Carbon County news., 1937-09-03
CHAPTER XIII--COntinued


tinued after pause.
What are we to do? Just 60 on?"
Quentin presently asked, looking up.
''What else? AS far as she goes, -
Vicky said, with movement OF
her head in the direction of the Nor
rison house, She'll gradually-well,
get over it. If you ran away she'd
follow you. AS it is, she'll annoy
you for a while, and come over
here and break the news to me-"
Her voice died away into musing,
and Quentin raised his head and
stared at her strangely.
you're an extraordinary wom-
an, Vicky," he said. ''You can
talk about it. Don't you-don't you
care?"
For full half-minute Victoria re.
turned his stare. Then she said in
a voice that trembled, that was
pitched very low:
''Oh, I care! Any woman cares.
I'm hurt in my pride and my faith
and my-my heart. It isn't ques-
tion of whether or not one cares.
It's only a question as to what one
does about it. I choose to do it my
way"
She got to her feet, stood looking
at him irresolutely for a moment,
opened her lips as if she had some
thing further to say. But she
thought better Of it, nurmured in
stead goodnight, crossed the
room and was gone. Quentin did
not look up when she moved, nor
answer her goodnight. After she
was gone he sat beside the dying
fire for a long, long while with his
head in his hands and his shoulders
bowed.
In the next week for the first
time in years Victoria and Quentin
Hardisty, to the great satisfaction Of
those who loved them, were seen
lunching together on the fashionable
Monday at the St. Francis hotel.
They were together later at the re-
ception given to two distinguished
visiting physicians. Vic wore new
smart suit of blue banded with gray
fur, infinitely becoming to her warm
brown coloring, and dark blue
hat. On the gray fur violets were
pinned. ''Who gave me the vio-
lets?" Vicky said to DR.. Austreich-
er, Quentin, Of course, and he
brought me the suit and the hat
from Paris. Don't you think that's
having a husband!"
''Vic, you know you've grown aw-
fully pretty" John Keats told her.
What have you done to yourself?
Had your face lfted?"
''No, discovered shade hats and
freckle cream last summer" Vic
answered, laughing. ''It seems in
credible to live to be thirty six
without having had the sense to use
them before! One dollar a jar for
freckle cream, and before I'd used
half of it began to see great light |
dawning!"
Eyes, but you've done something |
else, too. New clothes?" !
''This is the outfit Quentin brought |
me, hat and all. I adore it."
Maybe it's that you're rested,
Vic. You've been going like steam
roller all these years."
II don't see how it can be that,
Johnny. I'm always at home, but
I'm not exactly resting"
''How is that little scamp" John
ny Keats asked, rightly interpret
ing the sudden softening of her
voice, the sudden shadow in her
eyes to the thought that was never
far from Martins mother.
"He's adorable. Quent's put a
nurse in for a few weeks" Viclzy
said gallantly. 1--WE have our be-
loved Brownie back-Miss Brown
ing you know, who's taken care of
me with all the children. She's
keeping an eye on Mart just tenn
porarily."
Good ideal" Johnny said, as
Quentin came up to claim his wife.
He beamed approval on them both.
'I've been telling Vic she's getting
awfuHy pretty" he said.
''Vic," Quentin said, looking at
her unsmilingly. He put his hand
under her arm-'thow about beat
ing it? I think we've done our du-
ty!"
''She's got him back and pretty
smart work, too," Johnny Keats
said to his wife. II wonder what
ever got into the poor old idiot?"
Got him back?" echoed Violet's
incisive British accents. ''She nev-
er lost him. He just had one of
those fatuous brainstorms that big
men get. They concentrate and
work and worry and run themselves
down, and some fiowery by-path
tempts them, and they stroll into
it! But personally I shall never
forgive Quentin Hardisty, never
really like him again" =
Come now, vi, you know you Y
love him for what he did for Kate!"
"Ah, well, loving him, Johnny, S
feeling grateful to him, that's quite ! J