Montana oil and mining journal., 1935-07-27
MISS MURPHY

Published hy special Arrangements with IN
fchieaso Tribune-New YORK News eyndscstl
Incorporated
Copyright: 1875: By BROOKS HAnoN
IN TWO PARTS PART TWO
; This sort Of nonsense she been hun
CRY Tor TOO, perhaps. The potatoe
slid into the hot grease and the paI
cIattered 70 the fIoor as her hand earn,
quickly 20 her lirs.
HereI" He was off the stool. 'whati
Just = little grease burn Janics
looked down at q hyld mark on hel
thumb.
Good Lordi Let's see. wen, wen
/ nix that all right. Just q moment.
He was gone. He was back with ioeiine
and an instrument. There. There. :
As quickly as that It was done, his fin
/ gers moving swiftly. ut won't hurt 3
bit now" he said.
Thank you" Janice murmured. ut
was clumsy Of me"
lie hadn't moved. He was standing
over her. Certainly, certainly. Lee
Richmond would have eaten him at
sight. Not even looking at him now,
she was sure Of that.
Mary. Mary" he said musingly.
Mrs Kennedy always says, You're 3
grand boy when bind up her wounds
Say that"
You're a grand boy" Janice said
obligingly. Was this becoming q situ-
alton or was 1t only that the senseIesg
burning Of her cheeks made It seem
so7
mot that way, Mary" His voice was
teasing. You're q gr-r-and boy"
She turned quickly, but not quickly
enough. She was caught. She was
held. She was forcefully kissed. She
raised her eyes once and let them drop
but at her glance his arm fell away.
"Oh, good LOrdl" he breathed. GOOD
Lnrd!" he repeated, and plunged viO-
lently through the door.
Shed been kissed before, of course.
and on as short an acquaintance. BY
men who'd had drink too much at
q club dance, by all-conquering sopho-
mores on house parties, by exuberant, |
well meaning fellows In the homes Of
friends. Shed been kissed, but always,
as Janice Campo. Never. never had
she been kissed as Mary Murphy, cook
ing q strange mans dinner in his own
kitchen.
It made difference. Her face was
q little whittier and her lips we're set.
She moved about the kitchen more
9WAAtAJg c4A 4AGl AA4EA4OlACo Wf6LEQ AWAY
now as wave after wave Of anger swept
over her. Mary Murphy, she supposed,
would at least have left things ship
shape.
''E'verything's ready" she said dis
,antly from the living room doorway.
She had her hat and raincoat on. "I
nave to go home now. I suppose you
Won't mind serving yourself"
I'm damned sorry, you know" He
olloWed her erect, stiff back through !
he house and out into the kitchen.
1t was as much q surprise to me as !
o you. You're so Internally pretty, /
Tou know. Wait, my dear child" She !
tdn't walt but proceeded evenly on her
ray. "Of course you'll go off thinking J
m the sort Of physician who kisses
Lurses IN hospital corridors and pa
tents behind screens" he lamented.
Only it's not true. Please listen to me, !
fary-Miss Murphy. It's not true. I :
aven't kissed any one for a year and
half. That accounts for it, perhaps.
hat and the fact that you look like" y
Il don't know why you bother Ja- h
Ice said. "And If you'll stand away 4
ON the door I'll go now. My mother :,
oesn't know where I ani-and you'll n
nd everything ready"
It's because Of that look you gave 6,
e that bother" He rubbed the back !,
his head ruefully. "a sock would =
ave been better" -
TITS all right" she said nstlessly. =
Say good night, then" He held d,
e door for her. ~
Good night" n
The rain had stopped and she walked II
f6kly, the fresh April wind on her ~
leeks. What sort of impulse, she
had led her to go into the M
,uSe in the first place? If only she
.dnt. That mood was collapsed now; on
en- the tulips were spoiled. She Shiv-
I'd in the thin coat, hITTying. 10.
She pulled her hat on In the locker -
1m at MERGERS and studied her face w
! a moment in the mirror. The
ly significant thing about that eve M
lg was that she missed her visits to pI,
: house. just walking by the house I
q given her a set-up feeling which 70
often lasted for days. You couldn't Ia
plain thing like that. W.
She was tired, that was all. She ms
s undoubtedly paler, thinner. Per- ca
pS MERGERS was, after all, wearing
! down OF course. the light was
here and the mirror waVy. But sa,
any light she didn't look so hot. inc
2 shouldered her way disconsolately no
of the press Of girls. M
he passed JamiSon avenue at the .
safe upper end, her head the
lt. she walked swiftly through an pea
er section OF the town and home TO ers
Fremont Arms. 1t was home, after wa.
1t was clean and cool and May stu
cling, with early spring flowers on An
table. II
Rita Pryor called, dear" Her mother She
le In. "Ske wants you to make :"
rth at bridge tonight. Why don't out
go2 told her you'd call back. S
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