Evening star., 1936-06-30

Il fathers clock in the hall tlckeo
evenly, q little laboriously with great
age. Several scarlet leaves, piucKeo
nv a vaerant wind. danced round the
white columns of the portico and on
into the night. But Patsys voice was
very steady as she said
will you excuse me now, MI,
Cavendish?' There are few tnlnes
must do. I suppose Ted told you'
too, that I'm becoming engaged To-
night?"
He replied, deadly even: Yes, he
told me" And there was something
so Young and hurt and defeated about
him that Patsy's breath caught IN
her throat. She turned quickly ana
ran into the house and up the long,
winding stairs.
In her own room she softly smut
the door and leaned against 1t, as II
for support. For moment she closeo
her ewes and pressed the back OF her
hand to her trembling lips. Her heart
was pounding and her brain 1eit as
~ It had a fever. She thought: !
uon't let this happen to me! won't!
Hes handsome! He's attractive 10
women! He's Navy! He's married!
Hes everything I don't want
suddenly, into the crying OF ner
own mind Patsy became slowly con-
scious of muffied sobs-sobs that
came through the partly opened door
connecting her room with Marcia g.
PATSY stood and listened ana trleo 10
reason why Marcia's happy mooo
had changed into one Of her frequent
spells of morbid despair. Inere
WAS never any accounting Tor H.
Only tonight it might be because
about this time in the Fall, four years
seo grandfather had announced her
engagement to Lieut.. Tom Kane. Inc
house had looked very much as II olo
nov-candles burning, flowers every
where, garlands Of chrysantnemunlS
strung through the spokes on the STAIR
way.
She shivered and began rubolng
nor arms above the elbows with her
hands. Marcia had loved Tom Kane
as her mother had loved her fatner-
as Ted loved Virginia kelth-as sne'
Patsy, had promised herself tnaI SIZE
would never love any man! Love hao
u,runp her sisters heart like that, nao
crushed her spirit and struck grim
Vines about her mouth and eyes-ano
yes-affected her reason a little.
Suddenly Patsy was remembering
n moment on the portico moment
which had been breathless with ten
sion. She was remembering tha'
she liked Lees blond hair ana MS
hlue ewes and his gentle smile and
that she had wanted to creep INTO
his arms and stay there forever. A
chill of stark fever went through her
and she covered her face with her
nalms. Then she heard voice:
PATSY, darling! Don't you Kno"
chat vour guests are arriving! That
your future husband is pacing tne
floor below! That old Ephralm Is
doing his best to be host and hostess
and afianced couple all in one!
patsv's hands fell to her sides. She
eould feel them cold and moist and
trembling. Virginia Keith tralieo
Ianruidly across the room to Patsy
with her golden sandals shining and
her peacock-green satin cllnglng 10
her voluptuous young body-ieaVllls
80 little to the imagination. Forkeu
tendrils of smoke curled up the lengtn
of her white arm from the c1garette
In her scarlet-tipped fingers.
A beautiful woman, almost 3o, nut
looking much younger, and who WIN
her two discarded husbands, her
money and Jewels, her Paris oacK-
ground and her sleek red heao mace
the conservative Navy folk OF An
napolis feel little like country pooos.
PATSY wondered now, as she mao
for two years, how Ted had ever got
I'D enough nerve to pursue her anu
to fall in love with her. She wondered
what kept Ted in love with Virginia,
when she was so obviously man crazy
and tickle. And probably not quite
moral. -.
PATSY swallowed hard. 1t was dlf-
fcult to speak, but she managed 10
say: II didn't hear the knocker, Vlr-
rinia." She hurried over to her
maple dressing table, dabbed poWoer
on her nose and ran cursory comp
through her golden curls.
Virginia inhaled deeply and held
the smoke on her tongue. She did
At sensuously, as she did everything
else. She said:
You're due for a surprise, Patsy
There is a most gorgeous man
downstairs. Handsome. And some
thing a little better than being mere
" handsome. Something you can't
quite put your finger on. He's tal'
of course, frightfully blond and has
the dreamiest blue eyes you ever saw
And he's tanned. You know that
rich bronze that comes of riding the
sea or walking the deck in the sun
or being stationed in the tropics"
Eyes, 7 know" said Patsy. lightly
touching her lips with crimson. But
Lee Cavendish is married! And even
n he we're not, I'm becoming en-
gagged tonight and engaged girls aren,
on the market for gorgeous surprises
AS for you, Virginia, if you make Q
play for him, Ted will probably kill
YOU. Ted is intense, like mothers
aide Of the family, and wildly jealous
You ought to know that by now"
She thought: "If Ted could hear
Virginia talking about another man
like that he might kill her. I've seen
him crazy with jealousy. I've seen
him look at her as If he wanted to
Kill her. Why couldn't Ted have
been more like Tippy? Tippy never
feels anything for long. Nothing really
gets under his skin. But Marcia and
Ted and yes, I come right
along with them no matter how much
like Tippy I try to bel"
Virginia opened her incredibly green
sves. turned her head a fraction OF
an inch and smiled languidly al
patsy. so you know Lee Cavendish:
But ri bet you don't know that nex'
month he'll be a free man-complete-
Iy Renovated. Lee probably dosen'
know the date of his freedom him
self"
She paused and took a drag on hel