The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-20
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ing, "Can't we go now, darling?
l want to talk to ~you-realIy talk.
There are things l want to say, |
something l want to ashland I'll
be darned if I'll ask it here"
Val smiled, offering no objection
as he slipped her wrap about her
shoulders. While he paid the
check, adding his usual generous
tip, she gathered up her purse
and gloves with a heady little feel
ing of anticipation. She thought
she knew what Wade wanted to
tell her, possibly what he meant
to ask And somehow tonight she
felt more certain what her answer
would be than she had ever felt
before.
If Wade's question concerned
marriage, her answer would be
yes. After all, why not? Val was
too much Of a realist to be in
sensible to the obvious advantages
of marriage to Wade Darlington.
His fortune was large and assur.
ed, even in these times of pyra-
miding taxes. The family back
ground was good, although Wade
himself had little do do with the
rest Of the Carringtons, whom he
considered definitely stuffy. He
was handsome, well hammered,
amusing and undeniably attrac-
tive. Val was aware, as they. left
the restaurant, Of several femin-
inc heads turning to watch Wade
with approval. 1t vas always like
that. AS for the disadvantages of
marriage with Wade, Val went on
with her thoughts, there was the
first, the obvious one-the fact of
his having been so many times
married. A year ago, Val knew,
she would have dismissed the idea
of marrying a man who had al
ready had three wives as COM
|pletely ridiculous. But one
changes in a year. Susan Pyle,
all that gay crowd Val had met
through Susan, took Wade's mari
ltal adventures entirely for grant
ed. So many people they knew
were twice divorced - why not
three times? It simply wasn't i'm
portant. That was the attitude OF
Susan's crowd - and gradually 1T
had become VaTs attitude, too.
lOne's viewpoint is invariably
changed by the attitude Of the
people with whom One associates
Ia great deal. Val sometimes
thought, with wry amusement, of
how naive she used to be before
she started going around with SUI
san and her friends-how absurd
lly unsophisticated. Well, she had
got over it now. Wade's interest
was proof enough Of that. The Val
lerie Kent of a year ago, the wide
eyed girl Rick Colby had loved
would not have attracted a man
like Wade at all.
The passing thought Of Rick was
like an agonizing prick Of pain
through hazy layers of anaesthe-
STA. Walls mind hurried on, leav-
ing Rick purposefully behind. He
yas a part Of the past and, as
Wade's wife, she wouldn't have
time to dwell on the past, which
was exactly what she wanted.
Wade would fill her days with
gayety, her nights with passion.
Their life together would be made
up of all the g%littering things that
money could buy, the amusing
people who are drawn by wealth,
the fascinating places which are
invariably expensive. And yet, Val
thought in all fairness to herself.
she wouldn't be marrying Wade
merely for his money. He was at
tractive to her, whether what she
felt for him was, in the pureSt
sense. love or not. Marriage to
Wade would be, Val thought with
hardness, a flippancy Of which she
wouldn't have been capable a
year ago, fun while it lasted. And
if it didn't last-as it very well
might not-well, no hearts would
be broken and no one hurt too
deeply. .
They had been standing in the
lobby, arm in arm and curlously
quiet, as Walls thoughts raced on.
Now the doorman indicated that
he had a cab for them and they
went out through the chill wind
off the lake and got into the car
that waited, warm and a bit stuf-
fly, at the curb.
Wade's tone, giving the address
of his apartment to the driver.
!! was a bit tentative, Val realized,
as though he wasn't quite sure
how she would take their destina-
ton. But she offered no objection.
She had been to Wade's apart
ment with others on innumerable
occasions-infrequently alone with
him. A year ago, Val wouldn't
khave gone with a man to his
apartment at almost midnight.
Now she thought nothing OF it. For
that matter, Wade's wasn't the
only apartment she had visited
under such circumstances. And
nothing had arisen yet which she
couldn't handle quite competently.
CTo Be Continued
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