And You Will Find Love

I know it's short notice, but I've read everything and am prepared to render a decision."

Mrs. Eaton looked at her lawyer with as much concern and anxiety as Barbara looked at hers.

"In the case of Timothy Riordan," Judge Hopper announced, "the court hereby grants custody to Barbara Markey."

Barbara jumped up and down and hugged her Lawyer, then Edna and Leila who had come to court with her.

"We'll appeal!" Mrs. Eaton told her loudly, then stormed out of the courtroom.

Hubert Eaton approached Barbara sheepishly. "Congratul-ations," he told her with sincerity. "It's what Gail wanted, and you deserve Tim. We won't appeal the ruling. You couldn't count on my support before, but can in that regard. If my wife and I can see our grandson now and then."

"Of course!" Barbara said, and almost hugged him, too.

A few minutes later, while Barbara and her friends celebrated out in the courthouse hall, Mrs. Calvin R. Collins was standing in front of the full-length mirror of her bedroom at home in Kenilworth, humming the new song, "White Christmas," while admiring herself in her new sable coat.

At the same time, after whistling "Jingle Bells," Judge Collins was conferring with architects in his study at home.

He was trying to decide on where the patio windows should be placed in his new family room so they would be in full view of his new swimming pool.

After her hour in court that morning, Justice Alice Hopper drove her new shiny black Cadillac home to her apartment on North Michigan avenue. She would write a thank you note to her benefactor, first thing.

When Barbara got back to her apartment, she phoned Jackie Cochran. Her friend had already flown to Washington that morning, but her husband took the call.

"Nothing to it," Odlum replied after Barbara told her good news, and asked how he had done it. "Just old-fashioned Chicago politics. Been playing it for years! Nothing ever changes in politics anywhere, really. It's more fun than baseball!"

Barbara didn't phone Glenview to tell Tim the good news. She wanted to tell him that in person.