The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-17
CHAPTER ~THIRTY.FIVE


Prunella answered the telephone
which was in Ellen's bedroom. she
came into the living room where ia
bienne was welding an imposslply
small watering al over a very large
plant. Its DR.. Mallory, Miss Fa-
bienne. He wants to talk to you'
she said.
Fabienne put down the watering
can, splitting a little water
her hand had become a trifle un-
steady. His familiar ring at b door,
bell. the knowledge that he was COM
ing into the clinic, that she Woulo
hear his voice on the telephone al
ways did that to her. 1t set her
pulse to running faster, made her
breath uneven. She could control her
conduct in the presence OF Others
but her reactions were something
else again.
Hello, Bill" she said pleasantly
Hello, Fabienne. Are you busy
This afternoon"
NO." she answered at once. The
hair dressing appointment and Ca
milla Morse's musical could be
scratched. "Why?"
Il thought 1 might play hooky
about four o'clock il you'd come
uptown and have tea with me-"
It was an invitation. ALI the
other times she'd been with Bill a
been accidental, in a sense--occaslons
when Ellen and Nicky were with
them or things like Bills taking her
home from Willoughby house. But
this was an invitation, a real one.
It was the sort of thing she thought
wouldn't happen, and if 1t should,
she meant to reject it.
She found herself saying, THAT
would be fun. Where shall we
meet?"
He named a small tea shop on the
East Side in the Eighties near the
Park.Plaza hospital, explaining that
they could spend more time together
If she joined him there.
"In be there" she promised
turning to Prunella with shining
eyes.
Prunella said, "Ill get yore red
suit, Miss Fabienne. DR.. Mallory
Eez you looks mere like yo'sef in
that"
Fabienne thought she had dis
couraged Prunella's assumption OF
4 budding romance and felt that she
ought Il say she'd wear something
else. But she knew that the scarlet
shetland suit gave her animation,
60 she kept silent.
Dressed in the scarlet suit, q fine
white cashmere sweater, a simpls
c~rushable felt riding hat and a
square-shouldered topcoat Of mid
night blue, she needed no scarlet to
lend animation to her pale features
anticipation had made her radiant.
She had no trouble finding Ye
Old Dutch Oven, the tearoom Bill
had suggested as their meeting
place, for the simple reason that
Bill was waiting for her outside the
building.
Not much like the Ritz, but it's
cosy and We can have an uninter-
.upted talk" he explained after
they'd greeted each other.
Its NICE" Fabienne told him.
inspecting c~uriously the big dutch
oven from which the small place
got its name. There were red-and-
white checked cloths OF the low
tables, a fire in the hearth and a
nice, spicy aroma Of gingerbread.
There were only two other people
in the room and the low murmur
of their voices hardly disturbed the
silence.
A stout German girl with a broad
smile on her wholesome face said,
GOOD afternoon, Doctor. Whatll
you and the young lady have?
Sandwiches? Cinnamon toast? Cake?
We've some nice fresh gingerbread"
"Eyerything," Bill said grandly,
rand several pots Of tea"
"Oh, Bill..' Fabienne protested,
laughing. IF 1 shared many of the
meals you order, I'd have three
chins."
Il like three chins, and on you-''
Bill broke off, remembering that he
was not to make speeches like
that.
In spite Of her protests, Fabienne
helped Bill make generous inroads
in the heaping plate Of delicious
sandwiches the waitress brought to
them. She said she really couldn't
do anything about the gingerbread,
but when she finished there wasn't
a crumb Of the rich brown cake left
on her plate.
You've done a pretty good job
he told her when she refused a Sec
pnd square.
Il do all the things you tell me
TO-" she said obediently. But 1 only
do them so that you'll be impressed
with how healthy I'm getting. Bill
please tell Ellen that I'm quite capa
bic Of going back to work. The days
are terribly long and deadly dull
with nothing to do"
Bill picked up the last Of hi,
crumbs and tossed them into hi
mouth. what did you use to d.
with your days before you came tt
Wiiloughby, Fab?"
She shrugged her shoulders
fThat would depend on where
was. In New York, 1 used to go t,
movies, play bridge, go to the hair
dresser. Just the usual things"
mot in New York." he said. "Il
Maryland" 1t was in Maryland tina
shed live with Nicky.
Ride, hunt, play bridge, Civ
Iuncheons, have people into tea.
can't imagine how those days eve
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