The Coolidge examiner., 1937-07-29

! 1HGIG were tears III hAdShd JNS
and in her voice: and she stopped
short and looked away over the daz-
zle of blue water.
"Oh, the break is terrible, l know
that-I know it now! But after
few weeks-after a month or two
everyone gets used to it-and the
two persons who have grown nerv-
Gus and irritable and wretched to-
gether are free!"
But then when will I see Dad?"
Victoria asked, tears gushing from
her eyes Can l write to him?"
My darling, of course. And he'll
come to see you at school. take you
out to movies! Why. I'm writing
him today, and I'll put your love
| in"
It seemed less strange the next
day; Dad and Mother separating.
Still Victoria tried to adjust her
thoughts to all the amazing angles
Of this new turn of affairs. thought
that she would go and see Dad
often. too. if she could get away
from school. And perhaps next
year he and she would have their
little dream house on the shore for
a few weeks, and cook waffles and
scrambled eggs.
This was late August. 1t was in
early October that Victoria, slim
and busy and happy in the dark
blue Dominican uniform, with the
dazzling collar of her bluejacket's
blouse turned back at the neck, and
the pale blue scarf that marked
her as a freshman blowing in the
autumn wind. was stopped as she
was racing in GATHERINGS wake
across the school playground.
Letter for you. Victoria" said
Sister Beata, extending it in a clean.
cool hand.
"Oh. thank you, S'ter." Victoria
gasped, seizing il. It was from her
mother, who was down in Santa
Barbara with the Arnolds. II told
her happily. simply, that her mother
and Ferdinand Ainsa y CASTILLO
Manners, ''for you may as well
have his whole name. my darling,
although I've only got the first and
the last on my new cards." had
been married that day at noon.
Her father came to see her now
and then, on Sundays. They were
oddly silent, oddly i'll at ease with
each other.
Victoria saw her stepfather only
in flying glimpses for the remainder
OF her school life. He and her
mother were at the big Manners
cattle ranch down in the Argentine
for two years. and when they came
back Victoria was preparing for a
second trip to Europe. Mother Ray
mond had written to her mother
about leaving her in the school there
for the final year of French and
music and culture generally, and
Victoria had only one real visit with
her mother before il was time 10 go.
Ferdinand Manners had leased
the big Chalmers place in Burlin-
game; Magda was back among her
| friends again and giddy with hapri-
| ness and triumph.
Victoria spent a somewhat be
wildered yet happy Easter vacation
there, exploring all the garden paths
and all the big rooms.
She came back to California at
another Easter time. eighteen years
old. and ready to graduate with her
class. Her mother met her in New
York, and they made the transcon-
tinental trip together.
Ten weeks later Victoria's hand
some bags were packed again, and
she went down to the Chalmers
| place for the summer.
The beautiful Chalmers house was
open to summer breezeS and filed
with summer flowers; the Chinese
! butler. discreet in his purple and
blue silks, motioned her upstairs.
Another Oriental took her bags;
her mothers maid, who had crossed
! the continent with them few weeks
before. met her at the top of the
stairs Vic asked to see her mother.
Magda was in her magnificent
bedroom, large airy apartment
flanked by an enormous bath. by a
complete dressing room, by an avn
inged upper balcony.
Victoria found her m t h e r
stretched on a couch by a window;
she was not reading the magazine
she held, and her eyes were absent
and Redeemed a little from recent
tears. At the sight of the girl she
began to cry again, and they
clasped each other closely.
My darling, you're home at last!
If you knew-if you knew how I've
wanted you!" Magda sobbed. She
instantly regained control of herself
and smiled with trembling lips,
Strengthening the collar of Victoria S
! blouse as the girl knelt beside her.
Wa it all wonderful" she said.
1T was perfect And at the end
we all cried because we weren't
all going to be back in September!
Victoria laughed. But, Mother
dearest, you're not well?"
/ I've been feeling-wretchedly.