The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-12

Su- 1N"AAC1 WIN faul.
suzanne admits: 1--WE quarreled
over you"
PAUL LOVES YOU"
CHAPTER vi
About me?" Martha echoed in
oewilderment. But, Suzanne. wha,
IN the world-how could YOU anc
Paul quarrel about me? I don't
understand"
Martha stirred uneasily. mo,
really"
The other girl touched her
hand. Her fingers were icy. Lis
ten' Martha. Every time Pau
asked me for a date, it was to come
up ere Wait! I'm not talking
ABOUT now, since Bills gone. That
is not entirely. I'm talking about
oe1ore' when we four always used
to 60 out. Sometimes, you know,
! didn't feel like a foursome,
sometimes I wanted to be alone
with Paul, have him come to the
house for dinner, or just to talk
Her voice trailed off. She tight
ened her hold on Martha's fingers
and suddenly she was saying pas.
sionately, There's no use DENYING
1t. I'm in love with Paul! I ALWAYS
have been! Even before he met
you-years ago. I was so harpy
when you married Bill, I wanted to
get down on my knees and pray!"
A host of -half-gorgotten mem.
cries came back to Martha. The
time she and Paul met Suzanne
and some man at a country club
dance, and Suzanne had looked her
over with a yelled hostility. Then,
after they were engaged, Suzanne
went on that trip to Honolulu. Was
gone for months and when she re.
turned, the society pages e r e
busy with the dinners, dances, and
the sensational New Years Eve
party She gave.
Because Paul had drifted away
from the country club set-because
Martha had never been one of the
Sugar Hill Colony, she hadn't no
ticed how seldom they came in con-
tact with his old friends. And yet,
they ran across Suzanne every now
and then. In a restaurant where
they were dining. In the lobby oil
a theater. Once Suzanne came to
the plant with some friends from
out of town, asked Paul to show
them around
So many things, now that she
knew Suzanne had always been in
love with Paul. Even before Mar
tina wore his ring.
"Martha," Suzanne was saying
huskily, when you were engaged
to him, I played it square. I triec
to keep out of his way. I didn't
do a lot of things I could have
done. Oh, it wasn't easy. Some
times I couldn't. help wanting to
see him, just for a little while.
But I didn't run after him, I didn't
play any tricks, I told myself it
was over and I tried to get along
without him"
Yes" said Martha family.
Yes"
"It was all right to begin again
when you married Bill. I was wild
ly happy when Paul began to call
ne again, ask to see me. But,
Martha, it didn't take long before
l realized that he-we-welL, we
we're always a foursome."
81 don't understand"
Eyes, you do. You must! Surely
you weren't that blind! We'd sit
right here in this apartment, and
Paul's eyes never left you. He'd
look at you SO hungrily-and all
the while he never heard a word
I said
You're crazy, Sue," Martha
whispered. Crazy" Her brain
was spinning dizzily. "You mag
ined it,"
Did I imagine it when they took
you to the hospital, that time when
you almost had pneumonia, and
there all night"
HE was with Bill! They sat up
together, smoking, until I came
out of it ."
Bill! His best friend! Do you
think that was easy to take? Don't
you e he has to pretend toto
be friends with him? And then,
instead of dropping you both, let
ting it wear out, Paul kept on see
ing you. AS if he couldn't live
without seeing you'll"
mo, Suzanne. You're wrong. 1t
wasn't like that at ALL" Martha
got up. began to pace up and down
the living room. Thoughts flashed
in and out of her mind, memories
Of all the times she and Bill and
Paul had been together. but new
once did he do anything-say
anything" .
'He wouldn't have told you!
Suzanne choked. He
brides himself on being honorable!
Honorable! And what about me?"
She leaped to her feet. She came
and grabbed Martha's shoulders,
and looked straight into her eyes.
'Listen, that's why I stopped COM
ing here so much before Bill left.
That's exactly why. Oh, I couldn't
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