The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-09-22
CHAPTER XXN1N

CHAPTER XXNIN
Boots Went back to the little
apartment she shared with Fran
ces had occupied alone before her
coming. Briefly she explained
the situation. Frances was all
sympathy, all understanding. Nat
.uralIy. Boots wanted to be with
hcr people if they needed her.
Boots glanced around the gay
and colorful room in which she
had been so happy. BY contrast
with the shabby house in Larch-
neck it wore a particularly invit-
ing air. All the soft hued lamps
were lighted. Frances, in vivid
.paiamas Of vali-colored silk,
toasted bread before the fire.
'l'm sorry, honey. l guess
there's nothing else to do
Frances cooked her bird-like
dark head up at her.
Boots had her bags packed
The furniture all belonged to
Frances. There was flower
print on the bedroom wall, one
Boots had admired and Edward
had bought for her
"Tll take this" she said. 9TH
remind me Of our good times
Her old loon with its wide
windows looked sparse and shah
by now. but it had a welcoming
air. Miss Florida had put an ivy
plant on the hanging shelf and
Mrs. RaebuIn had put up clean
curtains. They were so glad to
see Boots that it hurt. She was
ashamed that anything she might
do would 50 affect anyone. Her
father turned in his chair to see
her come in. She kissed his thin,
faded cheek. Presently, the doc
tor said, he might try to take a
few steps but for the moment
his post was here by the front
window, watching the world 90
by.
1t was strange taking her place
again in this old, familiar world;
seeing the same faces; hearing
the same voices; realizing the old
order Of things still prevailed, no
matter what her personal earth
quake had been. Showers were
still given for engaged girls.
Jealousies and rivalricS were still
rife in club and sorority. The
THANKSGIVING dance, now impcnd-
ing, embraced a host Of small
storms and quarrcls and misgiv-
ings. Isabel told her about it
all. Isabel now belonged to the
old girls"
Sylvia Rivers, Boots learned,
had been abroad. She would be
back "any day now" The
thought of Sylvia left Boots I'M
moved. 1t seemed ages ago, cen
turtles, that she had cnvied Sylvia,
had hated and resented her. She
went back and forth to the city
every day. On the train she was
absorbed in her newspaper and
her lists. Sometimes Edward
drove her home and was tender
and interested and concerned all
the way. She didn't see Denis.
Although she longed to have news
Of him she. scdulously avoided
mention of his name. That was
madness, she assured herself, that
she had put behind her.
"Why do YOU do this" Ed
ward complained one night when
he found her particularly white
and tried. 1t had been a long,
firing day at the Bay Tree. Fran
ces had been kept at home with
a sick headache and several Spe-
cial orders had come in along
with a really unusual press of
business.
"Whv not marry me and step
right out Of it alp" Edward
urged with Impotence.
Boots could nOt-would not cX-
plain the situation at home. Her
pride would not permit it. To
have Edward offering to subsi-
die her parents would be most
humiliating. Besides. she felt
definitely that this was not the
way out-marriage. She had slip
ped into it before as means of
escape from life that she hated,
She was more mature. more
sturdy now; she would not make
that mistake again
She put him off. Not Just now,
she said. And Edward had to be
content with that.
The coal bill, the light bill, gro
ceries-it cost so much to live!
The old house absorbed her small
stipend greedily while her mother
bewailed the necessity daily, al
most hourly On the last day of
November the old boiler collapsed