The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-03-30


Tommy" she thought, instantly,
Tommy, who can explain! Who
can give some other reason than
the thing I'm believing for his be-
ing with Marcella this afternoon"
She swung around. Her heart
leaped and Steadied. It was only
Peter standing there. Peter, grin
ming broadly, running an excited
hand through his tousled blond
hair; Peter saying things about
adopting a baby, temporarily, and
how was Isabel going to like it.
And then he was asking for Aunt
Clara's telephone number so he
could call and speak to Isabel. At
last he had the connection. He
asked: "Is Isabel there, Miss
Lee?"
Gloria could hear Aunt Clara's
first words quite distinctly: We'll,
now, isn't this a coincidence? I
was just trying to get you, DR..
Kent"
There was a long moment.
Gloria watched Peter alter before
her eyes. She had no key to the
situation; yet she felt she ought
not to be watching. She knew she
was seeing something she should
never have seen. She thought, gaz-
ing at Peters suddenly white face,
the bewilderment and pain that
traverSed his eyes:
ut can't be! Isabel can't be
dead-she can't!" And yet surely
nothing but Isabel's death could
make Peter look like that.
Gloria's body drained Of blood.
'What is it, Peter? She cried.
What is It'll"
CHAPTER XIII
Peter stood there like a man out
on his feet, just staring at moth
ing. He put the telephone down,
steadily, and then he seemed to
become conscious of Gloria's i'm
Fortunate hand clutching his
sleeve, of Gloria saying: peter
what is it?"
His voice was controlled when
he spoke. He said, evenly:
Isabel and Rodney were mar
ried in Rockville, Md, this morn
ing. They're on their way to Eu-
rope" There was an instant OF
silence. "She was smart. What
kind of life could I have given
her? At everybody's call all hours
of the night and day. And no fu-
ture or money in it,"
Gloria said, slow, shocked-not
quite compromising: "Oh, Peter,
it can't be true! It can't be true!"
And oddly, for that one moment,
she did not think of herself! That
Rodney was married. That this
was not only Peters tragedy, but
her own.
Peter said: "She was smart, I
tell you'll" Then his repoSe shat
tered. He sat down abruptly by
the fire and put his head in his
hands. He said in a strangled
voice, Isabel. :"
SUFFERING AND MEMORIES
Gloria could not go to him. She
was so terribly sorry for him. But
she could not move. She just stood
there dazed, beginning to grasp
things now.
She watched the freight on his
hair, yellow and Pickering. and
vivid memories swept over her; OF
another afternoon when freight
had danced on dark head and a
slender tanned face had looked up
into her own and she had thought:
I'm happy now, this moment. I'm
happier than anyone ever was IN
the world before"
She remembered each tone Of
Rodney's voice and the touch of
his hand and the soft pressure OF
his lips on her own. And now, she
thought stricken, all that was
gone-forever over with and done.
She looked drearily into the fire,
seeing her life unfold before her
in clear white pages - perfectly
blank.
Peter looked up then, and he
seemed to remember all at once
that he was not alone; and that
Gloria must be suffering as acutely
as he. He said, a wry sort Of smile
turning up one corner OF his
mouth: "Well, we certainly made
a bust of things, didn't we? I
wonder what's the matter with
uS?"
Then he got up and put his
hands on Gloria'S shoulders. He
frightened his grip when he felt
her trembling. He said, hastily:
Perhaps it's for the best, Gloria.
It probably wouldn't have lasted,
you and Rod-nor with Isabel and
me. She would have grown rest
less and tired OF me, and God
knows how I would have felt,
watching her drift away from
me :"
Gloria said, softly: "It wouldn't
have mattered if Rodney had tired
Of me. I'd rather have known his
love for a little while and then be
left alone than never to have had
anything"
SEES ISABEL"
After a few moments Peter went
to the door. He stood there look
ing about the bungalow-at the
small, dull living room with its
overstuffed furniture, at the tiny
dining room and small, dark hall
And Gloria knew that he was
seeing Isabel in her dark beauty on
that sofa. seeing Isabel coming
gracefully down the stairs. her