The Washington times., 1937-03-10

which had been chosen for its view
Of Hyde Park. The last pale stars
were fading in the green gray sky;
the trees in the park were definite
dark outlines with blurred lighter
shadows at the tops where the
new leaves stirred in the dawn
wind. He thought: "I have never
been so exhausted in may life"
And behind him Denise's voice,
which sounded exhausted too. re-
peated: '"I want to go home to
Felicia. I want to sail on the next
boat"
For probably the hundredth time
(and it felt like the thousandth)
she repeated that. She'd never
stopped repeating it, in the IL
hours since he had shown her that
cablegram, except for brief in
terval during dinner to which, as
it happened, they'd invited guests.
He had been glad Of the respite of
their presence, though Denise's
manner had been so preoccupied
that it gave the every appearance
Of rudeness. But he thought the
necessary effort to be steady in
the presence of comparative
strangers was helping her.
In the moment after their
guests had taken leave, she be-
gan again, as frantically as be-
fore: Gilbert, you must let me
go home, right away" Never
had she suggested that he go
with her, or even implied that he
was a member Of the family
upon whom this certain sorrow
and probable disgrace had come.
And he had said, over and
over: mo. You can't go home.
You promised me a year."
Ten o'clock, when their guests
left, and nearly five now! She
had said everything she felt like
saying, apparently: he had said
all he intended to say, but not
much that he felt or thought.
He turned from the window to
look at her. She sat on the edge
Of her chair in a crumpled green
frock. of the long-sleeved, short
necked sort women wear on Sun
day evenings. Her hair was
fallen over her shoulders. Her
blue eyes were so dark with
anger, and a kind Of terror, that
they looked black. She seemed
pathetically tired.
He wanted to cross the room,
put his arms round her, say, Eyes,
we'll go home" say anything
that would comfort her. But
he would not. Perhaps he might
have, If she had not, sometime
after midnight when he did take
her in his arms with no desire
except to comfort her then, tool g,
struck at him in a gesture vio-
lent, childish and rather pitiful.
He spoke to her now, sharply,
to get her attention. Better go
to bed. Denise. You look about
at the end of your strength"
mo. I have to make you see. 3"
II see a good many things
clearly enouS h" That he had
not said before, nor meant to.
But his own patti ce was wear.
ing thin.
She protested then: ''It's not
what you thin, I'm sure of it.
He wouldn't. Felicia wouldn't.
I mean they were on some kind
of house party, and just hap.
pened to be driving home to-
gether. There were dozens of
people there, besides them"
so you've said before, once
every fifteen minutes, Denise"
But it's true. I must make
you believe. Father phrased the
, cable badly"
What does it natter what
bell Ve?"
Because if you know that my
sister was just in an accident,
you'll let me go home to see her"
"We1l know when we get the
American papers this afternoon. 4"
But I ought to be at sea, this
afternoon. There's a sailing from
Southampton at one"
And you happen to have no
money, no passport. I have our
Joint passport"
Ito be cOntinued)
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