The Washington times., 1937-03-05

daughter to an indulgent father,
but more those Of a favorite niece
toward an admiring uncle.
CHAPTER XII
Gilbert glanced at his wrist
watch. This time Denise was
very late. And insistently he be-
gan to worry lest she had walked
home and got into an accident in
traffic in the park! A few min
utes later she arrived.
She had walked home, had lin
gered a little in the pale-gold SUM-
light, in that lovely air of English
Springtime.
Her thoughts were restless as
that enchanted air. Within a
week of her twenty-second birth.
day, she felt a little lost and
wasted, with all her life settled,
and nothing settled! No meaning
to anything, to the new pale green
leaves, to spring sunshine, to
living!
A soft-scented breeze from Ken
Sington Gardens blew a small
curl of hair across her cheek. She
walked on lightly. The feeling
rose and rose in her contra
dictorily that everything was ahead,
that to be young, to have a long
time left to spend, was the only
important thing, to have many
springs TO anticipate. Between
those two poles of emotion, that
she was finished, that she was yet
to begin, she had swung these
many months.
This day, suddenly aware that
the eyes of various British gentle
men, formally attired for Sunday
afternoon calls around the Park,
rested on her with complete ap-
proval as they passed by, the pen
dulum swung to cheer. She was
not finished yet!
But she wished, instead Of hav-
ing the composite admiration of
strangers, Keith could see how
nice she was looking! SO she
wished daily. 1t amounted to an
obSession that was the youngest
thing about her. An unsympa-
thetic person would have told her
that she was like a child mourn
ing lost toy, but there was no
one unsympathetic or sympathetic
to tell her anything, except her
husband, whom she had reduced
to a condition of being unable to
discuss anything with her much
more personal than the weather.
Though she had not the least idea
she'd done anything Of the sort!
Toward that husband she had
this day come to a final decision.
How much the sudden warmth OF
spring had to do with that she
did not stop to think. She would
tell him that they were wasting
both their lives. and there was no
use going on even for the year
they had discussed. She would
ask him to let her go home, and
at home, she would get some sort
Of job and pay Gilbert back all
he'd given her family. She thought
much better now Of her chances
at a lucrative job than on that
autumn afternoon when she'd
considered going to business col
lege. Had not that motion pic
ture director they'd met in Mo-
rocco told her he would give her
a part any time she would come
to Hollywood? Travel did seem
to have suited her looks.
But it was not six months in
pleasant climates that had so
much improved her as the fact
that she was growing up, physi-
cally, curving a little where she
had been almost angular; even
her mouth seeming warmer and
more provocative, and her eyes
deeper and more shining blue.
Keith Sheldie had been right in
that instant when he said: Not
an obvious beauty. but she will
be-" She was Towering now.
Many people watched her walk
ing so gracefully through the Park,
through the sunshine, in her soft
blue suit from Paris, her tricor-
nered blue hat. But none Of them
having the reputed gift of second
sight, none Of them watched her
with curiosity.
Ito be continued)