Keepers of the Faith by Emilie Loring

Author:Emilie Loring [Loring, Emilie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Lume Books
Published: 2020-09-09T00:00:00+00:00

XVI

Bill Jerrold stopped to read the headlines in an Extra displayed under the dim light on a newsstand.

The United States Sixth Army had pushed its way one mile deeper into New Britain. Japanese equipment, including big guns, was captured.

He dropped pennies into a box. Stuck the paper in the pocket of his field overcoat.

“I wasn’t stealing a free read,” he explained to the youthful proprietor, whose brilliant black eyes in a thickly freckled face were gazing at him adoringly.

The boy touched his cap.

“You were welcome to it, Marine. I’ve got two brothers in your outfit. I think it’s tops.”

“So do I, fella. Put it there.” He held out his hand. The boy gripped it. “Good luck to the brothers and hard fighting,” he said and walked on.

He looked up. Spectacular sky. A million stars shimmered and twinkled. It was like the night three weeks ago when he and Nan had flown to Washington. Under her gaiety he had sensed the emotional strain of the day just passed. Her laughter had been very near tears. Had the go-ahead in regard to Bouvoir been responsible for her gaiety with its undertone of excitement? Why not? The Frenchman was past-master in the art of making a girl think she was the one love of his life.

He lingered to watch the skaters on the Reflecting Pool. Lights glinting on skate blades, the reds and greens, blues and yellows of the women’s costumes gave the effect of a technicolor movie. There were men in the moist heat of the jungle who would be thinking, perhaps at this minute, of the ice between the Monument and the Memorial where they had skated in the past.

There was a ring in a white velvet case in a wreath-hung window. He stopped to look at it and remembered Nan’s confessed penchant for “splashy” rings. An outsize square diamond was set in a narrow border of emeralds, they in turn were surrounded by baguettes of diamonds. It would be interesting to know how much a ring like that would set one back.

Inside the store customers were lined up before the show-cases, except the one at which he stopped. The eager salesman produced the ring from the window and went into his sales talk.

The center stone had the new multi-facet cut. The emeralds were small but a perfect color. The baguettes were fine stones. The price was moderate for the quality. Sure, the tax boosted it, but the tax would double April first.

“Sold,” Jerrold interrupted. As he wrote a check he thought, “Thanks to Father—and my own practice—I can shoot the works occasionally.” He handed the slip of pink paper to the salesman.

“You’ll want to verify this. I’ll call for the ring tomorrow. Where are the cigarette cases?”

As he walked toward the other end of the store he saw Suzanne Dupree. No mistaking her hair. A salesman was fastening the bracelet of a watch to her wrist. He caught a twinkle of diamonds. As if she felt his eyes she glanced over her shoulder.

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