FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  
a clatter of crockery so uproarious as to be more like something solid than a mere sound. "I couldn't believe it was you!" A girl in blue had risen from the nearest table, and was staring at her in astonishment. Jill recognized her instantly. Those big, pathetic eyes, like a lost child's, were unmistakable. It was the parrot girl, the girl whom she and Freddie Rooke had found in the drawing-room at Ovingdon Square that afternoon when the foundations of the world had given way and chaos had begun. "Good gracious!" cried Jill. "I thought you were in London!" That feeling of emptiness and panic, the result of her interview with the Guatemalan general at the apartment house, vanished magically. She sat down at this unexpected friend's table with a light heart. "Whatever are you doing in New York?" asked the girl. "I never knew you meant to come over." "It was a little sudden. Still, here I am. And I'm starving. What are those things you're eating?" "Buckwheat cakes." "Oh, yes. I remember Uncle Chris talking about them on the boat. I'll have some." "But when did you come over?" "I landed about ten days ago. I've been down at a place called Brookport on Long Island. How funny running into you like this!" "I was surprised that you remembered me." "I've forgotten your name," admitted Jill frankly. "But that's nothing. I always forget names." "My name's Nelly Bryant." "Of course. And you're on the stage, aren't you?" "Yes. I've just got work with Goble and Cohn.... Hullo, Phil!" A young man with a lithe figure and smooth black hair brushed straight back from his forehead had paused at the table on his way to the cashier's desk. "Hello, Nelly." "I didn't know you lunched here." "Don't often. Been rehearsing with Joe up at the Century Roof, and had a quarter of an hour to get a bite. Can I sit down?" "Sure. This is my friend, Miss Mariner." The young man shook hands with Jill, flashing an approving glance at her out of his dark, restless eyes. "Pleased to meet you." "This is Phil Brown," said Nelly. "He plays the straight for Joe Widgeon. They're the best jazz-and-hokum team on the Keith Circuit." "Oh, hush!" said Mr. Brown modestly. "You always were a great little booster, Nelly." "Well, you know you are! Weren't you held over at the Palace last time? Well, then!" "That's true," admitted the young man. "Maybe we didn't gool 'em, eh? Stop me on the street and ask me! O
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
friend
 

admitted

 

straight

 
figure
 

smooth

 

forehead

 

paused

 

cashier

 

brushed

 

Palace


street

 
forget
 

frankly

 
forgotten
 
Bryant
 

flashing

 

Mariner

 

approving

 

Pleased

 

Widgeon


restless

 

glance

 

modestly

 

rehearsing

 

lunched

 
quarter
 

Circuit

 

Century

 

booster

 

Ovingdon


Square

 

afternoon

 
foundations
 

drawing

 

parrot

 

Freddie

 

emptiness

 

feeling

 

result

 

interview


London
 
thought
 

gracious

 

unmistakable

 

crockery

 
clatter
 

uproarious

 
couldn
 
instantly
 

pathetic