finally, more to
please her than anything else, he
said that if she telephoned him
again, perhaps he would.
And the next week she did
telephone him again and Ann
bumped into Lewis Sherman, a
man she had known a year and a
half before, in the Biltmore lounge
and he took her to Icons to
lunch.
AS Ann said when it happened,
it was funny, Kipp's coming in
like that with Cynthia she said
it several times, nervously, after
two more chairs we're brought and
everybody had been presented to
everybody else and they had all
ordered Martins.
Kipp said, well, what was so
funny about it? Icons was the
best speakeasy in New York.
wasn't it? It was the obvious
place for people to lunch, wasn't
it? He said it irritably and he
looked bad tempered as he said it.
He looked, in fact, as though he
did not like having discovered.
quite accidentally, his wife lunch
ing with a strange and decidedly
presentable blond man.
Ann thought unhappily, IT sup.
pose he thinks do this every
day." and wished there was some
way she could assure him that
she didn't. and that it was one
of those things that had just hap
pened.
Cynthia thought it was fun"
their meeting like this. She said
so. She propped her elbows on
the table and sunk her chin in
the pink palms of her hands.
She said: "I've been dying to meet
you, Ann. and discover if I could
what you had to offer that I
hadn't. I suppose" she decided
penSively, that it's just one of
those things that can't be ex-
planned. Or perhaps Kipp likes
his women dark. -"
She was a rather lovely looking
blonde child with enormous blue
eyes, dark golden eyebrows and a
passionate, frankly restless mouth.
She turned her eyes on Kipp now.
She said: stop being such a
crouch, Kipp, or I'll break down
and tell them how crazy I've al
ways been about you."
Then she decided to anyway.
But somebody light me a cigar.
cite, first. and could I change my
mind and have a sidecar instead
of a Martini? A Sidecar with Just
a dash Of absinthe in it, ple-eaSe."
Lewis leaned across the table
and held the tiny flame Of his
lighter to the tip of her cigarette.
Kipp called the waiter and gave
the order. Cynthia said, Thank
you, so much!" Then she
widened her blue eyes at them
plaintively and said: "You see,
I've been crazy about Kipp for
years and years, and then he
met Ann here and married her
like that!" She snapped slim
fingers lightly. "Of course, II
was utterly heartbroken but I
didn't do anything desperate. I
just waited a decent length of
time and then I began trying to
see him, but with positively no
success. So today when I tele-,
phoned him, I said: You've
simply got to take me to lunch,
darling; you can't make me be-
lieve your wife will care. wives
aren't like that. any more"
Kipp said, flushing darkly:
Damn it, Gym. L told you Ann
had been at me for weeks to
take you to tea"
Have you, Ann?" Cynthia's
blue eyes swung in AIMS direc.
tion, her soft red, lips pouted
childishly. IF you say yes I
shall be completely Inundated
and probably burst into tears"
Lewis said, smiling tolerantly:
would you care to dance this
fox-trot, Ann?"
Ito Be COntinued)
Copyright. 1888, by Allene Corliss.
Distributed by King Features
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