Evening star., 1936-07-31
CHAPTER xxx.

- and lay on 1t wide awake, her
slim little hands working nerv-
ously at her sides. How did
Lee feel about Kitty now? What
lay behind her being so cordially re-
oeived at the lecture tonight? Had
there been q reconciliation?
Kitty could never make Lee happy
Kitty whose actions in the past had
been so strange, so mysterious that
merely remembering that night at
Mercy Hospital, when she had tried
to murder Victor Calwell, made a
cold sweat break out on her temples.
Oh, it was ridiculous TO permit black
thoughts to press in upon her SO
intolerably like this. There was
nothing in her fears. They were i'm
possible, quite impossible, and absurd.
She rolled over on her side, a
amall, tense figure, her blue eyes
fastened on the forks of lightning
in the sky over the Severn. Electric
8torms made her head ache some
times, but she liked looking at them.
They had never frightened her in
all her life, though she had heard
visitors to Annapolis claim that the
Eastern Shore storms terrified them.
The thunder rumbIed in the heavens
now, like war artillery. Patsy used
to laugh at all the growing and
rumbling when she was small. She
was not laughing now.
She was wondering why Lee had
not written or called her since the
expeditions return For days she
had not been out of the shadow of
the telephone at Tree Tops, longing
to hear his voice. But no call had
come. Twice her anxious heart had
leaped almost out of her body, for
the telephone had rung and the op-
orator had said: New York call
ing" But the first call had
been from Roger Tate and the second
had been from Richard-an excited
Richard, whose words had run away
with him, tumbling one into the
ether.
1t was stupid of her to want Lee
to call, Of course; even more stupid
to worry over what he did with his
life. She had known for weeks that
she would marry Richard-Richard
deserved what little there was in her
heart she could give him, and he
would be protection against further
suffering.
1t seemed all at once that life had
carried her swiftly back to the Au-
tlImn night of her engagement din
ner, when she had SO SenSibly out
lined her future and had protected
herself against being hurt.
Well, she had turned her back once
on safety. All the lessons she had
learned from her mother and Marcia
and the others had been dazzled into
insignificance by the bright mantle
of romance. She had allowed herself
TO fall in love with Lee and had
experienced endless tortures. But it
was all in the past now and the
future would begin Just as if those
three years had never been; just as
II the engagement dinner were ending
and tomorrow she would start the
buying and initiating of her trous-
seau linens.
Lying there on the bed, Patsy
couldn't know that Lee, standing,
tall and blond and angry, turned
abruptly to Mr.. Chatterton beside
him on the roStrum In that Balti-
more Auditorium and said, in an
undertone:
Mr.. Chatterton, my wife and I
are separated. I would appreciate
it II you would ask her as diplo-
matically as possible to take her place
in the audience"
Kitty, hearing, turned livid with
humiliation-the radio announcer
had thought it schoolgirl blush!--
aged to smile at all the enVious fam
mime eyes upon her. She said in
n gay, controlled voice: "I can't tell
you all how proud ! am of my hus-
band. How happy I am that he is
home and Safe!"
Then she bowed gracefully to the
instant applause and went quietly to
her seat. A young girl sitting near
her nudged her friend in the ribs
What would you give to be in her
shoes?" she whispered. Gosh! He's
the best-looking man I ever saw in
my life! Wonder what he was court
martisled from the Navy for? I'll
bet it was some affair with a woman.
You can be sure women won't let a
man with hair and eyes and a body
like that alone!"
After the lecture was over Kitty
waited for Lee in the brilliantly lit
corridor Of the auditorium. She knew
that she could bank on him not
making q scene in public. With a
gay little smile she looked up at
Lee, matched her steps with his, fol-
lowed him as noiseleSsly as skulking
lynx out into the street and into one
OF Mr.. Chatterton's cars that waited
to take the famous young aviator to
his hotel.
As the chauffeur pulled away from
the curb, Lee turned to Kitty, his
blue eyes hard and furious:
You're making this very difficult
for me, Kitty. You know that moth
ing on earth could make me live
with you again. If you insist upon
keeping me married to you-then-
then there apparently isn't much
can do about it. But you've got TO
understand"
Kitty began to cry softly. With
her eyes wide and darkly appealing
and a little fluff of handkerchief
dabblng at her nose, she sobped;
''Why can't you forgive me, Lee? I
know I've been a beast-but-but
everything I have done has been
done because I love you. On, Lee
Lee" Her long white scarlet
tipped fingers touched his coat sleeve
In a gesture that was pathetically
tender.
Lees face grew hard and fixed.
"ItS no use, Kitty. Can't you un-
derstand that? All I ever felt for
you is dead-dead-if I ever actually
felt anything"
"Ill never give you up" she said,
weakly. And then, to his utter
i