Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-02-15
ON TWO PARTs-PART TWO

! Bret's. started TO say that I thin
i you we're partly TO blame, leaving sue
: valuable vase on such lottery ped
estal II it hadn't been Bret 1t woul
p have been someone else. It was houn
70 get knocked over some time"
!. Bret finished the check and blotte
|. It and handed It to Mrs. PennifonC
l. She scanned It carefully.
'Hmr she said, and looked at Lindf
Maybe so. hadn't thought of thai
Maybe the reason hadn't thought o
! 1t was because that vase had stood Oh
that pedestal for 5000 yearsl"
Linda turned red as flame and thel
suddenly she laughed a little at her
self. Then the jokes on me, isn't It.,
she said. II just thought you werl
pretty hard on Brett"
IF you're going to stand up for Bret
you'll have plenty to dol" said Mrs
Pennifond. Her old eyes we're keen or
the girl, and on Bret, too but she only
added: He needs someone to defend
him about as often as anybody know
Now good day to you'll"
The affair of the vase had repercus-
sions. Two or three days later Bret
came to Linda with news
Aunt Sarah wants me to bring YOU
out to tea tomorrow, Linda" he said.
If you nkel"
Linda looked at him in quick delight.
You've told her about me2" she asked
eagerly.
mo" he confessed. II haven't. But
Mrs. Pennifond did. She liked you, 1
guess Maybe because you had spunk
enough to stand up to herl Anyway. she
spoke OF you to Aunt Sartah, and Aunt
Sarah wants to meet you"
So Linda understood Men may be
blind in such matters, but not women.
Mrs. Pennifond. when Linda came so
Stoutly to Bret's defense, must have
made a shrewd guess at certain mat
terS which Linda had thought were a
secret known to her alone. She thought
she could almost hear the old woman's
crisp words:
~And Sarah, the girls in love with
himl If you don't want to see him
snatched right out from under your
nose. you'd better :"
So Aunt Sarah, to begin the cam !
paign was asking her to tea!
Linda began to perceive that this |
young man still looked upon her as re-
mote, completely unattainable. She
said to him at last in sprightly tone: /
20 by the way, Bret-we're moving
On to New York Sunday"
Sunday" he echoed, and there was
/ hollow pain in him. well" he said
after a moment, Il suppose you will.
e
It looks all right to mel"
She laughed. you ought to be a II
Judge, Bret. Younmust know every line
# it by now"
And he said: Gas matter Of fact,
don't pay much attention except
When you're on. It's hard to explain,
q way, Linda. Butt just go to watch I
oul It's just like watching miraclel"
They were at the moment in traf- !
ic, as he brought her back to the
heater. She asked, half piqued !
But you like me, too, don't you, s
'ret?" She laughed. "You darent say I
%, after practically trapped you and I
made you-speak to me. You see, I've
cen crazy about you, ever since you ]
loodied my nose that first time" b
"Sure like you," he told her You're .
fraid he might have alarmed her.:
But don't worry. I'm not going to d
lake love to you, Linda" r
She smiled. mop" q
Gosh. no." he promised hunbly. a
we got too much sense-too much p
a sense Of humor, anyway-for that.
ut can sort of sit out front and q
link you're a miracle, just the same. &
81 should think miracles might be a.
Ill after a while" she suggested, b
atching him. lol
He shook his head. mo, sirl And you n
e one, you know. Your feet, your q
snds, make exactly the same move oI
ents every night, and never change. II
ways so smooth, and sure"
She laughed. q sudden hard mtrth in Ia
4 tones Maybe If fell on my w
'se, once, In the middle of an arab To
que, you'd realize I'm lluman" -
He chuckled. you couldn't" he as
red her. 'It just isn't in you to fall"
de turned the car into the alley by
e stage door, and she alighted there.
our tomorrow" she said.
Not tonight after the shown"
NO, Bret. I'm tired tonight"
Sure. -Four tomorrow, then"
She disappeared indoors, and In some
ste. Linda had sudden feeling that
she did not get out Of his sight
quickly as possible she would be
king spectacle Of herself. there at
: stage door.
linda waited for Bret next after
on in no patient mood. She was
,ssed and ready by three, and there
er she walked to and fro about
ldow, turning back into the room
lin. And she began as she moved to
/ fro to frown and tighten her lips
clench her hands. But later the
WIN Of Impotence gave way to
wn of reflection, and then suddenly
a half Smtle-that became q whole
lie by and by.
hereafter, one watching her might
re supposed that she was rehears-
in slow motion the steps of dance
tine. She moved two OF three steps,
ended her hands, turned. She took
'ort of skipping step, and two or
se running steps. and another turn
4 outstretched arms, and swept
p clirtsy at the end. And she repeat
this performance over and over,
dlesS now Of the time.
10 minutes of four her phone rang.
vas Bret on the wire, and he had
oeration in his tones.
inda?"
Yes. Are you downstairs?"
70, Linda Listen! I've got q flat
having 1t fixed up here, and IN
e down and get you. Taxi would
too long in the traffic at this
! of day, so III come down on the
way. Can you meet me at the top
he subway stairs, across from the
j, right away2"
II be there" Linda assured him,
ing. There was always something