Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-07-05
Lois Monttoss

! I'll go away. Yes, I am going away
tomorrow"
~You are q precious but very silly
child" he said gently. Z win be at
Labrozzi's and you win ten me ali
about this strange mood"
Mood" abe said, but he only re-
piled, ~Goodby, darling" and hung up
! the receiver.
She realized what this goodby meant.
She would not hear his voice or feel
his arms and lips again. And yet
it was not until the clock had safely
passed 11:45 that she was quite sure
she would not meet him at Labrozzi's.
In the meantime she had busily packed
a trunk and boxes, all the while half
doubling her own decision to 60 away.
An incoherent telegram from Ricky
had come. She was in Philadelphia and
was driving back late with a news
photographer. Laurie would have liked
Ricky's warm companionship, and yet
it was better she was not here. She
had never been IN love.
Laurie sat down to rest. She drank
some black coffee and wondered where
she would go tomorrow To the summer
place UP in Vermont? Neither she nor
Ricky had been there for years. May
be Ricly would give up this silly news
paper hobby and come along too?
There was some stipulation in the win
about the Vermont place. Being the
daughters Of a trust fund Ricky and
Laurie had stipulations and stipends
instead of punishments and rewards.
She wouldn't consult Henry, how
- vrra~y cha
was going and make everything simple
for her at the bank.
Now the clock was around past mid
night She had won against her own
weakness. There was no danger now.
Vance had never waited Is minutes
for a woman in his life.
She took up q mystery novel and
looked at the pages, turning them at
intervals as If she had grasped their
meaning. Every sentence was pune
tuated by her own absorbing, repett-
tive thought: "'This is a tough
problem to solve" said the commits
sioner. tits an Incredible murder
What is Vance doing now2 VIII
he believe I am really through?
It's Incredible said the other thought
fully, but I'll wager that piece Of
green Mungo will solve it. VIII he
find out from Henry where have
gone? VIII he follow me up to YER
mont? If he does, what then? NO
woman could Withstand Vance If he
really wanted her. At least. none Of the
women I know"
Slowly, drearily the clock marched
on to l. At least have gotten through |
seven hours of this pain, she thought. |
Then there win be weeks and more |
weeks and some day VIII wake up |
and wonder why I was unhappy.
She meant to stay up until Ricky |
came and tell her everything. She had |
heard that the more you talk about |
grief the easier it Is healed. In fact, |
She had known women who were
healed before they finished describing |
the symptoms. So she was annoyed |
when the doorbell rang, for that was |
the warning. Don't wander out in your |
Step-ins or what-have-you. Somebody's |
with me-" 1t would undoubtedly be |
the newspaper photographer and he
would want to drink and stay till all |
hours.
Laurie hoped that Ricky had merely
forgotten her key. When she saw
Vance she couldn't say, a word. She
stood there looking at him, feeling |
weak all over. He walked past her into !
the drawing room and sat down on
the love seat. Something about his
walk and his eyes made her wonder
If he was drunk. She shut the door
and went to stand beside him. She |
noticed everything dear about him as
If for the first instead OF the last |
time. He was boyishly slight, and his
face was thin with high cheekbones;
his dark, close-cropped head was
shaped for the touch OF womans
fingers. His strong, white hands were
more expressive than most peoples
eyes.
But Just now he looked haggard, and |
for the first time older than his "a |