The Washington times., 1935-12-16

He wanted to marry her. you
know. Or didn't you know that2
''I imagined that he did. -"
"You mean Ann never told you
that he did. but from things
she said to you. -"
We'll, it wasn't hard to see
that there had been something
between them" Francine looked
at him innocently out Of the cor
nerS of her long eyes.
We'll, there had been. He
wanted to marry her. You know
Sherman'S type. he's always
played pretty close to his shirt
where women are concerned
They've been pleasant but not i'm
portant, if you see what I mean.
But he wasn't like that about
Ann. He wanted to marry her.
She says she's never been in love
with him. But know he attracts
her. more than she realizes
probably. That's why I've always
disliked him so. It's natural, isn't
it." he demanded gTimly, "tor q
man to dislike another man who's
attractive. that way. to his
wife?"
Francine said she supposed it
was. and wished he would stop
talking in that tight, strained
voice that sounded as if it might
break in two at any moment.
She also wished she had not come
to his cabin at something to 2
O'Clock in the morning and that,
having come, she had had the
good sense not to stay.
She wanted to yawn and get
I'D off the bed and say: ITO the
devil with it!" She wanted to get
back to her own cabin and get
some sleep.
Kipp folded his arms hard on
his chest. His eyes raked her face
compellingly. He said: DO you
think for q minute Ann is inter
eSted in Sherman. .perSonally?"
do you?" he insisted, leaning
closer to her.
How should I know" Francine
yawned gently. why on earth
should she be?"
We'll, why shouldn't she be?
He's successful, isn't he? He's max
ing a lot of money. She's probably
sick and tired Of supporting me
while I write q novel no one wants
to publish. ="
Don't be an ass, Kipp. The
novels all right. It's a good novel
D.. even Halliburton had to admit
that"
Kipp smiled grinlly. "Well, let's
leave the novel out Of it. It doesn't
make any difference now whether
it's good or bad. You don't think, "
he demanded thickly, that I'd go
crawling back to her, do you, just
because the book turned out to be
success? It isn't the book she
married to. -. it's me! And. she's
shown me definitely enough that
she's pretty well sick Of the whole
Situation!"
"You mean," said Francine SLOW
ly, a slight, grave frown between
her eyes, that you're not going
boCh W kA4111 4A0S tA4AAS AAdAAC1 40
really serious?"
"Serious?" Kipp laughed shortly.
"Just what do you think I've been
trying to tell you for the last hour
{. that Ann and I have a slight
misunderstanding or something?"
But he didn't mean it. And he
knew he didn't mean it. Knew he
was only dramati8ing this thing
that had happened to them. He
was even at the moment seeing
the day, six weeks from now, when
he would be back in the apartment
in New York with Ann. Some re-
mote corner of his mind reached
out and leered at him gently: IF
you really believed any Of this rot
you'd walk out of this cabin and
throw yourself over the rail into
the Atlantic Ocean. you simply
couldn't face a future in which
Ann didn't figure. prominently
..aS your wife"
tie Be C0ntinued)
Copyright. 1884, by Allen0 CorlisR Dis
tributed by King Features Syndicate, Incl