The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-16
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| for her interests"
"She has a husband" said
Bill.
"And what husband-a secret
one!"
] Bill moved toward him theat-
eningly, and Cathy flung herself
between the two men, hand
against the chest of each, say
ing sharply, "Bill, stop it! Mark,
please listen-and try to under
stand"
Pm trying like the devil, OAR
ling" said Mark.
''Stop calling her Darling!"
blazed Bill.
Mark grinned at him unpleas-
antly, and both were like groWi-
ing dogs ready to leap at each
I others throats the moment the
leash was loosened.
"Will you behave - both of
you!" said Cathy. Her voice
trembIed and tears threatened.
"Bill and I are keeping our mar
riage a secret until-until we
can persuade Bills aunt that I
can make Bill happy"
Marks eyebrows went up.
"And what in eternal pluper-
feet blazes has Bills aunt got
to do with it You're twenty-one
aren't your" he asked Bill.
Cathy's hand tightened on
Bills chest, pushing him back.
"Bill's anut coutrols the Ken
dali estate,'' she explained
rapidly. Morally, it should be
Bills, but legally she can disin-
herit him, if he marries against
her wishes"
Her voice died beneath the
look of simple astonish1nent in
Marks eyes.
"And that's the reason for this
secrecy?" he dem anded incred-
ulously.
Bills face frightened.
j. II wouldn't expect man
who's always had a great deal
of money to consider it very i'm
portant,' he said tightly.
'I'm glad you wouldn't-be
cause I'll admit frankly that it
seems to me very unimportant
indeed, compared to having
Cathy as ones wife" " said Mark
flatly.
"It happens that l love Cathy
we'll enough to want to be able
to take care of her decen:ly."
Mark nodded. "Some fellows
like to work to take care Of their
wives" he pointed out.
'Why, you-" 'snarled Bill.
Cathy pushed him back, using
both hands to do it, now that
Mark seemed willing to stay put
"Stop it, Bill. This 81 disgrace
full" she said. after all, Mark,
this-this really doesn't concern
you"
"That's where you're wrong,
my pet.' said Mark quickly. 1T
concerns me a heck of a lot,
because l love you, too"
"Elaine said I'd find a stu
alton like this Bill told them.
Cathy looked at him swiftly,
comprehension dawning in her
eyes.
oh, I see-I might have
known Elaine was back of this"
Bill nodded, unsmiling.
"Elaine thought it might be as
we'll if we three had little
talk" he admitted.
There was taut silence.
There was so much to be said
that they were puzzled to find
the way to begin. Mark turned
and walked to the window, quite
unconscious of the gingham
apron still tied about his middle
and the situation was one that
gave none of the three any in
clination to see anything absurd
in the apron or the man who
wore it.
"You might have given fell
low a hint, Cathy," Mark flung
over his shoulder.
'I'd-promised Bill -" H Her
voice stuck in her throat.
"And anyway, you've known
all along that she was engaged
to me-" Bill pointed out unpleas-
antly. /
"Engagedsure. But not mar
ried," stated Mark. "And the
fact that you and Cathy were
engaged didn't seem to slow you
up with the Elaine lady, so why
should l give it any more i'm
portance than you did,"
"cathy understood a out
Elaine.''
II don't think I did, Bill. I'm
not quite sure I do now," Cathy
cut in swiftly.
Bill looked at her, announced.
"You knew Elaine and l were
not in love with each other and
that we were just stringing
along together because of Aunt
Edith"
Mark spoke with a restrained
violence.
ut seems to me, Kendall, that
this Aunt Edith of yours is hav-
ing devil of a lot more to say
about your and Cathy's lives
than either of you, yourselves.
After all, you're both full-grown
adult, supposedly able to man
age your own lives-or at least
your own marriage"
IT don't have to explain my
motives or purposes to you."
t'Nor to anybody else. They're
all to plain even to an idiot"
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