Carbon County news., 1937-06-11

dry throat.
There were tears in Magda's yei
and in her voice; and she stopped
short and looked away over the dag
zle Of blue water. .|;-.~
"Oh, the break is terrible, know
that-I know it now! But after Z
few weeks-after month or two
everyone gets used to it-and the
two persons who have grown nerv'
GUS and irritable and Wretched to-
gether are free!"
"But then when will see Dad?"
Victoria asked, tears gushing from
her eyes. "Can write to him?"
MY darling, of course. And he'll
come to see you at school, take you
out to movies! Why, I'm writing
him today, and I'll put your love
in."
It seemed less strange the next
day; Dad and Mother separating.
Still Victoria tried to adjust her
thoughts to all the amazing angles
of this new turn of affairs, thought
that she would go and see Dad
often, too, if she could get away
from school. And perhaps next
year he and she would have their
little dream house on the shore for
a few weeks, and cook waff1es and
scrambled eggs.
This was late August. It was in
early October that Victoria, slim
and busy. and happy in the dark
blue Dominican uniform, with the
dazzling collar of her bluejacket's
blouse turned back at the neck, and
the pale blue scarf that marked
her as a freshman blowing in the
autumn wind, was stopped as she
was racing in GATHERINGS wake
across the school playground.
Letter for you, Victoria" said
Sister Beata, extending it in a clean,
cool hand.
"oh, thank you, S'ter," Victoria
gasped, seizing it. It was from her
mother, who was down in Santa
Barbara with the Arnolds. It told
her happily, simply, that her mother
and Ferdinand Ainsa y CASTILLO
Manners, t'',for you may. as well
have his whole name, my darling,
although I've only got the first and
the last on my new cards." had
been married that day at noon.
Her father came to see her now
and then, on Sundays. They were
oddly silent, oddly ill At ease with |
each other. /
Victoria saw her stepfather only |
in flying glinpses for the remainder
Of her school life. He and her
mother were at the big Manners /
cattle ranch down in the Argentine
for two years, and when they came
back Victoria was preparing for a
second trip to Europe. Mother Ray
nond had written to her mother
about leaving her in the school there
sor the final year of French and
music and culture generally, and
Victoria had only one real visit with
Ter mother before it was time to go.
Ferdinand Manners had leased
he big Chalmers place in Burlin-
game; Magda was back among her
riends again and giddy with hapri-
less and triumph.
Victoria spent a somewhat be.
fildered yet happy Easter vacation
here, exploring all the garden paths
md all the big rooms.
She came back to California at
mother Easter time, eighteen years
i'd, and ready to graduate with her
lass. Her mother met her in New
FORK; and they made the transcon-
mental trip together. :.
Ten weeks later Victoria's hand
ONE bags We're packed again, and
he went down to the. Chalmers
lace for the summer.
The beautiful Chalmers house was
pen to summer breezes and filed
nth summer flowers; the Chinese
utler, discreet in his purple and
lue silks, motioned her upstairs.
mother Oriental took her bags;
er mothers maid, who had crossed
ne continent with them a few weeks
efore, met her at the top of the /
tairs.- Vic asked to see her mother. h
Magda was in her magnificent ;
edroorn, a large airy apartment !,
anked by an enormous bath, by a III
dressing room, by an avn
lged upper balcony. Z
Victoria found her m o tn e r
:retched on a couch by a window;
ne was not reading the magazine
le held, and her eyes were absent {
nd Redeemed a little from recent I
.ars. At the sight Of the girl she
egan to cry again, and they
aspeds each other closely.
MY darling, you're home at last!
you Inew-if you knew how I've l
anted you!" Magda sobbed. She t
stant1y regained control Of herself t
I'd smiled with trembling lips, S
raightening the collar Of Victoria's y
ouse as the girl knelt beside her. a
Was it all wonderful" she said. u
TT was perfect. And at the end
: all cried because we weren't d
going to be back in September!" il
ctoria laughed. ''But, Mother S
Arrest. you're not well?" >~:...r.** s. Ii