The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-01-26

90. Through her discourse wove
the thread of discomfort, although
the happenings she sketched
sounded, to Gypsy's simple soul,
dazzling enough. The garden
party at the Tewksburys, the fete
at the Chisholms, the bathing,
tea-ing, dancing existence that
was the sum of Lila's daily round.
My dear!" she murmured in
diligently. "You have no idea
you simply have no idea how
deadly it is. Sometimes l think
I'll run away to Majorca, to Bali,
or some place where one doesn't
have to see people -"
Now it was Gypsy's turn to be
amused.
ct hear those places are
crowded, too" she said with a
pleasant laugh. To distract Lila,
she offered a promise of tea. She
had bought some little cakes in
the village, that morning, pink
and white ones, looking like cakes
for a children's party. These she
offered her caller on a tin tray
painted green, with the ice clink-
ing delightfully."- in the amber
glasses.
"This is-nice," Lila offered,
laying aside her gloves, her expen-
sive-looking bag, to accept the
plate Gypsy offered. You're a
very comfortable sort of person,
do you know that, my dear?
There's something about this
garden, simple as it is. :" She
did not finish the sentence, but
Gypsy knew what she meant. And
indeed the peace and simplicity
of the place laid cool hands upon
you. There was a sort of magic
there, for those wise enough to
find il.
Gypsy told her friend some
thing of the stress Of the past
months: her feeling of weakness
and misery, the heat Of town,
their release when Tom had found
this place. Lila laid her long,
slim-fngered hand on her cheek
and looked at the younger girl
with wide, serious, concerned
eyes.
But my dear, why didn't you
let me know? You might have
come to rs"
Now she was more like the old
playmate Gypsy had played sand
tag with on the beach in Maine
so many happy summers. She had
for the moment dropped her air
of boredom and artificiality and
was simply another girl, sympa-
thetic, sincere and loving.
GYPSY laughed aloud at the pic
ture of herself, in her old ging-
hams and dimities, among Lila's
Southampton crowd. you're aw-
fully kind" she said. "It's sweet
of you to say that, but 1 didn't
want to leave Tom, anyhow"
THE heat of the afternoon deep
l. ened around them. Birds sang
in the bushes and a salt breeze
blew off the Sound and still Lila
stayed on.
Gypsy asked about Derek and it
seemed to her that his young wife
answered, hastily and almost cold
~, that she turned her eyes fleet
ingly away.
Hes all right. He's splendid,
she, added most unconvincingly.
What was the matter with Derek
these days, Lila asked herself
with resentment. He was always
tired, taciturn, reserved. You
grew tired of playing up to a
mans moods. She, herself, didn't
believe in it. Men ought to real
ize-her father always had-that
the woman, the wife, was the i'm
portant cog in domestic affairs.
She was the one to be petted,
amused, made happy. 1t was the
mans business to make as much
money as possible, to surround
his wife with lovely things, give
her the setting she deserved.
She wasn't like Gypsy, to be
contented with a hearth and blue
aprons and a rickety little car.
She had to have life, movement,