Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-09-28
AFRAID +! 7I!!!!:! & Marry r.: s
4ElE n
CHAPTER %
HELEN WEtsHiMER


THE WORLD ended for Judy as
Ronald followed Abbey into the
den. She breathed, she walked,
she smiled, she wasn't dead. She
might even be able to cry
bushels Of tears that would make
her eyes red and her nose sore &. !
That conference in the den
meant only one thing to Judy. Mr..
Boland was being informed Of Abb
bey's change of heart.
"Judy! We came mainly to see
your It was Craig who greeted
her in the great drawing room a.
few seconds later.
Craig! She had thought her
heart was cruelty hurt because of
him such a brief time ago. It
hadn't been like this, though.
Yet she had had far more reason
to be wounded then. This time
she had practically none. Was
she always to go on, her heart be-
ing kicked like football, until it
gave up and rolled off the field?
Mary was with Craig. She
wore long tight black skirt and
jeweled jacket. Her hair, parted
In the middle and coiled low on her
neck, made her resemble a Ma
donna.
Mary was lucky. She loved a
man and he loved her.
Judy heard a voice greeting
guests and knew that it must be-
long to her. She smiled. It was
q mechanical voice, like a toy,
that you wound up and forgot I'M
til it ran down.
Marjorie came in a heavy white
crepe dress that was lavish
~ dotted with old gold coins and
gold slippers and cape.
She closed her eyes, for just a
moment, as she walked through
the door. Soon now she would
see Count Philippe. Any moment
she would be confronted with Wis
ible evidence that there had been
a. month by a blue sea, when a
silver wind blew softly, and gon-
dolas wove their mystic way
through the water lanes of Venice.
She would know for all time she
had not dreamed it.
That moment at the boat had
been SO brief. Count Philippe had
seemed different. But now-now
he would be his gay, charming,
tender self the self he had
been when he told her he loved
her, before she knew that he was
on heart breaking crusade
Judy saw Marjorie and came to
meet her, and Marjorie adjusted
the twin mask Of Judy's smile.
Dinner place cards painted
by distinguished artist, torn to
bits by nervous fingers, or scared
with cigaret flame by a careless
few. Course after course Of price
less food. Small Santa Clauses
frOlicking on the ices that con-
cluded the meal.
Marjorie had given one swift
glance at the count and looked
away. trying to disguise the emo
lions on her face.
"Ah. Marjorie, it is good to find
you again" he was saying, but she
did not stay to listen. Her head
was swimming dizzily.
Judy observed Mariorie's quick
withdrawal, and thought about it
a time or two during the dinner.
But there was so much to do /. :.
Ronald, Ronald, why did you
come? Why did you make me
dream again?
The dinner ended. The other
guests arrived. The swing band,
that would send it's tuneful melo-
dies as high as the cloudland
where the angels once sang, came
too.
The party moved to the swim
ming pool and the game room be-
yond. Silver trees stood every-
where, a silver Neon moon shone
through the frosty boughs that
were canopy for the ceiling.
Stars twinIled, miniature sleds.
big enough to hold two, made
seats.
The swimming, pool had been
frozen. Here presently the most
famous skater Of the age would
perform, and then all the guests
who wished would glide on the
green glass surface to the ring of
their skates, or, If they didn't |
skate, use the ballroom floor up
stairs, the game room next door. |