The Washington times., 1938-03-19

Tommy thGt she 1D0uLd dLtD1y!
tDeddino. Isabel QudrrelS tOith h
GO ON WITH THE STORY.
All during dinner, watching
Gloria's engagement ring flashing
over the candlelit table, Isabel
wrung her hands together. Two
things CALLED her soul: Peter
owned a Kenwood lot and refused
to build on it; and If this after.
noon with Rodney had come to
anything save an embarrassing
situation, Peter and his stubborn
refusal wouldn't have mattered.
She thought feverishly: Gloria
will have everything! And I'll be
buried UP here in the North Sec
ton. rotting away in that horrid
old house growing old and ugly
a poor doctors wife.
"WON'T DO 1T"
at wouldn't be living-it would
be merely going through life on a
narrow little track, wanting things
with the pace Of a fast express,
and yet-arriving nowhere! ]
won't do it! I won't do It'll"
The hospital called Peter at II
o'clock. Could DR.. Kent come at
once? Peter got up wearily, said
his good-bys, and Isabel, throwing
an old ulster about her shoulders,
followed him to his roadster. She
had a few more things to say
about Kenwood and the lot.
A second later Gloria heard
Peters roadster rambling down
the street. She thought simply,
God bless him." And then she
looked at Rodney with shining
eyes and forgot Peter. Tommy
was suggesting poker and, getting
Rodney'S second. went upstairs for
chips. Gloria set up two bridge
tables end to end, took a pack
of cards and spread them into a
fan for the dealers draw. They
waited for Isabel.
WHERE DID ISABEL GO?
When IS minutes passed and
she did not come back, Tommy
said: "She must have fallen IN
a manhole or something" Rod.
ney said: "That's funny. I heard
Peters car leave. Don't suppose
anything happened to her, do
you?"
Gloria said: mo, of course not"
But there was no conviction IN
her voice.
Gloria went out on the porch,
nerves jumping at her throat like
tense fingers. And then she saw
Isabel running up the street, her
dark hair sweeping back from her
pale forehead, the ridiculous
white pajamas flapping about her
legs.
She was out of breath when she
came upon the porch and she said,
in answer to the question in
Gloria's eyes: Thought I'd buy us
some ice cream, but the drug
store was closed"
A quarter hour later they were
still playing poker, the red, white
and blue chips piling up in
Tommy's corner. He said gayly:
"If I have as much luck in the
ring as do at cards I'll be light
heavy champ before the years
out!" Suddenly he jerked upright,
his eyes wide. He threw down
his cards and his chair toppled
over behind him.
Look out that window!" he
cried.
CHAPTER VII
They all turned at Tommys
cry and looked out Of the win
dow, They couldn't believe that
Peter Kent's home was an In
ferno of flames. Red tongues
licked UP the bricks from the
basement windows. Smoke poured
out of the windows like the
breath Of a dragon.
Tommy and Henry and Rodney
rushed out and across the lawn.
Gloria ran, her breath hurting
in her throat, to the telephone.
But Just as she dialed the fire
department she heard sirens
screaming in the night. Some one
else had turned in the alarm.
Isabel hadn't moved. She was
standing by the window. motion
less as a portrait. Her back was
rigid and one hand clutched
tensely at the base Of her throat.
Gloria went toward her sister,
trying to think Of something to
comfort her, for she knew that
Peter would postpone the we'd
ding now and that such post
ponements were bad luck.
Gloria began, softly, Isabel -"
ISABEL EXULTS
Isabel swung around. Her
L.