The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-12-17

Francine slid smoothly to her
feet. Her white dinner crock was
slightly crumpled, a cigarette
&moldered in one narrow hand,
her eyes were sleepy, disinterested,
For a moment she stood beside
him, her knees pressed lightly
against his knees. One hand, the
one without the cigarette, drifted
for moment onto his shoulder
Rested there lightly, imperSonally.
Then she moved toward the door.
Gall right" she told him, smoth-
ering a fragile yawn behind curved
fingers, II won't. I'll behave beau,
tifully all the way between here
and Southampton but veil have
lovely times in London. you wait
and See."
Before he could answer her she
had gone, closing the door softly
upon her slim, half-naked back.
But behind her she left an ash
tray filled with partially smoked
cigarettes, each one ringed with
dark red lip rouge and that
faint, elusive scent Of carnations.
Kpp emptied the aSh-tray .
but there was nothing he could
do about that sweet, faint, yet
curiously pervading perfume. He
finally dropped into a sudden. ex-
hausted, dreamleSS sleep still I'M
pleasantly conscious of it.
Carlotta said: Ann, I wish
you'd stop staring over my Shout
der and eat your breakfast. E.
after all, you can't stop eating
just because Francine Sayre hap
pened to sail on the same boat
with Kipp."
mo-" said Ann gently, you're
quite right. I can't" She moved
her eyes obediently. She even
smiled. A pitiful, frozen little
smile that trembled for a moment
on her lips and was gone. But
she didn't eat her breakfast.
Carlotta stopped trying to make
her.
Ann had come to her at some
thing to seven the night before,
white-faced and deadly calm, with
some fantastic story about having
Quarreled with Kipp about Fran
cine Sayre "HideouSly, Car
1otta! He's gone and I'm going
to take that job with Lewis. It's
just as well probably that we
found out certain things about
each other before he went. ="
Carlotta had made Ann take
off her hat and coat and had put
her into a deep chair and made
her drink some cognac. She had
not been particularly alarmed.
She had known that as the hours
moved steadily ahead through
the evening, Ann would stop be-
ing this tense, white-faced and alb
surdly impervious young person
and become Ann again Ann
who had quarreled unaccountably
with Kipp and must make it up
before a boat sailed at midnight.
And exactly that had happened.
At little after II AIMS fictitious
self-control had broken suddenly
and completely. Call a cab. dar-
ling" she had begged Carlotta.
half laughing, half sobbing. "Tell
them to hurry. Tell them it's
awfully important. We're going
to the boat 1 don't care if he did
borrow that money from her D..
what difference does it make any
way?"
None at all, darling" Carlotta
had assured her joyfully, but I've
waited three hours and some odd
minutes for you to find it out!"
Then she called cab.
She thought she would never
forget that ride to the 43rd st.
pier
Ann clutching her arm and beg
ging the driver to go faster.
please, please drive faster" she
and pleaded frantically. II have to
get there before a boat sails. "
1T won't do You any good to
get there dead. will it, lady?" the
driver had. asked implacably. He
was already driving faster than
anyone had any right to drive and
Carlotta was shivering with ap-
prehenSion.
He got there with IS minutes
to spare.
Where do we go?" Ann had
almost wept, still clutching her
arm like a frantic child. "Well
never find him never, never,
Carlotta!'
They ran up flights of dirty,
dark. smelling stairs and pushed
their way through crowds of
hurrying, yelling, and pleasantly
obliviouS people. They came out
again into the night, that hot,
black. sultry August night. They
ran faster toward q great, bril-.