The Washington times., 1938-04-08

confluence III HeT dGLIdCJlOu "do
shattered. She had never seen
Rodney looking so grim, so de-
termined. She couldn't believe
even yet that something which
had drawn him to her was gone
She curled her arms around his
shoulders, her dark eyes chung to
his, softly despairing, Rodney"
she said and her voice was soft and
pleading, Il lied to you darling.
There never has been anyone but
you. I love you, Rodney. You
can't do this to me please,
Rodney, listen to me-"
But Rodney didn't listen. With
one quick movement he threw her
off, strobe across the room and
was gone, slamming the door be.
hind him.
Isabel sank back to the chair,
wide-eyed. her fingers locked rigid
ly in front of her. She thought,
desperately, There must be way
to hold him. There must be way
to hold him"
With men, Isabel had always
possessed an unfailing weapon
with which to attract them-her
beauty and her purely physical
appeal. But, unlike her less at
tractive, less beautiful contempt
raries, she did not have the power
to hold a mans love. She didn't
realize this now. She wouldn't
realize it for long, long while.
She only went on thinking, There
must be a way to hold him."
They sailed on the last day of
October from LIE Havre. Two
people travelling under the linking
words of Mr. and Mrs, but re-
moved from each other by an in.
separable barrier of words and re-
sentiment and dead love. They
sailed for home, not knowing that
Gloria and Peter were married
not knowing they were returning
to tragedy and humiliation and
stark unhappiness.
CHAPTER XIX
Gloria and Peter returned from
their honeymoon on October 81.
Peter had had only one bad day
during the entire two weeks
the one following the night when
he had seen the photograph and
article announcing the return Of
the Callmans to Kenwood. He had
wondered just how Gloria felt
about it.
And all that day his eyes had
raked her face for unhappiness,
for regret, for fear. But he had
found nothing to answer his prob
ing questions, only a sort Of hectic
activity on Gloria's part, as II she
couldn't keep busy enough to suit
; her.
She had walked a little too fast
in the woods, she had laughed a
: little too brightly over things that
weren't funny at all; and that
night she had chung to him on the
blue sofa with a sort Of despera-
ton.
Peter had felt Gloria Watching
him, too. He would look up from
the fluttering pages Of a maya
zine or the bowl of his pipe and
would find her blue eyes search
ing his face.
They had not mentioned Isabel
or Rodney, and yet in thought
Isabel and Rodney had gone with
them into the woods, had sat with
them at dinner, had danced with
them at the inn, had even
m a C h ed into the enchanted
ground of the cabin with them.
This ghostly pair had made talk
unnatural, had made their voices
brittle, had threatened to spoil
everything.
Condolences
1t was Peter who spoke Of them
first. He said: Look here, Gloria
1t won't make any difference
having Rodney and Isabel back in
town. will it? After all, we knew
they had to come back some time.
We knew Rodney was building a
house in Kenwood.
And if you thought they were
going to live most of the time in
washington Il didn't. 1 knew
Isabel would want to be here where
she spent most of her life Just
SO she could lord it over everyone
she ever knew"
Gloria said: Don't be bitter,
Peter. 1t does things to your face
: and you have such a nice face"
She looked up at him and laughed
little shakily. She wanted to
put her arms about him and bury
her face in the warm strength of
his shoulders. She wanted to re-
assure him-to reassure herself.
She went on, gravely: I'VE
won't see them, Peter. Not often.
anyway. Isabel has a penchant
for parties and gay times and
they both have that itching foot
that is so a part of people with
: money. It won't be too bad for
us. she concluded smiling
I'VE have each other, Peter"
Peter stopped frowning and
:, looked down in her face. "You
mean that, Gloria? You're not in
the least unhappy"
I'VE aren't going to let any
l thing stop us from being happy.
} Peter" said Gloria, firmly. They
/ were brave words. They were
' meant to give courage to herself
, to Peter.
/ TITS terribly easy" she went on,
f softly mot to think of someone
if you really work at it. Peter.
( Even if you should happen to see