The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-08-09

cd Darchnech hlgn Wnen everyone
expected him to go to Choate or
Hotehkiss. He had been in the
class ahead of hers, and she had
worshipped him from afar. But
] he was at home this summer >.
she had seen him at several par
! ties -. and, while he hadn't sim
! gled her out for any special at
! tention, she had danced with him
once or twice. And last night she
had been in crowd which had
been driven home from Henry's,
/ the hot-dog mans, in Hardy's big
car. Hardy had grinned at her,
had asked her "how she was COM
ing" Boots treasured the grin and
J the words
The crowd, lazing on the sand,
made way for her. She slumped
| down.
"I'm not parking here, fellows.
I'm plunging right in"
They were all there-nearly all.
Isabel Halfway with her tight,
red curls and her dazzling, irreg-
ular teeth. Patty Winsted, Jim
Eberman, Laddie Rudd Har-
dy, of course, was out on the
Patty flung back a long in
solent chestnut name and stared
up at Boots. Patty was tall. we'll
formed. Without beauty of any
kind save her thick, luxuriant
hair, Patty still had the manner,
the assurance and poise of a great
beauty. Patty's legs were too long,
her mouth too large, her nose too
prominent; her voice was not even
pleasant. Yet it was Patty who
was the leader Of any group she
I belonged to, for the moment.
Boots was not overly fond of her,
yet it was polite to be ION the
good side" of Patty. She was an
enemy to be feared.
Whats chewin' you?" Patty
now wanted to know. "Nobody's
out on the float but the kids.
Stick around" Patty's keen dark
eyes followed Boots in the direc-
ton of the red sail. She smiled
knowingly.
Hardy" she said, lightly and
with apparent irrelevance, "is
steerin' the Duchess around to-
day."
Sylvia was known in the Larch-
neck younger set as "the Ouch
ess."
"No kidding?" Laddie Rudd,
chewing gum, rolled over on his
back and stared up at the sky.
Romance, | calls it."
Isabel giggled. Boots seemed
not to have heard.
"Any of you sand lizards COM
ing in the water" She hated Pat
ty for what she had just said. Pat
ty had seen Hardy's look at her
last night Patty resented any one
else receiving attention. Of any
kind, especially from Hardy. y
Jim Eberman unwound himself
from the steamer rug on which ne
had been lying and followed her.
Race you to the Point, Bootsw
She ran, glad of the chance to
get away from the others, glad
of the motion, the exuberance,
that made her forget the hateful
ness of Patty. She had been silly,
Of course, even to think that Har-
| dy's gentle attentions the night
before had meant anything at all.
She dove from the float, cleav-
ing the water neatly, coming up
wet and sleek as a seal. Jim, rangy
and sandy-haired, brawny shout
dered, followed her to the topmost
step Of the float where they sat,
dangling their legs.
"Cigaret?"
"No, thanks. Not this minute"
Jim said idly, Comm to the
fracas tomorrow night"
Boots smiled at him quickly,
eagerly. What fracas?"
He frowned, squirting through
the smoke. Sorry. -. Guess I
pulled a boner."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Never mind"
at was only" said the boy
awkwardly, "a shindig the Rivers
are giving at the club. l thought
you-J just took it for granted"
"Oh, that" Boots lifted one
eyebrow with a faint smile. It
didn't surprise her in the least
that Sylvia was giving a party
and not asking her. But it hurt
-. just the same. There had been
Raeburns in Larchneck before
there had been any Yacht club.
Tonight Sylvia's crowd would
dance on the veranda under the
bright lanterns. 1t was regatta
week. Boots cared most awfully.
She would not be there ...
Johnny drove her home again.
She found her mother, a limp, in
effectual woman, early graying
hair pulled back from her brow.
setting the table. "
Didn't Linda Gomez"
THAT no-account creaturew
Mrs. Raeburn frowned intently.
putting butter knife on a flow.
cred plate. "She called to say she
had the backache. But there's a
wedding on at the colored church
this afternoon. I saw, it when
was driving over to the farm for
eggs -. That's where she is"
Boots dawdled into the kitchen.
touching things idly, carrying in
plate of bread dreamily. She
had never been taught to do any.
thing around the house, There
had been succession of maids.
fat, lean, energetic, lazy, ali