The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-03-11
w.N.U. S cRvicE

| Let's see. Two weeks dSO, OuCc.
when I got into that Oakland mess.
and he came out to the house
and Thursday at Ruth's when her
niece came; told you about that.
And-let's see-Friday at noon In
the office for few minutes"
"Don't you see him every day in
the officer
II do not"
"But. Tony. you know what I'm
[ trying to find out. Do you still feel
as you did last winter?"
"Yep." ...
A pause Brenda looked thought
full. shook her head. Tony hummed
lightly.
'sBut. Tony. Ruth. She's been
so kind to you"
ST know. That's where the catch
comes in"
"Will you see him at DR.. Van
derwal's house on Mondays"
"Larry? No. He's not coming
down."
"Why not?"
there's something else he has
to do He's bringing Ruth and all
of them down to Del Monte to-
night, but he's going back tomor-
row."
Tony looked at the telephone.
Larry's voice was at the other end
of it.; the Bellamy's party would
be at Del Monte now. Every fiber
of her being seemed drawn toward
| it.
| Life went on In the contented,
the almost SNUG groove that Bren-
/ da and Alvin had chiseled out for
! themselves. The baby went to
sleep. and there were tomato salad
and bran mullins and q cold Gus
tard for supper with Alvin dis.
cOursing upon the superiority of
the meatless meal
Tony lay awake all night: all
through the quiet Sunday she felt
like an animal bound in a net; her
mind, her soul. the very muscles of
her body seemed Jerking them
selves away from this tame scene
of Brenda's interests, Cliffs girl
and her mother, and the dull lunch
at the Bly, cottage salad and
| strawberries and hot rolls and pink
sliced ham
"Noblesse oblige," she said to
herself sternly.
Brenda was no good at this
party; she was sitting in trance
most of the time with Anthony In
her lap, saying rapturously to any
one who would listen: "His first
little social event, and l do think
he's gOOd!" and Alvin was thr0aty
and opinionated. Cliff was 80 RI
diculously absorbed In Mary Rose
that he could not see anything else.
Tony threw herself into the bust
ness of being charming; she was
the personality, she was Cliffs ire
mendously clever sister. who had
80 much fun reporting on the Call.
She told them some Of her adven-
lures, and she saw that Cliff was
proud of her; fat Mrs. Bly, lis.
tened In rapt delight and said that
Tony was as good 40 any actress
she had ever seen.
The festivity dragged on. Tony
sat next to DR.. BY at luncheon
and painted so attractive . picture
Of the young Tafts and their or
phaned struggles that the doctor
said feelingly that he wished that
his own daughters hadn't been born
with all the I.andvae money be-
hind them: 1t wasn't q good thing
to have life so smooth.
And all the while Larry was
close; perhaps playing golf on the
Pebble Beach links, his white shirt
open at his brown throat, his dark
head bare. The blue sea rippled
In in a dazzle Of spring sunshine.
and the gulls flew about crying
their shrill piping cries, and the
Blys fluttered about like gulls too.
pleased when the guests admired
the wide porch and the view. 80
urgent with the little damp sand
| witches and the fruit punch.
| It was hot day, q rarely hot
i day for the ocean shore. It had
brought forth an eruption Of pic
MICS and excursions; cars twinkled
In black lines along the cliffs: ev-
cry little cottage was gay with
guests.
II tomorrow were like today Joe
would have heavenly weather for
his housewarming. Ruth, Mrs. Pat.
terson, Caroline would be there
not Larry. He was going back to
the city; he did not dare come. he
did not dare risk meeting this girl
In white who was so dutifully
amusing the Blys, so respectfully
raising blue eyes to tiresOme old
DIR. Bly, at the head of the long
table.
II Tony had another night with
Brenda; another adoring morning
with Anthony's bath and bottle and
nap. "
On Sunday morning Joe came fol
her In the car, and she and Ruth