The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-07-19

4Hdt > tdAl lTOIIl Tie SIdIlOLAt
Debby said, checking momentarily
a stream of breathlessly eager ques-
tons, comments, observations.
who in heck? Obi" she added
as a slight man in a heavy over
coat with a brief-case under his
arm emerged from the car. cts
Mr.. Sewall. He's writing a book
about clipper ships and comes out
from Portland to see the papers and
logs and diaries Mother has. Oh,
dearl He'll stay for supper and
heaven knows how long afterward
and I won't have a chance to talk
to Mother"
"Not for all the rice in China
Not for all the bulls in Spain :"
Debby's voice, rising in contralto
cadences above her improvised ac-
compartment on the yellowed keys
of the square piano, brought to
Gays mind the musical comedy for
which the song Debby sang had been
written. She, Gay, had gone with
Tony Merrill. Todd, in the same
party, had been very devoted to
Julie Lelange, that evening, Ellen's
roommate at boarding school and
home with her for the Christmas
holidays. It was that evening she
had decided, in her own mind, that
she would marry Todd. She re-
membered, not emotiona1ly but
quite accurately, the pluck it had
given her heart to watch Todd fall
under the spell of jules soft dark
eyes and Charleston accent, and the
relief she'd felt when Todd, later,
had confessed to her that the accent
had palled and the magnolia bios
som grown cloyingly sweet. Funny
the things you remembered
"Not for all the beans in Boston
Not for all the grapes in
Gay, leaning on the shelf of the
piano, her elbows braced on ma
hogany, cracked in a network Of
tiny lines, her chin in the palm Of
her hand, gave her attention to Deb
by. The child was radiant tonight.
The flush in her cheeks matched the
deep dark red of the velveteen dress
she wore.
The song came to an end.
''Can I sing, Gay?" Debby asked,
looking up with anxiety in the dark
depths of her shining eyes. II don't
believe you even listened" Disap-
pointment clouded her face. "You
kept looking at the clock and listen
ing for John"
II did listen Debby," Gay assured
her. II think your voice is very ap-
pealing."
"But can I sing?" Debby persist
ed.
Were not sure whether she has
a voice." Sarah said from the op-
posite side of the keyboard, cor
whether she does it by black mag
ic. A member Of the Metropolitan
Opera Company spent part of last
summer out at the hotel and Debby
managed to scrape an acquaint-
ance."
''Did you sing for her?" Gay
asked.
eyes"
"What was her opinion?"
''She said Debby hadn't voice
enough for OPERA" Sarah said, land
that no amount of musical educa-
ton would eliminate the huskiness.
It's something about the formation
of her vocal cords
II don't care" Debby ran rip
ping chord. II don't want to sing
in opera. I don't want the husky
tones trained out Of my voice."
"What do you want?" The pa
thence in Sarah's gentle voice init
mated to Gay that the question had
been asked of DebEH many times
before.
"You know. I've told you. /
want to sing popular songs. On the
radio or in a club. Do you think I
could, Gay?"
Maybe don't know" Gay
added, seeing Debby's face bright
en-, not wanting 10 raise false hopes.
II have a friend who sings in
supper club"
Sarah's eyes, sherry-colored like
her grandmother's but with less vi
vacity of expression, widened in sur
prise not unmixed with shock, Gay
thought. Debby gave bounce on
the piano bench.
'Oh, have your" she cried. "Will
l." She broke off and ran a Sc
ries of noisy chords.
Its personality rather than voice
which puts Enid across" Gay went
on, realizing that Debby had not
spoken to Sarah Of the possible
visit in New York. ''That and the
fact smart club managers are fea-
turing debutantes this season. Deb
by has personality"
Rather too much at times" Sar-
an sighed, then smiled. "There'l
be no question of anything of the
sort for some time, anyway" she
added. "Debby is too young to
make independent plans"
'.I'm eighteenl" Debby flashed an
antagonistic glance at her sister.