McCormick messenger. (McCormick, S.C.) 1902-current, January 07, 1932, Image 3
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I
Thursday, January 7, 1932
McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA
PAGE NUMBER THR1
KATtlARINt Nt^VLIN BUfiT
© KWI
caowEu. »
publish i»«a
COM PAH V
SECOND INSTALMENT
Fresh from a French convent,
Jocelyn Harlowe returns to New
York to her socially-elect mother, a
religious, ambitious woman. The gleammi
girl is hurried into an engagement ger ^ tna
with the wealthy Felix Kent. Her
father, Nick Sandal, surreptiously
enters the girl’s home one night.
He tells her he used to call her
Lynda Sandal. The girl is torn by
her desire to see life in the raw
and to become part of her mo
ther’s societv. Her father studies
her surroundings.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
“U-hum. I suppose so. Will you
get his picture for me?”
“Felix Kent’s?” x
• “Sure thing. Your young man’s.”
She laughed. The whole experi
ence begun to be an astonishing
adventure. This father had a way
with him that opened a door in
her heart. He was so casual, so*
hard, so vibrant. There had been
nothing like him in her life. She
hurried to her room to get the
picture.
She was very quick, being really
afraid that he might just vanish
forever if she left him. So, com
ing back light-footed she found
him returning to his place from
some swift furtive investigation of-
the room. She noticed this, but
in her confused excitement it made
on her at the time no particular
impression. Later she was driven
to remembering it. '
Her father stood up to go, catch
ing his cane, smothering a cry at
the pain all sudden movements
cost nim.
“I mustn’t see you again. But—
here’s my address.” He pushed a
folded scrap of paper into her hand
and bent her fingers over it. “I
v/ant you to have that for two rea
sons. If you ever need me you
can send for me or come to me.
a golliwog. She went to her mo
ther’s room and examined the like
ness she had so achieved: a girl
with a slim high-colored face, a
firm rich mouth, a pair of tilted
eyes: a girl with a swag-
o __ was made charming by, supply.
its lines of race ^nd breeding.
“Oh, Lynda Sandal,” said Jocelyn
‘I am going to like you. Maybe
it will be wonderful!”
more open and ardent of the two.
Her eyes had burned upon Nick, his
home, his life, his friends with a
golden flame of interest, of sympa
thy, of the will to understand. It
was the gift which Marcella had re
fused and Felix Kent had not even
desired to evoke.
One evening Felix questioned her.
Heretofore Jocelyn had been the
questioner.
“Why,” he asked her, “dd you
look so conventual tonight?”
“Oh,” said Jocelyn realizing that
in Lr° f - 1S »* j t Tvn she mu st answer. “You used to say
“You wm. And I surrender. Lyn- , _ , . .
da Sandal, I hereby take you as my I didn t look as I ought ,to; con-
child for better or for worse and Ventual, that is.”
promise to show yqu all the reality “Tonisht vou do ”
and the adventure. I can decently , 0 '
And if this madness be
“That’s funny
the "death of Jocelyn Harlowe I do, Felix laughed a 4ry little laugh
hereby promise to aid, succor and secret meaning,
support Miss Lynda Sandal to the
best of my very poor ability. In
Wi
V
7
dirty steps of an old-fashioned
brownstone building on a street
But I advise you unless it’s a veryi which mi^t once have been lined
HiifiincvQa t.n fnrcrpt mp and With SOb6r dWGlllTlgS. A JcipcUlCSG
serious business, to forget me and
my whereabbuts. The other rea
son . .,. well, I won’t bother you
with that. May I kiss you ”
She lifted her face. She was in
tears /
She followed him into the small
back room, her own bedroom. It
startled her to think that he had
climbed in at her own little dark
window. Now Sandal got himself
painfully cut ^across its sill and
Jocelyn watched him climb dowm
Jocelyn
the fire escape, swiftly and quietly
in spite of his pain and his twist
ed body.
Jocelyn shut the window, went
back to the lighted front room.
This was her father, she thought.
One day Felix offered to take
her to her office.
“Oh,' Felix, will you? I’d love to
see your office. I’ve never been
inside an American office. Will you
show me everything? Will you ex
plain everything?”
In Kent s inner sanctuary she
was introduced to Miss Rebecca
Deal, a little ruddy sturdy woman
with bright eyeglasses and a wide
mouth.
Jocelyn was amused by this
new manifestation of womanhood.
When Felix left to interview some
one in the outef office she sat down
in his revolving chair before his
great neat handsome desk and
looking at Miss Deal with all her
eager eyes began to question her:
“You work here with him every
day?”
; Half the time he’s off. Miss
Harlowe. in Chicago or the South-
west. He’s interested, as of course
you know, in all these mines.”
“It seems so queer to me,” said
Jocelyn with her slow wistful smile,
“that all this side of his life just
means nothing to me. How much
better you know him than I do!”
Rebecca blushed and laughed.
“I wish I were as clever as you
are and had your exoerience. I
would so love . .
Here Felix entered and the girl
came toward him, speaking ear
nestly. A new Jocelyn seemed to
meet him at every turn he made.
“Felix, can’t I learn how to do
these things for you? I mean, if
Miss Deal could teach me, I’d love
to work with you, to understand.
Nick laboriously crawled over the window sill.
1
There, in the little bedroom, its
door locked, coiling a trunk rope
around her arm she switched off
her light and swung her leg across
the window sill.
She drove to the address her fa
ther had given her. She got out,
order to seal our compact and to
show my sincerity,” he stood up,
lifted his hand in a great gesture
and raised his voice, “Lynda, I
want you to meet some of my
friends.”
At the changed timbre of his
paid the driver and climbed up the j voice, the four card players turned.
~ ‘ J “Boys, I want to present to you
my daughter. Miss Lyrida Sandal.
Mr. James Drury, Mr. Saul Morris-
boy answered her ring.
“Does a Mr. Sandal live here?”
“Yes’m. T’ree flight up.”
Jocelyn paused before she took
the last few steps of her ascent of
the three flights of stairs.
Across the room, Nick Sandal
crouched on a battered sofa against
the wall. He was twisted up pain
fully among some tattered cush
ions and smoked a pipe with deep
eager sucking noises, cuddling its
bowl on one of his swollen and dis
torted hands. His bright eyes
watched a group of four men play-
ine cards at a table.
She came rapidly up the last few
stens and stood in the doorway.
■\ Nick Sandal, brushing away the
smoke of his pipe, made*a queer
gasping exclamation,) then put up
his hand as though to prevent an
insult and struggled to his feet.
"Boys, this is my daughter,” he
cried out sharply.
There was a strained silence in
the room.
It was Jocelyn herself who broke
the silence.
“Go on with your game, please,”
she said. “I came to talk to niy
father.”
The men obeyed with alacrity.
They returned to their cards and to
their smokiner. ignoring Nick and
his visitor. But one of them, with
a wirik and a twist of his whole
face, got up and shut the door.
Jocelyn sat down beside the
cripple on his battered lounge and
put her wand uncertainly upon his
free one. He took it up as though
it had been something more perish
able than his own and peered up
into her face. They spoke in low
voices, trying to create for them
selves an illusion of privacy.
“I wanted to see you. Father. I
got out the wav you, showed me.
Mother doesn’t know I’m here.
“Nothing wrong then?”
“No. I felt that I must see you.
There’s something in me that be-
lones to. you. And I am really very
lonely.”
“Lonely? With a fiance and a
mother and a crowd of friends?”
“Felix is still a stranger. I have
no friends.”
Nick put an arm roughly about
her.
“All right, Lvnda. I’ll be your
“You shall know whatever you friend. I don’t mind loting you.
want to know, sweetheart.” I’™ not the most creditable parent
• In the limousine, on their way to in the world. And I don’t want to
lunch, Felix spoke tenderly , *et you into trouble with your fu-
“I do wajcit you to be in my con- ture husband and with the reput-
fidence bgBl never thought you’d able side of the house.”
be interest in this sort of thing.” j ‘Til never let them know.”
“But thJjsort of thing is just “I say, Lynda, take it easy. Let’s
part of all I must know. Felix. I talk it over sort of quietly. That’s
have been so put away and shut up better,” as she let her bodv relax
. . . like one of these unlucky against the seat. “I’ll tell you
on and Mr. Gustave Lowe; Jock
Ayleward, my protege and my pro
tector.”
Jock rose and bowed. The other ling, to be rid of me
men sat where they were and shook Even lower his voice dropped
“I wonder whether it isn’t v§ry
funny.” He went over to her, sat
on the arm of her chair and bent
above her, capturing her in one
strong arm.
“Look, child, I have to be away
from you for a fortnight presently.”
Her heart went plunging, wheth
er for joy or sorrow she could not
for the life of her have told. “When
I come back don’t you think we
could shorten this engagement of
ours a little? I’m getting weary of
convent airs. I want—” and sud
denly his face was dyed in deep hot
color, “I want a wife.”
Marcella spoke as though she
were reciting from her volume.
“I can see no reason for keeping
you waiting much longer, Felix. I
did say a four months’ engage
ment but it seems to me that you
have tested each other’s affec
tions now sufficiently, have had
time to draw close to each other.”
The girl looked from one to the
other with sacred golden eyes.
“You mean you’ll both go’away?
You’ll leave me alone here for all
those days before , . . before
Her heart beat visibly under the
ivory silk across her breast.
Felix bent to her lips. Before his
own fell upon them he said in a low
key,; “Much safer for you, my dar-
just now.”
“I
i'&y
He tossed a handful of paper money
Lynda.
m
air before he noticed
Lynda’s hand with cordiality, star- _ Q „, + _ TQ . f , A ,
ing and grinning hard grins up in- can ^ wait - 1 can t wait. And
to her face. Jock Ayleward did not the kiss she dreaded fell upon her
stare. He looked at her once keen
ly and looked away.
“Don’t stop playing. May I watch
the game?”
“We’re quitting, Miss Sandal. So
long. Old Nick. See you later at
the hunting grounds, Ayleward.”
They went, slipping into tight
nftat coats, slapping on their hats
at rakish angles, smiling at Lynda
last with probing looks.
After the men had finally taken
with the anguish of a blow.
But she endured it, withdrawing
into some fastness, anesthetizing
her soul. All her body, however,
drew itself up and back into the
chair as though it suffered pain.
0 She listened while Felix and
Marcella discussed details. She
breathed deeply, her heart at bit-
their leave Jocelyn questioned* her j ter, at defiant labor. She was to
^■'What is the hunting grounds?”, ^ *«“/*»**» *«r ignorance of
“A gambling place/’ life. And then she was to be giv-
“Is that how you make your liv- en to this man. “Oh, no,” said
ln He I he!d r out his crippled hands'^ Sandal speaking desperately
with a gesture and a look which ^ er °wn heart, we shall see
clearly meant, “How could I? No. first. There will be a fortnight at
J* if° n least of libert y and of experience,
to me, does all of that,’’ he told her. - _
After a long and troubled silence P €rba P s m y mother is wrong. Per-
she asked him, “When may I come haps this Felix does not understand
ag ‘^Whenever wu’please' my dear l me ' p / rhaps thls one correct and
or can make it convenient. I ani mos ^ indulgent gentleman is not
nearly always at home. Most of i the only doorway into life and love.
the time on this old sofa Every i have a chance to learn the truth,
day I find it harder to get about ” J
“Oh,‘Father, can’t something be a brie t ma d chance, and if
done?” i during this fortnight I discover
He shook his head. that my anger and my shame and
Jock has done what he could for ... „
me. He takes care of me now, you terror under the embrace of a
must know. It’s fair enough. There future husband do not mean, what
took care of my mother assures me that they
mean,” her chest lifted, a wind
I can see
was a time when I
him.”
“He loves you, FjCtJher. J ^ , ,
that when he smiles.” I seemed to blow across her mind,
“He’s not a bad scout but don’t “then I will never marry him, so
get romantic about himf Lynda, heln mp ondi not pvpti tn'p«par»p
He’s not the man your Felix is, for ? eip me ? ° , P
s a noor outlnnk from • • • her!” To the terrible es-
instance. He has a poor outlook
in life and a character which might
be called unstable.”
“He’s loyal to you.”
“Uh-hum. Emotionally I should
with charm and with masculine re- hastily over his crooked shoulder,
bellion, “get out, get away from me. j “I never said you had to be afraid,
I won’t be mothered by you. Go on | did I? That’s just exactly the one
thing you mustn’t be, my girl. If
Mr. Felix Kent really scares you
in any profound sense of the word,
quit him cold .... It is Jock!”
The door was opened with a sort
of quiet violence and Ayleward,
faultlessly attired in evening dress,
his hair as sleek as a screen lover’s,
came in, shut the door and flung a
fierce arm about Sandal’s should
ers. . i
“There, you old belly-acher, what
do you say? Next time will trust a
born card-handler.”
As he spoke he was pulling from
his pockets great handfuls of paper
and rummage through my posses
sions, Eve. You may indulge your
feminine curosity at my expense
but I’m blasted if I’ll be the victim
of your softness. Lynda, don’t you
fall in'love with me, understand?”
“I must love you,” said Lynda
softly. “I must love you. You are
me. I feel you in me.”
“Above his papers he stared
blankly for an instant. Then,
“Thanks, Lynda,” he said simply.
“I like to be a part of your loveli
ness, if only for a little while. Go
on now. I really have , to finish
this. When you come back we’ll
talk.”
money which he shook before.
The bedroom, which contained Nick’s eyes and then tossed up in
one full-sized bed and one narrow the^air so that they fell about the
cot against the wall, was the most room like dead leav^^Jattiis mom-,
untidy and unattractive Lynda had ent of some triu^Riniysterioi
ever been allowed to center.
On Nick’s dressing table there
were no photographs, no knick-
knacks; there were .no pictures on
his walls. On top of a tall chest of
drawers, however, a set of cle4n,
cheap toilet articles had been neat
ly arranged and there was a great
picture of a dog, one of those mag
nificent canine heads which, loyal,
brave, unselfconscious, have a no
bility greater than humanity’s.
“Tell me about your dog, Father,”
was the girl’s first question when
after a very brief inspection she
came back into the outer room.
“He’s such a beauty.”
“It isn# my dog. It’s Jock Ayle
ward’s.' The animal’s dead now, I
imagine. He was Jock’s beast before
Jock met with other beasts less
beautiful. Jock keeps a sort of cor
ner here with me.”
“It’s not his home, then?”
“Bless the child! Home?” He
clicked his tongue, his eyes laugh
ing at her. “No. This is not his
home. Look like a home to you?
Jock is what you might call a bird
of passage.” » *
“A salesman?” suggested Lynda,
proud of her wordly wisdom in be
ing able to guess a business occupa
tion for a man. - *
Nick chuckled. He seemed de
lighted with her suggestion. “Well,
yes. You might have him call it
that. He’s a sort of hunter too. To
night he’s after big game—against
my express advice. Dangerous
hunting. If I’m touchy tonight, j “You’re dressed, for
Lynda, that’s the reason. I’m not taking you to, oh
a^^^Sjrtiis
vmpn mys_
to Lynda he had dropped the
mask from his mobile and wild
winged face. Lynda saw that he
was young, ten years younger than
Felix Kent, young enough to
Sandal’s son.'
“Jock, you fool. Here’s hyndal
The mask snapped into pi
Ayleward turned it upon Nick’s vis
itor in startled grim fixation,
bowed and began to collect-
earnings; for surely they must,
thought Lynda, same sort of
ings from his salesmanship!
he had them bundled togethe
added to them what was left
clothing and put the whole
mass into a drawer which he
ed. Then he turned to go.
“Take her home, wjll you, Ji
said Nick. “I’m done and she
to be getting back to where
seems to belong.”
But it was nearly morning
he came back to furious pro
Nick. Z.
Ayleward came in at the di
then, humming a dance air wi
strange dazed wistful look on
young face.
On the way to get a taxi, L;
gripped Jock by the arm.
“I must talk to you. Yoii must
tell me about Nick.”
“All right. I’ll take you some
where.”
“Do you like to dance?” asked
Ayleward.
“Yes. But I’m not dressed for a
restaurant and my moth—”,
m
■*
trangement of this pronoun, had
Marcella driven her.
Events shaped themselves rapid-
say he was a sort of bulldog. But ly to make her quest of the truth
b«n 5 coddildtky P by h lX h/Lows P °f ible ' Co " s ? n ^ ca f“ e ' “
the value of the few people that i woman with an ear trumpet,
care for him.” (very active and very lame, ..who
“Who eke beside you Father?” gadded about the city all day with
The bright-eyed cripple laughed / . . ^ ,
in a, low and taunting key. “About a P asslon ate enthusiasm for shop-
a dozen women, roughly speaking.” ping, and went to bed at night ex
hausted by her own nervous activ
ity. ' S ■ r
So, after Felix had been gone
days—and Jocelyn rather
frankly. I have no feeling of ob
ligation toward your mother or
your young man. I like you. I
like your running off by wav of the
fire escape to visit me. It’s the
way I began, running away nights
princesses in towers. It is horrid
to be a medieval infant in a world
of grown-up moderns. I must
know. I must learn. If I had
friends here who could teach me
. > . young people ...” Felix con-, I _ _ _ _
trolled a wincing motion, “but by a back window. But I don’t want
without them how shall I ever to hurt your life or spoil your
learn unless you will teach me? chances any. What do you want?”
Do you think I could take a busi- ' “J w^nt.” jno.elyn soeakinr
ness course, perhaps, after we are low and rapidly. , “I want to kne^
married?” |wh«t ufo looks ^ke when it—coir® 3
‘You may take any course you round from behind and you
THIRD INSTALMENT
Lynda visits her father in his
dingy quarters. She finds four men four ^ ^
playing cards when she arrives, anxiously recognized that she miss-
Sthe? telb*Rr/“Hk/l l S!'/tohllS ied him ±. there came a nlght ' Mar y’ s
but warns the girl he is trifler. night when Jocelyn v drew from
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY be
It silenced Lynda on that theme. an ;
He chuckled wickedly at her
heightening color and the lift of 4
I her ^hin.
ink tlfce pleated skirt
j,ll dark jacket and the
;r and ran her fingers
like, beloved. But you musn’t hate, see its face: I want to know pr°: j the house wit
our beautiful innocence. It is just ole. all kinds of neoole. differ 6 ^ I e iry and play.
“And hat’s that/*''be said de-
:igntedly.
He put tibr himself into a taxi
cab, escorting her>-down througl
s rumors of rev-i
e found Her father
om^ of his lodging, |
of a patient disposition. Are you?”
Lynda considered this.
“I don’t quite know. I think I
must be. I’ve done nothings all my
life so far but wait.”
“When will you be married?]
“Tell me, shall I like being
ried, Father?” >
“I wish you’d call me Nick.”
“Oh, wouldn’t that be
disrespectful?
■ “The last things
daughter of mine
pect.” j
“Then—Nick . . .
answer me qul
coming up the
Nick listened,’
“Father, ]NIc]
Jock Ayleward
I like being mi
“No. Of courj
Simpleton, It’s
ordained by G<
thing so uni
happi
as
my
a bit stagey.’
At the adc
driver he
They
stairs wi
doubled
looked so ql
[er his pt
iting
a
because you are sp exquisitely dif- sorts of people. I want to ki*ow
ferent that I love you/’ l how cood it is to be bad, and r° ^
Tn her own room shp zinwn bad it may be to be good. 1 wr^i
on her bed and thought. After a adventure, risks, dangers; I w;
while she pulled out a big leather ~ ^ „ , i, lty
valise from her closet and rum- 1 J You want too much. You’re of 1 /
She dressed herself W^rl and what’s worse, vou’re a
short plaid skirt, a 3¥«ng lady! Laugh that off if y? u
lersey, lona-sleeved. can. Miss Jocelyn Harlowe.” f
' roat, a little jacket on* he*- hand across his lif
w tam-o’-shanter.
this on fier hi?ad Sa
b«md.
nruly mop of laugh*
maged there.
In a pleated
black tight
high in the
and in a big
Before she
she ran her
through her
til it was tl
J Not here. Here I’m Lj
>ulled down
his head
it palnfi
She fancied that from behind on^
of the closed doors of the grount
floor she heard Jock Ayleward',.,
voice, cold, angry and excited: It
brought back upon her oddly that)
light shiver of fear, of unhappi
ness and of regret.
the beginning there was tl
especial difference between Lj
Sandal and Jocelyn Harlot
Lynda was without question