The Washington times., 1938-03-09

much about love until now. But
now I want you, Rodney-and
loVe-and a homeland babies"
So she said. instead, very
gravely, "I guess want endur-
ing happiness, Rodney. Not just
snatches of it. I think I want
happiness glowing in the back"
ground Of my life. Perhaps not
always recognized and yet, def
nitely there" And even as she
said it, looking into his eyes,
she thought: "It's strange, but
1 could never be completely
happy without him now"
FATE STARTS SPINNING
For a long moment Rodney
sat looking down into the small
serious face. He said: You're .
sweet, funny kid!" And then, all
at once his arms were around
her, his mouth was on her own
and his ardent young voice was
saying all the little endearments
that are precious to women.
When he let her go he sat
there not looking at her and II
he had been, he would have had
no way Of knowing that for
Gloria the sky, the narrow
street, the whole world were
suddenly golden as though some
where an immense radiance had
been turned on.
LIE did notice, however, that
IL she was very quiet and i'm
mediately construed this as q
rebuke.
He said, almost abruptly:
Forgive me, Gloria. I'm sorry.
Gloria choked back a sudden
feeling Of misery and shame
She couldn't tell him that she
wasn't angry, that with the first
touch of his careless young
mouth she had fallen fathomS
deep in love, so that suddenly
she saw plainly the whole pat
tern of what she wanted from
life, a house and a cradle hold
ing an infant upon whose tiny
forehead was reproduced in ten
der absurdity the Slanting dark
arrow upon Rodney's forehead.
No, she could scarcely say all
that when Rodney was so deep
ly apologizing for his kiss But
her eyes uplifted to him were
so deeply shining that he could
see she was not angry.
LOVE 1T BORN
Suddenly Rodney turned and
put his hands on Gloria's Shoul-
ders. He said, huskily: II
thought knew all the answers,
but here's one I don't get.
Imagine me really falling for 8
girl, Gloria. You're so different
and no, don't say anything.
I want you to know before you
answer that I'm not worthy Of
you, that I haven't been any st.
Anthony and probably never
shall be he paused then
and, without a doubt was think
ing back on other chapters Of
his life not as fair as this one.
WELL" he finished, rather lame
ly. will you, Gloria-Will you
marry me?"
Gloria's eyes were frightened
and incredulous. But things
like this don't happen, Rodney"
she said. In books. yeS-but
not-not in real life"
Rodney saw the eyes and the
trembling lips and the quick rise
and fall of her small bosom.
Sometimes they do. Gloria.
Sometimes they, must" And he
flung his arms about her and
crushed her so madly that she
smothered. When she pulled
her head back to escape his ter.
rifying lips, he kissed her hair
and her throat until she cried
out:
You're killing me! Rodney,
you're killing mel" but wanted
to be killed, to die just thus.
Afterward they made no plans.
They sat there, more or less
silent. Finally Rodney slid from
under the steering wheel and
came around from behind the
car. And Gloria, waiting for
him to open the door, saw Isabel
and Peter returning from the
neighboring movie.
They came slowly down the
narrow street, holding hands,
staring at the yellow roadster.
curiouSly. and at the tall, DARK
young man on the curb. Even
in the f1ickering light Of the
street lamps Gloria could see
something in Isabel's eyes which
disturbed her vaguely.
Then they were all four stand
ing there on the street together.
Gloria making the introductionS
in a voice that struggled not to
betray her emotions. All the
while Isabel, sleek and dark
and exquisitely beautiful, was
looking up in Rodney's eyes with
that careful, seemingly offhaud
and nonchalant concentration
she had made her deadly wea-
pom.
Gloria had seen Isabel look at
many men that way. She had
seen those men melt and dis
solve under that gaze, becoming
warm putty for the fashioning Of
her perfect hands. Before, the
intensity and power Of Isabel's
eyes had amused Gloria. 1t
was so essentially feminine and
SenSuouS and she had thought all
of the men, even Peter, had been