Evening star., 1936-08-02

In6IIl IltIptu. DCtduoC oiC was otND
born and stupid and had gone on low
ing Gale. She couldn't change. Not
Madame Natzke or all the other ex-
perts who had tried to make her over
had really done anything at all.
Perhaps that was at the bottom OF
all their trouble - that she hadn't
changed - that she had never been
really anything but very simple per-
son with simple, rather stern ideas and
standards, who had pretended to be
smart and sophisticated with no stand
ards of her own at all. But the bluff
had failed. Because in the end you
couldn't 60 against yourself.
And suddenly tearing, wrenching
homesickness clawed at her heart.
She wanted the deep-rooted reticent
love of her own people and the grave
dear intimacy of her native hills. She
wanted to creep back and hide herself
in them. She could think of Leslie now
with a new warmth of tenderness and
pity. He had been so right. If she had
listened to him. at least he would have
been happy. Gale might have remem-
bered her with tenderness. as one re-
members lost childhood. And she
would have kept him hidden in her
heart until she died. Now all their
lives were spoilt. They would never.
any of them, think of each other ex-
cept with bitterness.
At last she tossed herself to fever
ish sleep and did not wake again till
a brazen sun was pouring down on the
flat waste of water. She got up eau
tiously. Her fellow-sleepers looked like
driftwood cast up from wreck. She
saw herself in the glass. The smart
beach-suit was crumpled and stained
with sand and sea. The fair hair,
washed shade brighter than its
natural color. hung dishevelled about
her face. She looked what she felt -
lost and defeated and utterly ashamed.
Gale hated the mans discretion.
Even the way he poured out coffee
suggested knowledge of disgraceful
secrets which, for SO long as it was
worth his while. he would keep secret
mo sir. Mrs. Thornton not come
home last night. No. sir, Mrs. Thorn
ton not telephone" After moment
he slid back to Gales elbow. "If you
please, MIR. Rand here to see you. He
say very important"
Gale nodded absently He was think
ing about Lois. She had done wild
things. But she had never done any
thing like this before. AS Dorothy
Vests paragraph had hinted. she was
teaching the Hollywood stars to shine
brighter and better with vengeance.
He tried to grin to himself. He had
heard that Thornton Farm was on the
market - going cheap for anyone who
could pay cash for it, But the idea
that they could 60 back home seemed,
in the cool light of morning. terribly
funny. Lois had gone Hollywood" as
the saying went. And people who went
that peculiar road never came home.
1t seemed that Rand had had his
breakfast or didn't want any. He sat
opposite Gale and looked, Gale thought
with faint astonishment, curiously
evil. 1t was as though disaster had
stripped him of mannerisms, artistic
temperament and erratic good nature.
And underneath was simple, pred
atory will to survive.
''See here, Thornton, quit stalling.
will you? Your contract runs out with
mine at the end of this month. Every
one knows what they've offered you.
And that you've turned them down.
You're holding out on them. All that
about quitting is just CUFF"
1T isn't" Gale said. Il am quit
ting"
For what?"
'I'm not sure any more"
For the simple life with a blonde
on the hill tops"
"Shut upr' Gale said quietly.