Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-02-01
CHAPTER 9


THE TELEPHONE rang imper-
atively and Janet Paynter teetered
on the table where she had been
trying to stand quietly the last
fifteen minutes. Catch it, please,
Mrs. Birney," she said to that lady
as she let herself down gingerly.
She caught up the velvet folds of
her gown as she did SO.
/ ':Hello. darling" she said to Joel
and rolled her eyes ceilingward.
Her voice was gay enough, mot
a thing yet. Don't be impatient.
It's only a week well, have it
your way then, it's ten days but
you know how those people are"
There was a hint of mischief in
her. voice as she said demurely,
f'Couldn't call you at the studio
if there were any news? No? All
right. Try to be patient"
my, goo'ness,' Mrs. Birney
shifted the pins III her mouth and
picked up her chalk. She was short
lening Janet's black velvet dinner
dress to street length and causing
Janet no small computations. Janet
had loved that dress but she had
lno smart new frock and she needed
this one badly for daytime use.
s"That husband of yours acts more
like bridegroom than any man l
know. That's the second time he
has called you this afternoon"
Janet stood very still. 'Don't
make it too Short" she said and
lcontinued, Joel isn't calling me
Just to talk to me. He's going
frantic waiting to hear how his
screen test came out. He tele-
phones me three times every after
noon and trails me around as
though I had something UP my
Sleeve"
ri can take some Of this skirt
and put little cap sleeves into this
dress and it'll make it look like
new" Mrs. Birney answered, the
train of her, thought obvious. 'sBut
now how do you feel about having
a handsome Teller like that out
there in Hollywood with all the
beautiful, wicked movie stars?"
wicked? I grant that most of
them are beautiful but I am not
sure that they're wicked and why
shouldn't L feel anything but
happy about it?" Janet answered
reasonably.
Mrs. Birney sat back on her
heels. 'You can't fool me, Mrs.
PAINTER. You're home body and
not one of those fy-by-night brides
most of my boys bring home. I've
known you now for six months and
I've heard you singing and cook:
ing and fussing around up here
and, mark my words, you'll be hap
pier this way than you'll ever be
with Rolls Royces and them other
things
"Now, don't you worry about
that, Mrs. Birney. can take my
Rolls as well as the next girl if I
have to. And think how nice it
will be not to make over clothes.
And think how wonderful it will be
for Mr.. Paynter."
Mrs. Birney sighed dolefully. '1
hope you'll be saying the same six
years from now"
"Oh, WILL" Janet said blithely
enough.
Six years from then! Those
years seemed far away to Janet
then. She had been a bride but
six months yet she seemed to have
been married to Joel all her life.
The things that had filed her life
her work, her home, her own cir
Gle Of friends all these had been
like a dream in these last months.
She pondered on it wondering what
alchemy love wrought in a woman
that all the things that had been,
all the influences, the desires, the
work of living her daily life, could
dissolve into nothingness in the
presence of her new love-.
Long later Janet was to realize
that these things did not dissolve.
They receded and remained in the
background Of her life. but they