The Washington times., 1935-12-07

Kipp looked at her, tlght-hpped
with anger, and refused to answer
her. They finished the ride in
complete silence.
Ann had her shower. Then she
went into the kitchen and began
getting dinner. Usually Kipp had
dinner started when Ann got
home; then they finished getting
it together. But tonight the
kitchenette was much too small
to hold both of them In the liv-
ing room she could hear Kipp
setting up the card table in front
Of the two tall windows and lay
ing it with silver and linen. When
she came in with the steak, he
was standing by the fireplace.
lighting a cigarette. He looked
up and smiled at her. Briefly.
Haggardly. He said: I'm sorry,
Ann. I was pretty jittery in the
cab. Forget it, will you?"
"Of course. AS a matter of
fact" she smiled wanly, II was
pretty edgy myself" She said
then: Lets not talk about any
thing until we've both had some
food"
But neither of them ate much.
Finally they stopped pretending
and carried the dishes into the
kitchenette and left them piled
IN the sink.
They went back into the living
room. Ann lay in a deep chair.
A cigarette smoldered to a frail
gray ash in her still fingers. Her
dark head was grateful for the
cushion behind it; pale satin
cushion against which her hair
curled tenderly. Her eyes were
grateful for the thick, pale dusk
that was closing in on the room,
blurring the familiar outlines of
the piano, the mantelpiece with
its flowers in a blue bowl, the low
bookshelves; blurring the familiar
colors. the dull tones of the rug,
the subdued chintZ of the slip
covers, the ivory-tinted walls. >.
Kipp sat opposite her in an
equally deep chair. But he sat
slouched forward, his elbows on
his knees, his forehead Graded in
his hands. Occasionally his hands
twitched a little and he knotted
his fingers together until the
knuckles showed white. A cigar
cite glowed between his lips. Oc-
caSionally he removed it and
9licked the ash into a bronze ash
tray at his elbow. Occasionally
he discarded it entirely and lit a
fresh one.
He had turned on the radio di.
rectly they had finished dinner
but now he turned it off. The
room was still except for the
usual street noises that drifted
in through the open window; the
honk of a taxi horn, a corner
hurdy-gurdy, the faraway shrek
of fire siren, the hollow, throaty
whistle of a tugboat on the
river.
All through dinner they had
been avoiding each others eyes.
They still were. Ann thought:
Were behaving as if everything
were settled and, Of course, moth
ing is"
She said: About my accepting
that offer Of Lewis. you didn't
actually mean that you objected,
did you?"
Kipp lifted his head. His eyes
met hers leVelly, carefully masked
as they had been earlier that
afternoon; as they had never
been with her before. II did
mean exactly that, Ann. But
naturally I withdraw my objec-
tions. I'm hardly in a position.
elSe?"
You mean?"
Kipp laughed briefly. Dry, hard
bitten laughter. "You know ex.
actly what I mean. II you're 60
ing to support this family you
should at least be allowed to do
1t the way you want to =, go
to Sherman. by all means. don't
see," he concluded evenly, Spac-
ing his words carefully, why you
didn't marry him in the first
place =. you could have, couldn't
you?"
Ann said: II believe we went all
over this once before -"
Yes" said Kipp, IT thought
you could. Do you mind telling
me why you turned him down
and then were foolish enough to
marry me?"
Because" said Ann in a small,
frozen voice, Il didn't happen %
love him and did love you.
I still love you. Why" she de.
manded, her voice going to pieces
on soft, choked note. must you
persist in making everything so
much more difficult than it really
is, Kipp?"
Then you don't think things
really are difficult? You don't
think it's driving me crazy to