“TO-MORROW’S CHILD”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 147, 24 June 1939, Page 2

“TO-MORROW’S CHILD”

Synopsis of Preceding Instalments: Val Clarke, engaged to Robert Greeley, of New Manchester, Conn., goes to New York to shop. At Kate Hollister’s, a fashion magazine editor, her cousin, sho meets Hugh Malcolm, playwright; Bret Gailishaw, New Manchester author of a best seller; Leslie Crawford, Bret’s stepbrother, and Winifred Sperry, who starring in Hugh’s “End of Tears,” and Guy Williams, who inherited millions and has a small part in the play. Bret was engaged to Kate but married wealthy Evelyn Garfield. He hates Leslie after losing a legacy and Leslie resents Hugh’s interest in Winifred. When Guy takes Val to Pete Gaboriau’s luxurious place near Philadelphia, Louise (Leeze) Cameron and Crandall Scott, of Washington, are waiting for Guy. Leeze strikes Val who defends herself so well Guy has to assist her c-ut. Cran drives Val to Kate’s. During a stage storm scene Leslie is shot dead. Hurrying out, Val sees Hugh at tho theatre entrance. Bret had left his seat earlier. Leeze goes with Cran to see Val, whoso Aunt Mahala orders Leeze out for smoking. Val goes along. Kate wires Val who goes to New York and clears Hugh of suspicion. Hugh had seen a play in Val’a personality and offered her a salary to stay in New York. She accepts now when her aunt sends her trunks on. Hugh loves her but she thinks *»e loves Winifred. Prosecutor Kellogg re-stages the storm scene and Bret is shot dead in his seat. Winifred admits she and Leslie were married, quarrelled over Hugh, and she put their child in Bret’s keeping. Cran sees Val on Christmas Eve.

Sitting on the rug before the open fire, Kate surveyed the results of Cran’s and V'al’s efforts. She said, “There’s green enough and red enough and glitter enough, and if ever there was a Christmas tree that shone with brighter promise than this one, I’m glad I failed to see it.”

“Yes,” said Cran, “you’ve got to give me credit. I know my stuff.” “You?” Val burst into laughter. “Why, Kate and I had to watch you every second to keep you from spoiling everything. A fine decorator you are. ’ ’

“Oh, you don’t have to flatter me,” Cran grinned.

Kate got to her feet, grunting, really fatigued. “You won’t mind if I hobble off to my trundlo bed, will you? I’m dog tired and it’s late . . . We don’t maintain hours here, Cran. If you feel like sitting up until breakfast, go to it . . . Remember me to St. Nick . . . ”

They were alone now, watching the lire . . . not talking nor feeling the need of conversation . . . Now and again Cran slanted his long blue eyes to where Val lay on the rug, and she seemed to him the loveliest thing he had ever seen, with the firelight playing in her hair and faint shadows flickering across her flushed cheek.

Without turning her head, Val asked quietly, “How much do you know, Cran?”

Ho was sitting with his legs thrust out, leaning back on his left hand, but he faced her now. “About you, you mean?” * 1 Of course.” “Very little. Simply that you were in New York again and that you were not married. I didn’t know even that until Bret Gailishaw was killed. Leeze heard from Guy and she passed it along.”

“We ran into Leeze and Guy in some grill room to-night,” Val said, still not moving. “I sent you a message, Cran. I asked Leeze to tell yon I wanted to see you.”

He leaned forward as if better to see her face: “You did?” He pulled his legs ardund and leaned over on one elbow so that she could no longer avoid his eyes. “Is that on tho level, Val?” Yes . . . ” meeting his blue gaze, “but I don’t know why, Cran.” She saw the bright flame in his eyes die down, impulsively put a hand over his. “I can’t begin to tell you what a strange life I’ve had since I saw you. It doesn’t seem possible that so much could have happened to one person. So much that was unpleasant.”

He gripped her hand and suddenly bent over and put his lips to her fingers. If she could only know how muen he loved her! . . . “You mustn’t think about it, Val—the unpleasantness.” But there was one thing he had to know.

“If you could answer just one question . . . two ...”

She looked at him, waiting. “You’ve broken your engagement?” She shrugged, turning her eyes but after a moment she sat up. “The answer to that,” she said, quietly, “isn’t so simplo as you think . . . Actually there was never a formal engagement. Robert asked mo to marry him and I told him I would. But there was not public announcement—and no ring. It just never came up.” “Then there was nothing to break.” “Yes,” sho said, “there was an understanding. In a town like New Manchester news travels fast. Everyone knew we were engaged . . . But you can’t begin to understand, Cran, unles you know all that’s happened since that night you and Leeze came to see me . . . ” And then, quietly and unhurried, she told him about Kate’s wire asking her to corao to New York to help Hugh and about Aunt Mahala sending her trunks and, finally, of Robert’s visit to New York and ft-hat had come of it . . . and, finally', of Robert’s visit to New York and what had como of it . . . “There’s so much more it would tako all night to tell you, Cran.” “Yes,” Cran nodded, “I can believe that.” And then, bluntly, “Do you still love him, Val?” ‘ 1 Robert? ’ ’ “Yes.” She shook her head slowly. “Love . . she uttered tho word, musingly, a sad little smile on her lips. “Twice in my life I’ve thought I was in love with a man. The first time I

By Julie Anne Moore

Instalment 24.

was deceiving myself. I know that now. Tho second time —” Her shoulders lifter?, fell. Suddenly she faced him, “Not to be flippant, but—what is this thing called love?” Cran felt there was less flippancy than bitterness in her voice. The words that came from his lips came of their own accord, not from his head but his heart: “I don’t know what it is, Val, but it’s here inside me . . .it’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me and it started growing the night I brought you back from Pete's place and it hasn’t given me a moment’s peace since . . . ” He was close beside her then, his face very near her own, his voice husky with emotion ... “I love you, Val. I can’t tell you what it is or anything about it—but I know what it has done to me and if I knew I’d never see you again after to-nighf, I’d never regret having loved you because it’s tho only thing I’ve ever felt that meant anything. There’s something holy about it . . • ” “No, no . . . ” Val cried suddenly and put a hand over his mouth and pulled his head against her breast. “You cau’t feel like that. You can’t, Cran. It isn’t fair to say all this to me now . . . ” Sho put her cheek on his black head and closed her eyes, thinking how young and clean and honest he was and hating herself because sEe could not feel this thing that moved him so. Her eyes still tightly closed, /lie put her hand under his chin, pulled his face up and kissed him. But when he sat up and would have taken her in his arms, sho shook her head slowly, and after a moment got to her feet and stood staring down into the dying fire. “I think you’d better go now, Cran. . . . There isn’t anything else either of us can say—to-night.” She heard him get to his feet and come and stand directly behind her. The silence lengthened, then Cran said in a low, strained voice, “ I’d rather you wouldn *t look’ at it now, but I’m leaving something on the table. It belonged to my mother . . . ” She heard him walking from the room and though her whole being urged her to go after him, sho stood rigid, fighting back tho tears . . . Minutes later, when she took the little package to her room, opened it and saw the old and lovely cameo in its original plush box, she flung herself across the bed sobbing.

In the bright sunlight of Christmas morning, Val, sitting on the edge of her bed with a plush box clutched in her hands, looked up apprehensively at Kate who stood, unsmiling, in the doorway. “Val, you’d better get dressed right away and go with us . . . It’s horrible to spoil your day like this, but—” She came into the room then. “It’s Cran, darling. He’s in the hospital . . . Guy just called. Someone shot Cran . . . ”

Kate and Hugh were in the living room when Val appeared and hurried her to the car. Val, sitting well forward between Hugh and Kjate, her interlaced fingers wedged between her knees, repeated her inquiries about Oran’s condition.

Kate said, “He was conscious, but— Guy wasn’t very clear about it, Val. I think his real reason for calling us up was to relieve our minds of any possible suspicion lie may have done it. Ho was with Cran when he was shot. Did I tell you?” Val was staring straight ahead now. She didn’t say anything and after a little Kate said, “They were in Cran’s room at the hotel and the door was open and someone came along the corridor and suddenly Cran groaned, and Guy—” “That’s a lie! It’s a lie . . .!’* Val suddenly bit her lips, startled by the sound of her own voice. There had been no mental process iV-fore that angry cry. The words were off he! tongue before she realised she was speaking. Now she dropped her head and was silent. Kate looked at Hugh and laid a hand on Val’s flat shoulders. “I know how you feel, darling, but apparently it isn’t a lie. The police managed to get a statement from Cran at the hospital and ho substantiated Guy's story . . . I don’t think Guy would have told me that unless it was true. He knew we would get tho facts from the police sooner or later.” Hugh asked, casually, “You don’t suppose your young man could be covering up for Guy? These young people have a strange idea of loyalty, you know. ’ ’ “But that’s ridiculous,” Kate said. “Why should the boy want to protect Guy when he*know he’s probably—” She stopped, short, but too late for Val said quietly: “It’s all right, Kate. I knew from the way you looked whon you came into my room. ’ ’ They were climbing the hospital steps when Val asked in a half whisper, “What time did it happen?” “About five o’clock this morning,” Kate told her. “What time did he leave the apartment?” “I didn’t look at my watch then. But I did a little while before. It was just four then. ’ ’ Guy was sitting in a wicker chair in the reception room. He got up quickly when they appeared in the doorway. “They won’t let you see liim,‘ ’ he announced, a shade of irritation in his voice. “He’s just back from tho operating room.” He stared at Val’s face but her eyes were gazing off into space and she would not look at him. Hugh said, practically, “If they’ve operated on him, there’s no sense in waiting. He’ll bo under the ether for hours and it may be days before they’ll let you see him.” Putting a hand on Val’s arm, Kate suggested, “Let’s go home and have dinner and come back later. Perhaps— ” But Val said in a small, troubled voice, “I’m sorry, Kate. You’ve tried so hard to make it a pleasant day. But I—l can’t leave now.” At almost the exact moment that Val

and Kate and Hugh entered the hospital, District Attorney Walter Kellogg was called to the telephone in his Long Island home. Ho had been expecting the call. Ho said, * ‘ Hello . . . All right, Briggs, what’s the dope?” And then after listening for a full minute to tho report he had asked far, the colour in his face heightened and he said, sharply, “I don’t care what kind oi signed statement they ’ve got. Get hold of Williams and take him to my office and keep him there until I show up. And if starts yelling for a lawyer, gag him. ’ ’ 'To be Continued.)