The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-07-30
CHAPTER VII

was, at nrSt. With four men, she
was sitting in the forward seat of
box; an ashen blonde in a black
velvet gown, with petal-smooth bare
shoulders, and deep-set, umber-
Swallowed eyes. Everyone in the
house was looking at her when the
curtain went down and the lights
went up, but if she was conscious of
the admiration and curiosity she ex-
cited she gave no sign of it.
That's Joe Younger-that stout
fellow with her." Quentin said, lay
ing down his glasses after a frank
inspection. "By gosh, she is beauti-
full"
"Oh, Quent, you know him!"
Vicky said eagerly, leaning forward
in her old chocolate lace to have
another look. Couldn't you slip
over and meet her?"
mo time now-I will in the next
entr' acte!" Quentin whispered as
the house lights famed down and
the footlights went up. But before
the next act there was the familiar
whisper in the back of the box.
Vicky had resignedly expected it; it
always came somehow when they
were daring enough to go to the
theater.
"Dr. Hardship" the whisper said
in the dark. "The hospital on the
telephone, Doctor. DR.. Bruce. He
said it was urgent"
And then Quentin was cropping in
the gloom for his hat and coat, and
off in full evening regalia for some
hot, odorous surgery, with the val
kyries' wild scream interrupted half
way. 1t was too bad, but it wasn't
the first time and wouldn't be the
last, Vicky reminded her mother
philosophically, when they were in
the car going home.
"And lucky for you, tool" Magda
responded.
Lucky"
"Well, he was perfectly mad
about that blonde woman, whoever
she was. He was going over to that
box just to meet her. But I thought
you handled that very cutely, VIC"
Magda said.
Handled what?" Vicky was gen.
timely amazed.
ooh, saying she was lovely and
you'd like to know who she was.
That was smart, Vic"
"There was nothing smart to
that!" Vicky laughed, in generous
amusement. But she felt just a
little chilled, nevertheless. A bleak
breath of wind from an alnost-for-
gotten country seemed to touch her
cheek. "Quentin admires beauty"
she presently said. "But that's as
far as it goes"
"Just the same I'll bet you some
thing, Vic, that he finds out tomor-
row who she is"
Mother, you're incorrigible!"
They were at home now, yawningly
dragging themselves up the long
stairs. "I'll bet you a chocolate
bar that he never mentions her
again!"
They were in the house the fol-
lowing afternoon when Quentin
came in to smile YEARLY at Kenty
and Susan, who were cavorting
about in pajamas, and to discuss
the products of the Argentine with
Gwen, Magda was playing solitaire
by the fire.
ooh, listen, Vic, remember the
blonde Venus in the box last night?"
Quentin presently asked. Magda
looked up, and Vicky turned with a
little color in her face from a minute
inspection of Susan's reputedly
burned finger. "She's an English
Mrs. Harrison or Morrison or Robin
son or something" Quentin said.
81 telephoned Joe Younger today
/ wanted to ask him something
about the golf club anyway. Her
husband is an English officer at
tached to the foreign Office or some
thing-they left today for China"
He fell to musing, half-smile on
his face. "That was certainly one
beautiful woman!" he said.
"If you want to hold a man like
quentin, you ougnt tO-WeIl, nirt
with him!" Magda said.
Victoria laughed.
"Flirt with my own husband?"
Something like that. Not fiirt
exactly, but-interest him." Magda
said, a little at loss for the exact
words she wanted. Keep him busy.
Unless a man is kept busy he gets
into mischief-especially a sheik
like Quentin, with q voice all the
women fall for"
81 don't know that all the women
fall for his voice." Vicky said, un-
alarmed. Sand as for keeping him
busy, I don't know what would keep
a man busy if an exacting profess
sion, five children, four servants, a
wife and mother don't!"
ooh, Lord, not that kind of busy!"
Magda scoffed. 81 don't mean wor-
rying about the furnace or if the
new electric light bulbs came. And
don't mean curvature of the spine,
either. A mans got to have some
play, Vic. The sensible thing for