24
CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT
The Way Of A Sailor
"
(Continued from Page 22)
Mr. Christian," she inquired timidly.
He was on his feet in a mo hand ment, bending over her with
ture.
an affected. stager ges-
"Of course! Mrs. Marcey's little girl"
Joan felt her enthusiasm quenched. He had, then, for- -gotten their intimacy of last Easter and remembered her only as "Mrs. Marcey's little girl" And she had had the conceit to think that perhaps he had re- turned to see her again!
"I expected more tact from one of your profession," she said.
"It wasn't quite tactful, was it?" he smiled, then drew his dark brows together thought- fully. "Of course, I remember. You're....You're....Now, what IS your name?”
"I didn't think you'd forget me so easily," she chided, sink- ing into a low chair. "I'm Joan Marcey."
C
"I've always had a weakness for forsetting names." he went on smoothly. Then, seeing that she was still a little turned the conversation safer topic.
he
to a
"Tell me what you've been do- ing since I saw you last, Joan"
She acquiesced readily, and planged into an account of picnics, tennis tournaments, and hinted vaguely at her desire to "write." And to all this Paul listened, as one listens to the ramblings of
child.
Joan's stock-of-small talk was...
-
soon exhausted, then Pani began. He loved talking about himself, and this raive little girl was an ideal listener. He spoke of the beauty of Rome and Naples, touched lightly on a play he was considering. hinted at recent
Successes.
"I'm here this week-end main- by to rest he confided.
Their conversation was inter- rupted by their hostess coming to claim Faul, and, a little re- sentful of the intrusion. Joan joined Laurie.
Later in the evening, however, Paul asked her to dance--walked across the room in view of all the guests to do so. She flush- ed with pleasure, and vividly conscious of her importance and the many eyes following her (es- pecially Laurie's) she danced in Paul's arus...
"It's hot in here," he said when "Let's get the music stopped. cool on the terrace.”
"You know," he went on, when they were there, leaning over the balustrade. "you're a pretty little. thing."
Joan flushed and murmured an unintelligible "I'm not really." He laughed softly, lifting her fingers to his lips.
"And a very fascinating child " The supplemented in a low tone.
Covertly, she glanced at bir through bez lashes. feeling sud- denly disturbed. Was she going to get sentimental about him? She sensed, young and inexperi- enced though she was.. that it wouldn't make a woman entirely.
Christian happy to love Paul Besides, she had Laurie who loved ber Nevertheless 20
idle word from this man, a soft inflexion in his voice, swayed her so easily...
"Are you there, Joan?" Lan- rie called from the doorway.
She turned quickly, freeing her hand from Paul's, feeling s mixture of gladness and disap... · pointment at the intrusion.
Paul whispered as they went indoors:
"T be on the beach to-mar- row at noon. Please come too." She nodded vaguely, an affirmá- tive.
She was hardly aware of Lau- rie's moody silence as they started homewards, conscions. only of the new interest that had come unbidden into her life, an interest she wasn't sure she wanted.
Coffee was in readiness for them, warming on the stove, when they reached the cottage, and facing each other atross the kitchen table, Joan suddenly be- for came aware of the reason Laurie's silent antagonism. He was jealous of Panl! A ripple of mirth shook het.
"Don't you think Paul is ex-. tremely handsome. Laurie." she asked teasingly.
"I thought he needed a hair- ́ent.” Laurie dismissed the fiery
actor laconically.
For a moment she toyed with the delicious thought of disclos ing the meeting of the morrow. Perhaps, he wouldn't laugh that little matter off! Better not, however. Laurie's look was not to be trifled with
He said. irrelevantly:
"It's odd abort seafaring folk, Joan; once they've been at sea, they can never quite get away from it Even if they take on
something else. it still beckons.”
Joan nodded vaguely. "Take Paul Christian, for in- "Be- stance," Laurie went on. fore he went on the stage, he spent years in the service. And Clare tells me, he still hankers after the sea. I suppose really that's the main reason why he comes here."
She looked at him blankly, her lips moving wordlessly.
"" she de- "What do you mean? manded at length.
Laurie helped himself to mere coffee with aggravating formal- ity.
"Surely, you know that he used to be a sailor,” he continued. "Why, his father used to be a fisherman here, and, for that matter, Paul was born in one of those little cottages facing the point "
"It's not true ........" Joan com- menced.
Laurie shrugged. "Ask your father.”
Joan leaned back in her chair, speechless.
Paul, whom she had thought so different from anyone else. had been a sailor, and born, mot in romantic Castile of Vienna, The but here in Long Shore! inost ridiculous part of it all was that he came here to be near the sea: the sea she had always de- termined to get away from!
She laughed suddenly with a "little gust of mirth.
"I'm resigned, to my fate. It seems that I just can't get sway from sailors......And Laurie, what say we row across to the island to-mOITOW and have picnic ?"
(The End)
*
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