“TO-MORROW’S CHILD”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 108, 10 May 1939, Page 10

“TO-MORROW’S CHILD”

By Julie Anne Moore

Synopsis of Preceding Instalments: Val Clark, who soon is to marry Robert Greeley, a young New England lawyer, goes to New York from New Manchester on a shopping tour with Mrs. Warren, her Aunt Maliala's housekeeper. Val 'phones her cousin, Kate Hollister, editor of a fashion magazine. Kate asks her to a party where she meets Hugh Malcolm, successful young playwright; B,ret Gallishaw, a New Manchester boy, who, while doing newspaper work in New York, writes a best seller; Leslie Crawford, Bret’s half-brother, and Winifred Sperry, who are starring in Hugh's 44 End of Tears," and Guy Williams, who inherited millions and lias a small part m the play. Bret was engaged to Kate, but married wealthy Evelyn Garfield when his novel became a movie hit. There is hard feeling between Bret and Leslie, and Leslie resents Hugh's attentions to Winifred. As Leslie and Winifred are ab6ut to give a scene from Hugh's play, Guy asks Val to go with him to Pete's place, saying she is to see the play anyway. At Pete Gaboriau’s, outside Philadelphia, Guy is greeted with kisses by Louise Cameron —“Lecze to you,' Guy says in his introductions. Leezo drags Guy off to uance, leaving Val with Crandall Scott. When they meet later Leeze strikes Val who defends herself so well Guy has to carry Leeze from the dining room. While waiting for Guy, Cran takes I al to Pete’s gaming rooms. They are trapped in a raid. As Hugh is telliug Kate the next morning about a new play inspired by Val's personality, Val returns, her eye black, her face scratched.

Val dropped into a chair/ weary and dishevelled. She looked up and found Hugh watching her closely. She made a face at him and knew by the sudden awakening of his features that he had not been really seeing her. Now, however, he smiled, straddled a chair and folded his arms on its high back. Kate rang for Violet and told her to draw a tub for Miss Clarke. Val said, “You two mustn't mind if I don't seem to make sense. In addition to the visible damages, I've been sleeping in a posture no contortionist ever achieved and I'm full of knots." tfhe rubbed the back of her neck. 4 ‘ Cran said I tucked my head under my arm, stuck my feet in his vest pocket and snored so loud he thought a truck was trailing his car." “Cran?" Kate repeated. “You meant Guy, of course ..." {She shook her head. ‘ 1 The last I saw of Guy he was trying to get the lovely, if defeated, blonde pugilist up off the floor of the Salle a Manger dining room. I may be wrong, but he's probably in Washington now." Abruptly she sat forward on the edge of the chair:

“Would you mind terribly, Kate, if I saved by apologies and alibis until later? I'm dead."

“There'll be no apologies and no alibis, darling —though I must admit I'd like to know who this Cran person is."

A hand cupped over her swollen eye, Val had risen and started toward the hall door. Now she turned and said, “He's dead to the world in some hotel now, but he's coming up to say goodbye before he starts back. You'll think ho is terribly young, but he’s a handy man to have around in an emergency." She yawned, backing away. “Tlis name is Crandall Scott and his father was a United States Senator for fifteen years before he retired. So Cran says, anyway.'' Wiggling her fingers at Hugh she turned and left the room. After a little silence, Hugh said, 44 Remember when Senator Crandall Scott Avas being boomed for President, Kate?" They heard Val coming along the hall, waited until she appeared in the doorway. “What will I do about Mrs. Warren, Kate?" Val said. “We're supposed to spend the day shopping ..." Kate laughed. “I'm certainly looking forward to the moment when Mrs. Warren gets an eyeful of your lace, Val." She said then, gruffly, “Run along and get your bath before the water's cold. You'll find Mrs. Warren hero when you wake. And I'll tell her exactly how you missed your footing and fell down the church steps. Off with you." Hugh rose and quietly paced the floor. “Well, Old-timer —what do you think of your little proto-type?" He barely stopped to say, ‘ 4 Marvellous! " and was pacing again. She followed his restless movements, smiling to herself. After a time she said, “You couldn't possibly be mistaken about your interest in Val. She's darned attractive, you know." “Granted —but I don't get your meaning.'' 44 Well, you somehow remind me of a I young man suffering from the afterpains of what is called love at first sight." Hugh groaned. “That," he said, “is the first stupid remark I've ever heard you make."

For twenty minutes Val had been turning, twisting beneath the clean, crisp sheets and still her mind continued active, going back over the night's adventures . . . seeing Guy, Leoze, Cran, a thousand strange faces, watching lean, perplexed whippets running after an artificial rabbit, feeling Leeze's small hand whipped across her face, hearing the soft click of dice, the meaningless monotone of a buzzer, the sharp command of an armed officer ... a small town Justico setting bail at 100 dollars.

Cran had said when they were entering the little brick building, “Your name is June Wilson and you live on Cathedral Avenue, Washington. They'll never check you up." But when the Justice questioned her, she said, evenly: “My name is Yalcn-

Instalment 5.

tine Clarke. My present address is a New York hotel." Pressed for the name of the hotel, she gave it. Could she furnish bond? She could.

She looked about her uncertainly for a moment, then extended a slim leg, pulled her frock above her knee and extracted a flat little pack of bills from beneath the sheer stocking. The Justice stared, blinked, abruptly pulled his silver-rimmed glasses down to the end of his nose, and looked up with a start when Val laid a new 100dollar bill on the table.

They had taken the women first. Cran was far down the line. She went to him and put something in his coat pocket. “I'll be waiting in the car," she told him, and went out.

When they were on the highway again, Cran said, earnestly, “Now see here, Val . . . You’ll have that hundred and fifty back an hour after I hit Washington. I’ll wire it. If I hadn't laid every sou on the wheel—"

Val said, “It’s worth that to take me back to New York, Cran." 4 4 Don’t insult me . . .I'm glad they didn't discover you had .all that dough on you at Pete's place. ’' “It wasn’t so much. My aunt gave me live hundred dollars to do some shopping, and I was afraid to carry it around in my purse." She gaze up at the stars, smiling. 4 4 Did you see where I'd banked it?"

Cran chuckled. “Did I see the Judge, you mean! . . . " He glanced at her,

suddenly slid his arm about her shoulders. “Come on over in my yard. You look lonesome."

Almost involuntarily she resisted the pressure of his hand on her shoulder. Should she tell him she was engaged to a man who, at this moment, seemed almost twice his age? She felt his fingers relax; she looked up, let her eyes follow the dim line of his boyish face.

“Sorry—didn’t mean to scare you, he said.

She caught his arm quickly, pulling it around her shoulders as she slid over against him. “I guess that takes care of that," he told her. “Or practically ..." He took his toe from the accelerator. When the car was no longer moving, he tightened his arm and waited ... At last Val’s white little face came up. She was barely smiling. Cran kissed her on the lips. He did it very gently . . . Val was a little ashamed to find herself pulling at the lapels of his coat. Everything seemed to be happening at once when Val awoke a little after three o’clock. Voices mingling in the little hall told the story—Violet and Mrs. Warren in the kitchen, Kate talking business over the library 'phone, Hugh Malcolm and Cran in the living room.

Kate had joined Hugh and Cran when at last Val made her appearance in the living room and the three of them gave her a joshing reception. “It’s about time," Kate said. “We were wondering whether you'd wake iu time to go to the theatre."

Cran said, 4 4 Boy, what a shiner! That Leeze woman doesn't know her own strength. ’' Grinning, Hugh clasped his hands over his head: “Good-morning, Champ. ’' Val smiled. 44 1 snppose Cran has givcp you the play-by-play?" “Oli, just a few ringside highlights," Kate replied. During the next ten minutes Cran said three times that ho had to be in Washington by eight o'clock and that it was high time he was starting; but he kept delaying his departure and Val thought she knew why—he wanted, to have her to himself for a moment to try to rekindle the gentle flame of last night. But last night, Val told herself practically, was a finished episode. Cran was a sweet boy and it had been fun—only that was all and there wasn't any more. She said, suddenly: “It's late, Cran, and you've a hard drive ahead. Tell us good-bye and scoot." And then, when he had nodded to Kate and shaken hands with Hugh and turned toward the entry hall, so obviously expectant of naving her alone for at least that last minute in the hjjll, she pulled him around, took his flushed face between her hands and kissed him.

“Just a little token of gratitude," she said. “You've been a peach, Cran. Remember me to Leezo when you see

‘‘l suppose," Kate observed when Cran had gone, “you know what you're about, darling, but he did seem like such a nice boy." Val nodded. 4 4 Which was. why I decided to be brutal. No sense in his going away with a lot of silly notions. Kate, I'm starved."

44 We'11 all have tea," Kate said. 44 8 y the way, you'll find all your luggage, iucluding Mrs. Warren, on the premises. And don’t worry about your shopping. We'll make up for lost time to-morrow." She disappeared and a moment later they heard the kitchen door swing shut.

Val looked at Hugh and smiled. Last nigbt she had decided he was not handsome. She was still of that opinion, but the saw him now from a new perspective —perspective improved by experience. Guy and Cran had attracted her by their youth and animation, their hunger for excitement. But this man had what they would never have—depth, intelligence, a fine senso of values. Life was an adventure to him because of what went on behind those quiet grey eyes, not because of the sensual appeal of externals. She remembered what she had thought when they first met —that she and Hugh Malcolm would be friends, immediately and without the usual tests of tastes and temperament, but never anything more than friends.

“I suppose I ought to warn you a friend of yours is coming up before dinner, " he said. 14 Kate and I met him at the theatre an hour ago. He said he had just driven up from Washington."

She made no pretence of nut understanding 4 4 Guy’s coming to apologise, probably,'' she said. Quietly, casually they talked, of the theatre, of New York, of New Manchester, of music and the movies and the problem of unemxiloyment —anything that came to mind. Yal told herself, 4 4 This is what I mean. We could go on talking like this for hours and having a grand time. We're perfectly congenial. But there's no fire in us—not a spark of response." Hugh asked a great many questions . . . had she ever held a job? . . . was she any good with a rifle? . . . was she a stickler' for convention? . . . And then Avithout any audible change in his voice, he said: “I told you last night I avus sorry you could not spend the winter in NeAV York, Val. I meant it, of course, but I hadn't anything j>articiila.r in mind. Since then —" He broke off, suddenly leaning toward her, searching her eyes. “Val, sux>pose you were offered an easy, jdeasant job in New York at an exceptionally attractive salary—would you consider it?" His voice was eager.

She knew' uoav she must tell him, and Kate, about Robert and why she was no win New York. She heard a door oxien and close; heard, vaguely, voices in the hall . . . How Avould she begin? She started to speak, but Hugh said, abruptly, “Later ..." and there Avas Guy standing in the doorway, staring at her, sullenly, reproach in his green eyes. (To be Continued.)