The Washington times., 1936-11-24

0 j
They were still long-at least they
looked long. Needing extra post
age, straining the envelope seams.
What was in them, nobody but
Jan knew.
It was hard to get any news at
all out of her. But she had said
recently, that he was working with
an English tutor, and expected
to enter Cambridge later in the
year.
II don't suppose he'll be getting
married for while then," Evelyn
hadn't been able to resist saying,
for somehow. though Jan had
never admitted it, she was sure
there was at least an understand
ing between them. Still, Jan had
no ring, and the Kramers could
certainly afford something-some
far handsomer present than the
bottle of Franch perfume Lowell
sent her for Christmas.
"Oh no! He'll have to finish
his education first!"
Clairvoyant, because of her own
hidden heartaches, Evelyn know.
She said to herself. Maybe he
ought to finish his education first.
But could they make him, if he
didn't want to? He's over 20. It's
months since she sent him that
handkerchief with his name en-
broidered on it, for his birthday.
The sonora doteS on him. If he
wanted to marry Jan now, before
he's 81, she'd let him. Twenty isn't
50 terribly young, and JAMS al
most eighteen"
Almost eighteen. Almost eight
cen years since Tom went away to
France and she came home to the
old Mill Valley house, with her
three year old Dorathea, and a
nurse, to have her baby-Jan-
And now she was. well! She
didn't look it,. Her worst enemy
wouldn't believe it-but to count
the calendar years, she was Al.
Three long years since anything
had been seen or heard of Tom.
Three long years since she came
back to California, full of hope
and excitement, and dreams of
romance.
Romance. When she let herself
think of David, she felt sick all
over. Romance, indeed. He's been
dead for years and doesn't know
it, she thought, with something
| almost lilo cofiSfa ction
It was true. What good was
his life, or his money to him? He
still looked like boy, if you didn't
get close enough to see the fine
lines around his eyes and mouth
and the gray over his temples.
That was because he was thin,
and liked things like swimming
and riding and tennis and golf.
Which was one of the reasons
why he was never around when
you wanted him. If he wasn't
gallivanting all over the country
on business, he was out playing
golf with some man, or going to
some stupid beach to swim.
But he wasn't really young.
He'd lost all the gaiety and spon.
taneity of youth. He wasn't old
and he wasn't young. He wasn't
anything. He ought to have mar
ried, and had real home and
children. Why hadn't he? 1t
wasn't right. He'd waited all
those years for her, as she'd al
ways thought, and everyone had
always said, why didn't he marry
her now, now that she was back
and practically free?
Her feet in the high heeled
pumps, we're beginning to hurt.
She'd never liked walking. Shed
have to go somewhere and rest
now If only Tom we're here. He
never made much-one doesn't
in the Army-but at least it was
regular. And nowadays, with half
the men in the country out of
work, and everyone broke on ac'
count of the banks going wrong
and stocks falling to pieces and
everything else, you could hardly
do better than be in the nice safe
Army.
OF course. Tom wasn't West
Point. But the Keith's were a
good old Philadelphia family, and
when Tom enlisted as a private
in 1T, after his French ambulance
experience, everyone was doing it.
And he HAD risen from the ranks
which showed they recognized
him as officer material She'd
been foolish to let those stupid
Army women with their West
Point stories and their talk about
class rings and such bother her,
(TO Be COntinued)
Copyright 1885. by King Features
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