Evening star., 1936-07-13
CHAPTER XIII.

VI the nigh ngntS OF golQ In nef
4 red hair, the magnolia white
ness of her skin, the warm soft
ness of her lips. His face flushed
darkly, painfully. and he wished for
one moment that he hadn't returned,
unopened, the letters she had sent
to him at the hospital.
With trembling fingers he fumbled
on the table at his side for a match.
nicked 1t with his thumb-nail and
held it to the end of a cigarette. Drew
on it until it glowed brilliantly. Some
where he'd read-modern psychology,
he believed-that thoughts could kill
q person; that long ago tribes of
American Indians had participated in
thinking battles and had actually tor
tured and Stayed the weaker braves
with thoughts. If he went on like
this his thoughts would drive him
mad or kill him; he'd never get out
Of the hospital.
All at once he remembered that
his nurse had said he could sit up
in wheelchair today. He rang the
bell under his pillow and fldgeted with
the sheets and swore little to him
self. Hospitals were hellish places.
Imagine sponge bath, glass Of
orange Juice, meals, the appearance
of the nurse after her midnight snack
being events. Something to look for
ward to, something to break up the
monotony.
Impatiently he rang the bell again
and set his tortured young eyes on
the door. Where was she? If he'd
cared to admit it, he knew that she
had been out of the room less than
three minutes. But he chose to think
1t was an hour, day. lifetime. She
was probably fixing his lunch, he de-
cided angrily, and it would have to
be nothing less than banquet to ap-
pease him! But if she was gossipins
with the other nurses over Kitty Cav
endish's case, or was out on the bal
cony sneaking smoke-well-he
hoped she'd choke.
The door opened slowly. Ted thrust
his head forward, frowned, barked
out:
What the devil were you doing?
Don't you know the doctor said could
sit up today! I want to be able te
get out of here this week. L"
Then he saw her. Saw Virginia
Keith standing there in the door, a
devastatingly beautiful woman in a
gray coat with squirrel collar and
muff, tiny gray felt pulled low over
one eye, corsage of violets on her
shoulder. Saw the fire of her hair
and the fame of her lips that burned
into him. igniting something that he
had told himself was dead, burnt out
ashes. He heard her laugh at him
lazily, heard her say:
so you wouldn't see me, would
you? Well. I've been lurking in the
halls for an hour waiting for your
nurse to leave you-and here I am. .
She came over to the side of the
bed bringing the fragrant scent OF
violets with her and stood there look
ing down at him, smiling family, per-
fectly sure of herself. He hated hel
Tor 1t and hated himself for his weak.
ness where she was concerned.
why did you refuse to see me
Ted? Why did you return all my let.
ters," she asked slowly.
He laughed shortly. why" NJ
God, Virginia, how can you ask?"
For a long time her green eyes
searched his face, her long black lashes
throwing delicate shadows on tel
cheekbones. Ted had a haggard
drawn, wretched look that she knew
his illness had not caused. Just as
MS illness was not making that white
ridge Of knuckles across the backs OF
his hands, the jerking muscles along
the line of his throat, the feverish
brightness of his eyes. She said, smil-
ing slowly: "Ted-relax! You make
me feel that if pricked you with a
single wrong word you'd exploded"
He did not look at her. With great
precision, as If the fate of the whole
world rested upon the exactness of
1t, he crushed out the burning stub
OF his cigarette. When he spoke his
voice was edged with ice. Virginia,
I'D appreciate it If you'd leave" He
said it when everything in him was
crying to take her in his arms, to
keep her there-the sweetness of her
the shining beauty of her
She leaned against the edge of the
bed then and took one of Ted's hands
In her own. Like man hypnotized, he
could not withdraw his fingers. She
began softly, that faint throb in her
voice now that had first attracted
him.
MY poor Ted-why must we always
be quarreling? And how ashamed