Evening star., 1936-01-05

he asked grimly. "I told you, the first
night, the way felt about-not max
Ing love to you. Maybe I was fool.
I felt like one. 1t sounded-foolish.
even to me! Quixotic. And yet I
felt as If were acting pretty de-
Gently too"
"You were" she said softly.
"1 gathered that you were-re-
lieved," he told her. 1T seemed to
me you we're" .rat
.'Oh, I was" Kay whispered. "I
didn't want Priscilla ever to have
the least chance to-believe what she
said that day"
What did she say to you?" he
asked gently. beginning TO understand.
do I have to draw a diagram?"
Kay demanded, almost angrily. "Oh," )"
he said in the politest possible way.
"of course"
He uttered low ejaculation. "I'm
mighty sorry" he declared. She was
always like that. sarcastic and-ma-
licious. She's done it to me. Some
times I've wanted to-wring her neck. ."
Kay laughed almost happily. II
don't mind now" she told him. Il
can see now that 1t lust proved how
desperately hurt she was
"Sure!" he agreed. He looked at
her in. an awkward embarrassment.
but that's why you want to wait
till spring?"
Kay nodded slowly. Partly" she
said. Then she faced him honestly.
But, Bob, I'm never going to let her
have you, even then. Not If I can
help it! Somebody else. maybe; but
not her!"
He looked at her curiously. "See
here" he asked, ARE you in love with
me?"
NO" she said. But I hate her!
And I like you too well to see you
marry her. She's not good for you.
Bob"
He was amused. why not?"
why hasn't she married you be-
fore?"
Waiting for me to steady down" !"
he replied. "Pris isn't the sort to
take a chance. She always said she
wouldn't marry me till I did settle
down. and l was sort of stubborn
about it. 1 used to run wild just to
aggravate her. sometimes"
Exactly" Kay cried. She's bad
for YOU She breaches and acts su-
perior, and you're pretty stubborn
yourself, so you go out and get drunk
or something just to show her." She
smiled suddenly. almost appealingly.
'You need to be praised and approved
Of Bob" she told him. That's what
I'm going to do to you-from now till
Spring! AS far as I'm concerned,
everything you do is going to be Won
derful!"
He asked in a sardonic tone. half
amused, half angry; Going to make
q man out of me?"
Going to make a great surgeon
out of you" she corrected. You
wait and see!"
He chuckled, then asked: But why?
Where do you get off? If you're not
In love with me E.
She laughed You keep thinking
that, don't you?" Sne sat nursing
her knees with her elbows, staring
into the blankness Of she fog. She
was a, moment silent; went on. half
to herseN; mo, Bob; snatched at
the chance to marry you to save my
self" She flashed one twinkling
glance at him. TO save myself, not
you, Bob" And she vent on: Il
think I'd have married any one, al
most, that night. I was-foolishly
desperate. But I'm all over that now.
Only want to stay married to you
for a few months. and might as
we'll be doing something useful during
that time, don't you thirk?" Her eyes
were mirthful.
He chuckled $50 you'll use the
interval to reform me? And what
then? After you've shaped me up to
suit you, what'll you tackle next?"
Kay made cheerful casual ges-
ture. "Oh. I shall let you divorce
me. and then I'll go back to Carvel
and marry Elmer Radford," she de-
clared. Hes lineman for the power
company up there. climbs poles and
cuts wires and fastens them together
again; and he's adored me since he
was a boy"
He grinned. But why wait, If he's
10 charming?"
II have to straighten you out frstl"
He was still grinnine; but he fell
silent. looking straight ahead.
Kay saw his face settle by slow
degrees into a sullen mask. She
thought him amusingly like a sulking
little boy; was not at all surprised
when he shook his head angrily and
rose.
Sorry" he said. Sorry I can't
oblige. Well go back to town; but
I'm afraid you'll have to let me han
die my own affairs. Come on. Let's
go!"
And he began without another word
to gather their gear together.
Kay, in an equal silence. helped him.
working in her own province while he
rolled the blankets. When they de-
scended to the waters edge the tide
had left the tender high and dry; and
she lent hand at the task of drag
ging it down to the water He ignored
her, tugging at the bow of the little
boat while Kay pushed ana painted at
the stern. When 1t was afloat he left
~ Will ILlC UOW AL I1lc WCAb
up the bank for their belongings and
Kay, at his heels, carried her share
Of the load.
The fog was so thick that they had
some difficulty in finding the Lark at
her anchorage. Bob locked over his
shoulder at last and saw the little
craft just ahead of them. Kay. in
the stern and facing forward must
have seen it long before; and he de-
n1anded angrily:
why didn't you speak up? Want
me to run into it, did you?"
st thought we weren't speaking to
each other any more" Kay told him
In malicious amusement. "Yor were
80 glum!"
"All right, we're noti" he said saw
agely, and they came alongside.
When they were aboard and the
fander had heer1 swung over the rail-