The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-08-13

the Assumption in Rome together,
too, but we had known each other
before that"
'You were at the Assumption?
How / hated It'll" Serena said, in
her calm, emotionless way.
"Gallo coming to take us driving
on Sundays" Phyllis put in, and
the three laughed together. Then
Phyllis went away, and Victoria
could study at her ease the extraor-
binary beauty of the fiower-like face
in the clear shadow of the parasol.
Exquisite womanhood; those were
the two words that Serena suggest
ed.
There was a silence filed with
faint distant sounds and the click of
balls. The club gardens blazed with
flowers; there were stretches of
green lawn beneath the trees; the
sun shone warmly.
"There, who's that?" Serena sud-
denly asked, with the first sign of
animation in voice and manner that
Vicky had seen her.
(which one?"
''The brown mantle square one,
in white. With that other man."
''That's my husband-Dr. Hardis-
ty," Vicky said, pleased at her in
terest. run get him, Gwen-yes,
go along, Susan, you can got"
"Your husband?" Serena asked,
not moving her eyes from the dis
tant figures of the men.
"Yes.-Well, trot along with them,
Kenty," Vicky said bracingly.
Don't cry because they're ahead
of you. Quent," she added welcom-
ingly, as he came up with the chill
dren hanging on his hands, "we're
all ready to go-we'll be just in
time!"
Quentin and Mrs. Morrison were
looking at each other, smiling.
you'll have to introduce me,
Vicky."
''Oh, 1 do beg your pardon! I
always think that everyone knows
everyone else Mrs. Morrison, my
husband, DR.. Hardisty. Quentin, do
you remember who this ISL"
81 do" Quentin said, smiling
down at Serena, his white teeth and
white clothes in almost startling
contrast to the Indian brown of his
face and skin. Serena looked up
from the lavender shadows of the
white parasol that was slowly turn
ing behind her golden braided head.
"You were on your way to Gilman"
cit was before my husbands &C.
cident-yes, we had a wonderful
trip!" the woman said, smiling laz-
lily with sea-blue eyes, raising heavy
dark gold lashes.
"And they're neighbors," Vicky
told him. "They are the people in
the Tracy place!"
'sNext door," Quentin's face
broke again into his own pleasant
smile.
''You remember Gita, Quentin,
who plays with the children? Mrs.
Morrison is Gita's mother"
ooh, I thought the name was
Stewart"
"Gita's father is dead" Serena
explained it. She continued to look
up at Quentin, and Quentin to look
down at her. you've all been such
angels to the child she said.
''She's been horribly lonely all her
life, alone with her amah. ! brought
her amah with her, from China"
Vicky was baff1ed by the other
woman's sleepy manner, by the
vague words that seemed to have
some meaning beyond their obvious
meaning, for Quentin at least, for
his face was absolutely radiant as
he continued to hold Serena's hand
and to look down at her.
"She's had you, hasn't she?"
vicky said sensibly. And she
touched Quentin's arm with that
wifely signal that says, "The chill
dren are ravenous. Let's get home
and have lunch!'
Serena was paying no attention
to Vicky; she looked only at Quen-
tin.
ST can't be much with my little
girl. You see my husbands an in
valid" she said, in a child's fiat
tone.
"Ah, that's too bad!"
"They said he was slated for a
brilliant career. But he was thrown
from a horse, and dragged, about
four months ago. It's his back, and
he lost his eye"
There was something extraordi-
narily incongruous between her UNI
ruff1ed fawless beauty and the ter
rible thing she said; the white hand,
the white skin, the gold hair and
innocent blue eyes under the para
sol were apparently unaffected.
Tough lucki" Quentin said. Vic
terra pressed his arm again.