The Coolidge examiner., 1932-05-20


age that made the difference. |
saw lot of her at the time, and
she was different from any of the
girls | knew. She was perfectly
real about everything. j thought
she was perfectly great. know
father always thought so.
well, just as she did, can un-
derstand your wanting to take job
yourself"
Edith was luxuriating I'm the
sound Of his voice, in the fact that
he was talking like this TO her, he
a mature man, a senior in college.
She was thrilled through and
through, but she hadn't been exact
ly paying attention TO the words he
said. The consequence was that
when he stopped talking rather sud-
denly, the silence was perfectly
blank. She'd nothing ready TO say,
and she couldn't think of anything
except what dumb fish she was
not TO be able to respond to him
with a single word. She was aware
that he was snatching look at his
watch.
I've got to rum" he said. i've
stayed twice as long as I'd any
business to. told mother wouldn't
be gone but a minute. I've got all
my packing to do, you know. ! wish
we'd had this talk sooner. SO that
there'd have been time, ] mean, for
us to have another before ! went
away" He came around now TO
her side of the table and shook
hands with her. II wish you all
kinds of luck" he went on. when
| come back In June I'll come
around here first thing and get you
to tell me what the job is like and
how il seems to have one"
She got up from her chair and
followed him out into the hall. He
put on his overcoat. picked up his
hat, and then turned and held out
his hand again.
"Well. good-by," he said.
A desolating sense came over her
that he was going now. That he'd
be gone before she could possibly
think of anything 10 say that would
keep him from thinking OF her as
perfectly dumb. hopeless little
fool. She felt she couldn't bear TO
let him go like that Involuntarily
her hand frightened its grip on his.
She looked up at him and drew In
her breath TO speak. hoping the
words would come. She found him
looking at her, right into her.
He didn't mean to-he wasn't go
ing to But he, did. He kissed
her. Not exactly on the mouth, just
on the corner of 1t.
She couldn't, funnily enough, re-
member how the kiss felt at all. 1t
was the way he'd looked when his
face got back into focus-sur-
prised, scared. He'd done 1t with
out knowing he was going to. And
yet not silly or sentimental a bit.
Thered been a pucker of that ador-
able frown of his between his brows
as he turned away.
Lots of people kissed you. of
course. Some because they were
just naturally sappy and couldn't
think of anything else. and some
to be smart, TO show that they
could get away with 1t. This kiss
had been sort of a detached thing
that had hung between them pal
pably for a quarter of a second be-
fore it had happened, and then. in
evitably, had happened-like a little
explosion. Roger had had no more
to do with it than she had. Only
she wished she could remember how
it had felt.
She was lying on her bed.
propped up by an extra pillow or
two. reading her favorite senti-
mental novel. The sound of the
front door opening gave her start.
But ii wasn't mother. Ii was Ed.
She could tell by the way he
slammed the door. 1t wasn't worth
while getting up for him. When
he called upstairs, Mother" she an
swered, Mother isn't home" but
not loud enough TO be sure he
heard. She rather hoped he hadn't.
Then he'd go out TO the kitchen, get
something TO eat, and probably go
away again.
She felt perfectly we'll disposed
toward Ed-hadn't grievance
against him in the world-only she
didn't feel like talking to him, nor
to anybody. Why didn't he go over
and see Agatha?
She heard him coming undeci-
sively up the stairs. From the cor
ridor he again called Mother !" and
this time there was no getting out
of it.
"She isn't home yet, but | think
she will be pretty soon."
He came straight on to her door
and asked. May l come in? It's
you | wanted to talk to, anyway"
"Sure 7" she said. "Come in. I'm