Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-12-27
TELL Bill GOODBYE -: :
Ia '""s??:: .::::";:H* dH1Azme BLIZZARD &:NSl
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

"NICKY! Such bad boy!" There
was affectionate reproach in Ger
trude de Ligne's voice as she swept
INTO her drawing room in a swirl
OF black chiffon and bore down on
Nicky who kissed the slender hand
she held out to him.
Should have paid my party call.
May | be forgiven ?" he pleaded,
not too fervently. Gertrude, he saw
at once, had sent for him either to
ask something of him or to find out
something she wished to know.
Wasn't it a lovely wedding?
But I've been so lonesome, Nicky,"
she said pathetically, distributing
the folds of her gown over the edge
of the amber brOcade chair. ''TO
have both Of my children leave me!
You're lucky that yOun never be a
mother and know what it is to lose
your children"
you've still got the twins" he
pointed out
But they're in school in Switzer-
land" she said sadly. and now
Dick is SO far away and Fabienne
oh, dear, Nicky what
am I to do about Fabienne ?"
! He shrugged and offered her his
cigaret case. whats the matter
with her?"
That's what I hoped you could
tell me. You and / are closer to
Fabienne than anyone else, darling.
Sometimes 1 think you are much
closer than l am. I've let my little
girl get away from me. But your
beautiful attachment goes on with
out Interruption"
Morton came in at that moment
with a tray of cocktails and saved
Nicky from making the reply Ger
trude obviously expected.
He shook his head when Morton
brought the tray to him. "On the
wagon" he explained.
Gertrude wrinkled her brows
quizzically, but she smiled at him.
mot really? Why, Nicky?"
working" he said. 1.-THE Bart
lett company discourages morning
after headaches. An Office boy has
to keep his wits about him."
working You? Gertrude for
got her picturesque pose.
That's right A guys got to set
tie down some time"
Gertrude relaxed. She said deli
cately, Then you anG Fa-
bienne-"
Sure. We've both settled down
to work. 1t gives us both a kick"
Gertrude, annoyed at the way
he'd turned the conversation, took
it firmly in hand.
"Nicky, you've got to help me
about Fab. I'm not at all happy
about her. In the first place, she's
practically made me a laughing
stock. Everybody knows what
cruel blow it was to find that
grandfather had left the old Will
loughby house to q settlement Or
ganization. And then for Fab to
boldly espouse the same cause
we'll it's pretty obvious, isn't
it, that she did it for no other rea-
son than TOTO make me ur-
happy?"
II don't think you do Fab JUS
tice," he told her quietly.
"Justicel Justice! When 1 am
trying to save her from her own
folly! I'm ambitious for my daugh-
ter Niclly, and it hurts me to see
her doing something she can only
regret later. Fab wasn't meant for
the sort OF thing she's doing"
"She seems to like it. She's Use
full, she's she's swell. She's only
waiting for a chance to go back to
the full-time job she had before"
ooh" Gertrude said, her train of
thought arrested. You mean she's
not working at the settlement
house"
"Only on that little theater thing
Bill Mallory doesn't think she's
strong enough to take on full
load"
"And this DR.. Mallory" she said
casually. do you think Fab is in
terested IN him %
II think She's head over heels in