The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-12-25

tinued to smile at her. He was
really very handsome in dinner
clothes. Blond men usually are.
Kipp was handsome, too, hand
some and young and very dear =.
and once she had belonged to him
and now.
She twisted her fingers about
silver fork. Lewis eyes were
ice-blue and his mouth was
straight-lipped and his teeth,
when he smiled like that. were
extraordinarily white and even.
She remembered how insistent
his mouth had been against hers
and how black everything had
She said: about last night -"
Lewis considered her thought
fully. Then he said: you're
pretty worried, aren't you, Ann"
She nodded mutely. She
couldn't. at the moment. speak.
Her cheeks were quite white. Very
shortly now she would know He
would tell her. And he wouldn't
lie She didn't know how she
knew this. but she was sure of
it..
Well" he said slowly, you
needn't be. Nothing happened"
The silver fork Slipped out of
her fingers. Fell with a little
clatter to the floor. The elderly
waiter sprang forward and picked
it up. Replaced it with another.
Lewis was smiling at her from a
long way off. He was speaking
to her. He was saying: "You
passed out cold. darling, and
put you to bed. Then l spent
what was left of the night on the
divan in the living room. You
were still sleeping when I left
this morning, so I didn't wake
you. 1t never occurred to me
that you might give yourself a
bad time worrying about things or
I would have left a note on the
pincushion as it was, I thought
I did rather we'll to think to call
your place and have the maid
send along your street things -"
Ann was trying to laugh. She
was blinking furiously to c!naI
her eyes. She was trying savaQely
to steady her lips. To be casual
about this. To be cool and poised
and offhand. But she couldn't
quite bring it off. It had been
such a horrible day. Such a long.
black. nightmare of a day.
Lewis said: MY dear. please
don't look at me like thai II
can't bear it. You make me feel
like brute and, after all, think
I behaved fairly we'll
She did laugh now. And the
mist cleared away from her eyes
and her hands stopped shaking.
She said: you did, Lewis. And
it was really mostly my fault.
suppose I asked for it,"
Lewis grinned slightly. ITO a
certain extent. I suppose you did.
But it's only fair to tel! you, Ann,
that I was making the most of
my opportunit les. In other
words" he continued levelly, It
knew damned well that Kipp was
back in town and that you had
seen him and were horribly up
set. and I was taking advantage
of it. Unfortunately for me,
things didn't come off as we'll as
I had hoped"
Ann looked at him and thought
curiously that she had never
liked him better than at this
moment when he was being COM
pletely, coldly honest with her.
She tried to be as honest with
him. She said: For a little
while last night, I had some
preposterous idea that you might
be able to console me, tenn
porarily at least, for something
I had lost. Apparently it isn't
as simple as that
mo-" agreed Lewis, land I
should have known that it wasn't
You find a woman now and then
who can find consolation as
easily as that but most of you
have to spend a certain amount
of time getting reconciled to the
loss of one mans arms before
you can fit comfortably into
another's."