The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-01
wRrrTE; FOR AND RELEASED 81
CENTRAL PRES ASSOCIATION

CHAP FORI OLA
my heart is taking lessons -.
ira la la la la la la Kit
sang merrily.
''Stop that noise!"
"Remember the canary that
sings because it feels like it? That's
the way I feel" she said to the
silence that greeted most OF her
CHEEKY comments. why don't you
/ take off your coat when you do
! calisthenics? You've got a rip ten
: inches long down the lining OF your
favorite tweed coat. 1t seems to
/ me as if l work my fingers to he
. bone to keep your things IN order"
Healey flung his magazine at the
closed door at which he had been
staring furiously for several min
utes. He got up and opened the
door with an angry wrench.
"Pll thank you to leave my
things alone" he said, s%natching
at-the tweed coat she was holding
up, admiring her handiwork with
a needle.
He looked at it as if she had
been nibbling the edges away.
The hurt, reproachful glance she
gave him would have melted the
heart of a sphinx. He didn't no.
tice the look. He was, quite deli
berately, not looking at her. He
was human and male, and Kit, in
all her fine clothes, had never
looked as Kissable as she looked
in his clothes-his sweater and
his Stacks.
II have to do something to while
away the hours" she said plain
lively. "Td planned to be very
amusing, but you won't give me a
chance. Did you see that I'd turned
the collar of your tan dressing
gown? You'll get a lot of wear out
Of it now"
Thanks" he said begraudgingly.
I'm glad I could do something.
A woman's hand can be useful
when you've left hastily. And isn't
it nice to have someone around in
case you decide to break your 81
'lence?"
MY silence suits me-"
"Really!'' she said conversation
. ally.
Really" he snapped. He went
= toward a chair and realized that
= he couldn't sit down. Things had
come to a pretty pass when a man
& couldn't sit down in a chair that
he'd paid for. He'd SO right back
to his own sitting room. He'd go
on deck and play some tennis or
have a swim.
He stayed where he vas
His silence did not suit him. He
been three days at sea and, with
each day, he'd had less desire to
mingle with his fellow passengers.
He was on no pleasure jaunt and
he deeply regretted the haste with
> which he had embarked. Definitely
5 he did not want to face the mob
of fellow passengers. He'd kept to
his room, smoking, reading, think
ing. He'd had all his meals served
there. Kit had eaten her meals
from a tray in her bedroom.
Kit said, well, if you can't stay,
you can't stay. You'd better run
along. Dinner will be up shortly
and I haven't much time to dress"
He forgot himself-he spoke to
her. "You mean to tell me that you
get into that evening stuff every
night"
'Uh huh. Like the Englishmen in
the tropics. Helps to keep up the
morale, you know"
You're nuts" he muttered.
sometimes I think you're right.
But, on the other hand, even pup
pies get taken out for an airing.
I sit here in my ivory tower at
night, all dressed up in satin and
sables and I say, Kit, it must be
beautiful out on deck tonight. The
moon must be so beautiful it would
melt any heart of stone-even
Vance's. He might get sorry for
you and take you for a turn on
deck"
Some fairy story" he said cold
ly, and went back to his own cabin,
closing the door noisily back of
him.
Let her sit and stew in her fin
cry. She could be as pathetic as
she liked. She couldn't haunt HIM.
After he'd had his dinner, he'd get
into his evening clothes and go up
to the salon. He'd find a cutie and
take her for a walk in the moon
Light.
He ate his dinner gloomily. After
dinner, he ripped three collars try
ing to attach them to a collar but
ton. Finally tN made one stick,
tied his black tie in the mirror
over the desk and put his arms
into the sleeves of his dinner Jack
ct.
The door opened softly and Kit
said, "Vance, whenever I see you
in evening clothes, it's like seeing
you for the first time. You look so
handsome it makes my heart do
flip flops."
"You again?" he grunbled. Get
your wrap. I suppose you do have
to get some air."
1--WE got it on" she said de-
murely.
Every sure of yourself, aren't
you?" he said coldly, bu. he turned
away to hide a quick grin. 'One
turn about deck and back you
come"
This is wonderful" she said,
e1inging to his arm, trying to
match her short steps to his long