The Coolidge examiner., 1937-09-23
CHAPTER IX-Continued
il

very WELL" Spencer answered. with
his characteristic little bitter smile
twisting his mouth. But she gets
no particular thrill from playing
with me-"
The drawing room was almost
dark when they reached it. but Sc
rena Immediately snapped up the
lights. Only one lamp had been
burning, and in its light and that Of
the fire Quentin and she had been
sitting in big chairs. at the hearth.
Had they been there all these long
two hours. Vic wondered?
Serena detained Quentin for mo-
ment at the door.
Are you working tonight? Some
times / see your light quite late?
Last night you were late"
Last night l was playing bridge
with three men," Quentin told her.
She watches his light" Victoria
thought, disappearing into the outer
blackness with a farewell nod over
her shoulder.
If you're working tonight" Sc
rena said to Quentin then, without
the slightest expression in her voice
or her face, come over when you
finish and I will give you a cup of
chocolate"
Goodnight" Quentin said. He
followed Vicky down the porch
steps. When they reached their
room he said that he thought he
would do little work: fifteen min
utes, maybe.
The next morning at breakfast
Vic said to him casually:
You didn't go back to the Nor
risons' last night. did you?"
We'll, yes, l did," Quentin an
swered, looking off his paper. I'D
meant to take her a book and left
IT on my dresser. ran over with it,
and she was making chocolate. She
says she often has a little supper,
after he's gone upstairs. We sat
in the kitchen awhile"
Well, what was a wife to say to
that?
After that night there was an
other change. And this one, to her
sinking heart, seemed to Victoria
much more ominous than the first.
Quentin was always good-natured
and gentle now; abSent-minded; un-
interested in what went on at home.
He no longer defended Mrs. Nor
rison. or seemed especially to want
to exchange family courtesies, din
ners, and evening meetings, with
the house. next door. Whatever his
relationship with Serena had be-
come, he was content never to men
ton it; it was their own affair now,
his and Serena's, and needed no
apologies, no justification.
From Vics confused thoughts
there emerged surprisingly one con-
crete fact: she loathed Serena; she
would have been glad to hear of
Serena's violent and sudden death.
And this made it increasingly hard
TO endure Quentin's simple revela-
tions concerning her neighbor.
She's always been just a little
girl" Quentin would say. "She says
she still likes to get a kitten and a
plate of apples and good book on a
rainy afternoon and curl up in the
attic and read.
Just try to imagine it, Vic,
this woman who has been adored
and spoiled by some of the most
famous persons in the worldi Rothe-
say Middleton. for example-you
know that every woman ir Holly
wood is trying to get him? She tells
me that when she married Morrison
she told him that she had to spend
one week every year with Middle
ton. and no questions asked! She
said Spencer almost lost his mind
trying to reconcile himself to the
idea, but in the end he gave in
Not much to his credit" Vic
might submit dryly. But, fortunate
ly for her, Quentin was usually too
much absorbed in his subject to see
anything amiss.
We'll, he couldn't have gotten
her otherwise! And when l think
what that fellow has put her
through"
''Spencerl How d'you mean put
her through"
why, my God, Vic, he was
climbing right to the top in diplo-
macy when he got hurt! They were
to 60 to Spain; that's one of the fat
placesi There's lots of money; moth
ing could have stopped him! She
was packing her trunks when he
was hurt"
We'll, l don't suppose he espe-
cially enjoyed it."
''She told me-" Quentin said in a
tender undertone. not hearing one
word of what Vicky had said-"she
told me that just before the smash
she had been planning to buy GER
tain white shawl at the Sea Cap
tain's Shop in Shanghai. She says
it was the most gorgeous thing she
ever saw and that when their plans
all changed, and before she knew
whether Morrison's eye was going
TO be saved or not, she used to go
every day and take a look at the
-hawl So when it was all over and