San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-20

on the way home. She bought tab
let and pencil, scribbling a note:
"Ramon-Don't write to me again.
Please. Ny mother is i'll. Don't send
another letter to my home. l wish We
were back ON the islands. \ hundred
years from now / may see you again
down there. Summer is over now.
The grapevines are all in autumn
dress. Thanks for the picture"
She folded this page with reluctant
slowness. She remembered nls quiet
when he said: Il love you. I'm not
going to forget you. This IS love,
Sandy. i know"
She folded it slowly, thinking /:
He'll write anyway" She wanted
him TO write anyway.
She thought of the envelope at MI
rillo's plate-the lock on the mail box:
Even Judith's letters would be opened
Standing in the little store, tn"
| tablet resting on the counter, Sand!
| turned this thought over and over.
Even Judith might no longer write to
her.
The image Of the torn envelope
sharpened. He was going to open all
her letters. He wanted ner TO know
he was doing this
Would he, though, She decided
swiftly. She went out hotly-flushed
to the eyes. She went to the post
office and rented q box. She said to
herself: IN drop Jude line and
tell her"
Her thought answered: "You're
not doing it for Judith. Don't kid
yourself"
She walked down to the water-out
on the pier. A year and half since
those April nights when Jimmy had
whispered with such boyish fervor: :
Gee, Sandy, / love you so" Dear
Jimmy. so sweet and so young. But
Sandy was not young now. She felt
old and hard - showed away those
dear. happy, careless things.
A yacht swayed on the gloomy
waters. The waters looked so cold
and so dark. This was the way
Sandy felt. Her mother thought
that was right. She should feel
quiet and cold-always.
She heard herself repeating: 81
promise. Yes, I'll keep it Bound
to this whether Isabel lived or died.
1t made her shudder to keep re-
peating this. II made her breath
less with hot, speeches. revolt. She
wouldn't keep the promise. Yes, she
would No, 1t wouldn't be kept!
And she suddenly pictured herself
and Ramon standing together on the
pier; Ramon's brown, sinewy hands
pressing on hers.
She trembled and tried TO push
the thought of him from her.
But all evening it remained. She
looked over the kodak pictures. One
of him on the surf board, bronzed
and laughing. She looked at them
until the features were craven on
her mind.
Then she knelt at the fireplace
and burned them all. She Thought
childishly: "This proves it's all fin
ished. He won't write again. told
him not to-"
She looked all over the house for
the etching. Finally she said to Ida:
MIR. Murillo got a picture IN the
mail this morning. Did you happen
to see what be did with it,"
a small picture? He put it in
his pocket
Since their quarrel, Murillo didn't
dine at home. Sometimes he re-
NAMED away all night. At those
times Ida watched Sandy with that
peculiar angry compassion on her
broad. stolid face. Several times she
started to speak. then shook her
head. became sullen.
The day after Ramon's telegram
and her answer Sandy was in the
kitchen preparing her mothers
lunch. The phone rang:
Luckily Alice was sleeping.
1t was a long distance call from
San Francisco. A girl asked: is
Mrs. Sandy Murillo there? / wish
to speak with her directly
"This is she"
"Then wait q moment"
It was be. She felt crowded
oppressed-shivered and glad. His
deep. resonant voice: "You, Sandy?