Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-04-29
EIGHTH INSTALMENT

try" He stopped, and she asked:
"What then? I suppose you think I
shall forget all about the weeks I've
been here and never want to come
back again?"-
"On the contrary, l am quite sure
that you will new forget and that
you will often think about it, and
perhaps sometimes when you begin
to feel tired and bored to death with
an eternal round of so-called 'gaiety'
you will come back-even if only
out of c~uriosity-and spend a couple
of days with Miss Starting"
She made a little grimace.
"She might not want me-"
II am sure she will. Miss Startling
has a great affection for you, though
you may not believe it"
"That's a change" Diana said sar-
c~astically, "for someone to have a
great affection for me-"
They were at the cottage gate now.
She led the way into the cottage.
Jenny let them in the narrow hall.
"There's a telegram for you, miss,
on the table in the parlour."
Thank YOU"
Diana threw her hat down onto a
chair and went into the sitting room.
The yellow envelope lay on the pol
ished table, and she took it up, tearing
open the flap with nervous fingers.
Both sailing Acquitania tenth.
Love. DENNIS"
Rathbone had followed her into the
room and saw the cable in her hand.
"Not bad news, I hope?" he asked.
Diana laughed a little uncertainty.
mo, very good news" she said.
That's splendid"
Diana folded the message across and
across, keeping it in her hand. Tomor-
row was the tenth: in a weeks time
Dennis would be home.
The c~ablegram slipped from her fin
gers to the floor, and Rathbone stooP-
ed and recovered it.
81 suppose he is on his way home,'
he said quietly.
She looked up, a hard light in her
eyes.
Eyes, on the Acquitania."
"And S it will really be good-bye?"
The colour rose quickly in her face
and died down again.
81 don't know there's nothing
settled anyway, l don't see why
you should be interested"
81 am interested because l like you
we'll enough to want you to be happy
Rathbone answered, 'And because
there is such a conviction in my mind
that you are making a terrible mis-
take"
The colour rose again swiftly to the
very roots of her hair.
"Well, you should Know she said
defiantly.
Rathbone was silent for a moment;
then he said in rather an expression
less voice:
1.-TWO blacks do not make a white,
Diana"
81 know that, but all the same-it's
rather-cheap, isn't ito preach to
me when everyone says that you-that
She stammered and broke off, and
Rathbone took up the words for her
"When everyone says that l have a
woman living in my house-is that
what you want to say?"
She stared at him with eyes that
were pathetic in spite Of their almost
insolent defiance, but before she could
speak he said in a voice of steel:
eft is indeed time you and | said
goodbye, Diana"
"What do you mean"
"Only that as I have done all I can
do for you-all that I am sur you
wish me to do for you, there will be
no need for me to see you any more"
She caught her breath. "You mean
-. never?"
"Never is a long day. 1t is quite pos
sible that we may run across one an
other sometimes: the world is o such
a big place. Anyway, l wish you all
the happiness you can wish yourself"
But o don't think I deserve it,
or that 1 hal get it," she burst out
passionately. "And you don't care,
either, in spite Of what you said when
l was i'll. You treat me like an ordi-
nary patient now you think I'm we'll
again. You promised to teach me to
skate, but you've never said another
word about it,"
isn't there someone else better
qualified than I amp"
She ignored him. She went on with
a breathless rush.
"You said you were my friend, and