The Coolidge examiner., 1937-07-08
CHAPTER XV-Continued

NOQ-- Is AtCliJ-.
I'm not and she isn't" Jim re-
piled. She's going to Bermuda
with her father"
Then she hasn't good sense!"
Dolly said warmly.
Jim smiled.
You're prejudiced. You like
me-" he said.
''Oh, ] do" She slipped her en-
ger. Il hope she'll come back from
Bermuda" she said. II hope you'll
get what you want. You've been
swell to me-"
Miss Penny opened the door.
Times up!" she called brightly.
Go away. Penny" Dolly said.
Jim rose from his chair beside
the bed. Miss Penny is right"
he said. You must not get tired.
I'm going now"
''Okay. Mister. Good-by Thanks
for coming. Thanks for the orchid
and Joey's job. Thanks for every
thing"
You're more than welcome.
Good-by."
He walked to the door, turned to
look at her again. Her eyes, fol-
lowing him. were wistful One hand
lay against the orchid at her breast.
Jim smiled. She returned the smile.
her eyes narrowing and crinkling
in the way he remembered.
Look. Penny" she said distinct
ly. You didn't know / was en-
gagged, did you? To the Prince of
Wales. See this. It's one OF the
crown jewels off Queen Mary's
hat Yes. I'm sleepy. Here. don't
touch that. It's the only orchid I've
ever had and I'm not going to let
ii get away from me-"
Jim walked slowly down the cor
ridor. Bravery and bravado. DOL
ly. too. had her share of them.
Absurd to feel lump in his throat
No. it wasn't absurd. He had just
said farewell to 3.
Wash. the elevator somewhere in
this direction? Never mind. he'd
walk
-. And the dressing-case and
the camera" Miss Parker said.
checking the list in her hand. Gee
lily. is that all?"
You've forgotten Fathers walk
rru-cfrnlr - Hn1ilv tf0n6
purse and this book Jim gave me
which mean. absolutely. to read"
Miss Parker smiled abstra ctedly.
Il know you think I'm a fuss-budg-
et." she said. But with all this"
Her sweeping gesture included the
luggage in the center Of the living
room floor and the trunks standing
in the hall. You can't possibly
be sure you have everything unless
you keep this list Last year when
the Beaches went abroad. one trunk
followed them all over Europe"
How awful" Cecily laughed.
Imagine being pursued all over
Europe by trunk. Can you think
of anything worse. Jim? Especially
cne Of the Beaches trunks. that
Saratoga. for instance"
Jim. attaching printed tags to the
luggage, looked up and smiled. Gee
lily was thinner. he thought. Or
perhaps that was the effect of the
dark wool suit she wore with a
bright scarf knotted under her chin
and a small dark hat tilted rakishly
over one eye. No. she was really
thinner. Her eyes were too large.
now, for the slender oval of her
face. He looked down at tie in
Scription on the tag-"Queen of Ber-
muda"-hating tho ship that would
take her away from him over so
many miles of salt graygreen wa
ter.
The trunks. Jim?" Miss Parker
worried. Have you tagged them?"
Hes tagged everything except
me-" Cecily's color was high, un-
naturally so. Jim thought. She had
been excitedly gay since she had
come up to the house an hour ago.
But she had not looked at him di-
rectly. Her eyes. whenever he had
attempted to hold them for an in
slant. had danced away from him,
evading an unspoken question or
reply. What was she thinking? Was
she glad to go?
Here's a tag for you." he said.
Where is the proper place tC tag
LADY,"
Keep it for whatever we've for
gotten. l want to say good-by to
Lady VIII you come with me.
Jim2"
The October air was clear apd
sparkling. In the garden the late
zinnias and scarlet sage burned
with clear hot colors. The wind
rustled through leaves fallen on the
lawn. blew them dancing across the
grass.
Il like the autumn" Jim said
stoutly. closing his mind to pic
ture of Cecily in bathing-suit on
tne white sands of Bermuda.