The Wilmington morning star., 1944-02-07
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Indeed she did not want to Sc,
Tod Patrick, the opera SINCE
assured her accompanist. Then sh'
hurried to hang up so that SHIT
could convince herself that she hae
rot wanted to see him. She flounc
cd from one chair to another, from
one room to another, deciding fin
ally that she would have liked tt
Bee him for one brief moment
merely to tell him that she die
not want to see him. She wounc
up back in the living room.
"Going down to Taxco, having a
vacation" she seethed aloud.
t'Wen, one day, anyway, she am
ended with mental unwillingness.
Prism shuffled in with a cup OF
thin soup. Here" she said: CAR
mando made it."
-. Suddenly aware that she was
hungry, the girl took sip. "It's
good"
well, certainly" Ready to shuf-
f,e out again, the Negroes spied the
enormous box with her mistress
gowns spilling out of it. Where d
them come from?"
''Tod Patrick brought them"
"Then where is hep"
-. Mallory shrugged and drank
more soup before answering. mo
one knows. He fitted in and fitted
out with no time to waste on me. !"
But what about me?" The col
ored woman swelled with indigna-
ton. HE coulda come to see me. :"
80 he could. But he didn't"
''Your chops is on the broiler. I
gotta get back in the kitchen"
''I'd rather starve to DEATH, de-
CARED the girl, than have you tire
yourself cooking. Besides, I could
get dinner in the dining room.
mot the right kind" She pad
ded out of, the room.
'She doesn't look tired because
Of her sickness so much as because
Tod Patrick neglected her. But it
serves her right" Mallory's
thoughts went on. "She thinks he is
so 100 plus" Everything made the
girl angry.
AS the minutes packed them
selves into hours, everything made
her still angrier. Only now she I'M
derstood why. 1t was because Car
Jos had telephoned. When he final
~ did at little after 10 o'clock,
Prism took the call.
''Mi1s Mallory's done gone to
bed. She has to save her sleep
when she's gettin' ready for
concert
''But I'm not asleep, Prism, )"
the girl sang out.
When she reached the telephone,
her maid was saying within an
inch of the mouthpiece, What's
the difference? You told me to tell
him you was"
"Give me that phone" whispered
Mallory. With one hand she waved
her maid away wildly. Only Prism
did not go. Hello, Carlos" purred
the blond girl, fixing an axe-like
gieam upon the servant over whom
she had been weeping approx
mately five hours before. Her
gold and ruby wristwatch made
her angry enough to say. but it
is so late, Carlos. l think I'll bet
ter see you tomorrow.
His voice came through the re-
ceiver persistently. 1t had the col
ored woman's head jutted to one
SIDE in her efforts to hear. AS for
Mallory, she had not meant her
refusal in the first place. All the
same, it was pleasant to hear
him plead.
"Princesita, if you do not let
me come to see you for at least
one little minute I shall climb
to your balcony as the men in
my country are supposed to do"
He chuckled lightly. Even
though I've never seen it done
except in occasional movies, u.s.
TALLY made in the States. But
I'll do 1t, Mallory. Unless I get
tc come to see you and hold you
in my arms and kiss you at least
once, I swear I'll climb to your
balcony
The receiver seemed warm
against the girls ear, as if it