Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-05-13
TENTH INSTALMENT

went On.
Il wish I understood about myself.
Sometimes l think that you under
stand, that you know all about me,
only you won't explain to me. Why
won't you?"
Perhaps because Pm not clever en-
ough. Perhaps because l know l should
only hurt YOU"
Diana was looking down at the lit
tie three-cornered scar on her slender
arm.
"Well, I've got this ito remember
you by, anyway" she said ruefully.
He made a swift movement, as if
of protest, then stood still again.
"Nothing more than that?" he ask
ed.
She raised her eyes.
Eyes, much more" she said. II
shall always remember you as the dear
est, best"
Don't make, me conceited."
She sat down in the chair in which
he had sat to dress her arm, leaning
her chin on its high back and looking
up at him.
swell, that's that" she said in a
puzzled sort of way. "When do you
want me to go?"
He smiled at the question.
"Well, not to-day OF Tomorrow"
he said whimsically. II only thought
that before Mrs. Gladwyn comes back
...! uGE
'Supposing she never comes back?"
1--WE won't suppose anything SO I'M
likely, and besides, l must see that
left arm a great deal better before l
let you out of my sight"
Then l hope it never gets BETTER"
Diana said.
Dennis had come down for one last
visit before Diana returned to Lon
don.
He was full of plans for their fu-
ture but Diana found herself cold to
all of them. His caresses failed to thrill
her as they had before her illness.
Finally Dennis had flung away from
her and gone back to London. His
angry departure had failed to stir her,
although it left her with the feeling
her world was falling away from her.
She wondered if her love for him
had died. And the thought, strangely,
carried with it no regret.
And then suddenly came the reve-
lation that it was Donald she loved,
maddeningly, distractingly. She knew
then she could never be happy with
any other man.
Tomorrow" Diana said to her
self, tomorrow l am going to Lon
dom"
She was glad because it was Rath-
bone whom she loved; a man surely
worthy Of the best life could give him,
and in some strange way that gladness
overweighed the knowledge that, ever
supposing he cared for her in return,
he would never tell her so. But she
could not believe that he cared-why
should he? There were so many wo-
men in the world more deserving of
happiness than she-noble, unselfish
women-not just selfish, spoilt-use-
less. Then she was conscious of a great
fear; fear because all her life she would
have to do without him; that would
be hardest of all to bear.
When morning came she found that
out of the mass of confused thought
only one fact had struggled; she must
keep her pride whatever happened. No
body must ever know, nobody must
ever dream that she had loved him
and her love had not been returned.
II may as we'll go away with Den
mis-, or anybody else who wants me-"
she told herself recklessly, as she
watched the creeping daylight. II
can't ever have the man l want, so
nothing matters"
CHAPTER XIV
Diana made a quick trip up to Lon
don to do some shopping. She had
lunch with Dennis, who told her Lin
da was going to Paris and begged her
to run away with him.
She kept putting him off with in
decisive replies to his urgent begging
and he finally drove her back to the
country. She promised him, as she
wa kissing him goodbye, that she
would give him an answer in a few
days.
Miss Startling told her, when Den
mis- had left:
"Dr. Rathbone came just after
lunch"
"Oh," Diana's voice was studiuosly
indifferent.
HE left a message for you"
"Oh," Diana said again. "What
40 T. " ~ C<---