The Washington times., 1935-11-22

| to suggest dropping in at her place
for cocktails.
He had known Immediately that
the suggestion had not been a
happy one and had been grateful
to her for rejecting it. Now, grin
ming slightly, he decided that no
one knew better than Francine
when a thing was ended, or could
be better depended upon to man
age future encounters pleasantly
and smoothly. He reminded him
self that one of the incest things
about their former relationship
had been that from the first she
had insisted upon keeping 1t beau
tifully uninvolved, quite free from
any emotional responsibilities OF
an sort. She had said: I'VE
amuse each other. we like be-
ing together. Let's let 1t go at
that. Shall we?"
She had been wise, Of course
Even at the time he had known
that. She would always be wise
he concluded, where personal re
lationships were concerned. It
was comforting thought. He
stopped frowning, dismissed the
entire incident from his mind and
went back to work.
Francine was 20 minutes late
She came toward him swiftly,
wearing some sort of green wool
outfit and a hat with a brim.
From beneath the brim, her eyes
were bright and amber-colored and
her mouth smiled at him.
She said: "Kipp! It's good to
see you again." and gave him both
her hands. He leaned toward her
and kissed her quickly. in the
low, dusk-filled room, that kiss
was as swift and unprecedented
as a sudden shaft of sunlight. He
said: "Sit down. I've ordered
old-fashionedS. Right?"
Francine nodded. Sat down,
loosened the green silk scarf about
her throat and pulled off her
gloves. She said: Light me a
cigarette, darling, and let me look
at you."
Her eyes rested on him lightly
but eagerly. as if they loved to
rest on him.
Kipp lit the cigarette. Passed
it to her. He said: I'm married,
you know. -"
Her thin, scarlet lips caressed
the cigarette. She put a vague
cloud of smoke between them.
Smiled at him through it. "Yes.
Married. Jeff tells me she's quite
lovely. You must bring her to see
me. Soon"
Kipp said, Eyes. e" but his eyes
suddenly evaded hers, looked in
tently over her shoulder.
The waiter brought the old
fashioneds.
Francine tasted hers, set it down
again. There's no reason why
you shouldn't, is there? I mean,
just because we were a little in
love with each other last fall is
no reason why we shouldn't be
friends this spring, is it?"
Kipp said, no, of course not.
Then: "Tell me about London" p"
Suddenly he knew he did not
want to talk to Francine about
Ann or about his marriage. He
thought: "It is probably very
young of me and there is no reason
in the world why I shouldn't but
right now I'd rather not"
But when they had quite finished
their cocktails, he bought the con
verSation back to it himself. He
felt vaguely that there was some
thing that had to be said. He
said it. about this marriage Of
mine, Francine. . its pretty per
feet, if you see what I mean?"
Francine moved one hand until
it lay over his. her fingers closed
for a moment strongly about his
fingers. She smiled at him from
beneath the brim of her green hat
..her eyes were friendly, gently
lmpersonal, completely 'cornpre-
hending. In that moment she look
ed older than %. She looked a little
tired, a little diSintereSted, little
amused. She said: "I was con-
fident that any marriage of yours
would be all of that, Kipp. You
are the sort of person who needs
marriage. whether you know it
or not, at heart you are a com.
pletely conventional young man" /"
Kipp grinned. He felt slightly
disconnected, a little embarrassed
a little relieved. He said: 81
don't know whether to feel flat
tered or inSulted. and I'm not
at all sure you are right.
mean" he continued, with his
swift, attractive scowl that was
SO much a part of all his con
versations, that just any sort
of marriage wouldn't appeal to
me but this one is different. . .
wait until you see Ann. -"
(TO Be COntinued)
Copyright, 1888. by Allens corliss.
Distributed by King Features