The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1935-12-12

Lucas, though she knew Gerald
would only laugh at her.
It was a black, blustery night,
and Silver put on her old leather
jacket and her close-fitting tweed
hat. She went out into the inky
darkness and started toward the
summit of the hill, when a sudden
are of light, like the striking of
match, arrested her attention
through the small window of Rod
dy's workshop in the shelter of the
slope.
Roddy must be in there, she
thought, getting ready for another
nights work. The thought of his
self-imposed loneliness smote drear-
lily across Si1ver's heart. Why should
she not go to him now and talk to
him-beg him not to remain away
from his fathers house because Of
her?
She stepped to the threshold and
paused.
"Roddy!" she called softly.
He scooped up handfuls Of corn.
'Well?"
81 came over to beg you not to
not to stay away from our house
because of me-" Silver said. IF
that's the reason"
He stood up and looked at her.
At the painful flush that sprang in
to her cheeks, he stepped toward
her with contrite haste. His feelings
were in such confusion now that he
could scarcely speak.
"I'm sorry, Silver" he said heavi-
ly. cts certainly no time for me to
hold out against you-after this.We
don't seem to understand each 9TH
er, that's ALL"
Silver turned her eyes from him.
II can't 60 on like this" she said.
1T has been utter misery"
II can't say I've been enjoying it
myself" He looked down at her and
saw that she was shivering. But
listen-you'd better get back into
the house," he remarked gruff1y.
'rll try to clean this place up a
little" He reached down and drew
her to her feet, then took her hand
in the most acute embarrassment
he had ever known. Lets forget it,
Silver"
For a moment she permitted her
hand TO rest in his, then withdrew
it hurriedly. Without word she
ran to the door and vanished in the
darkness toward the stone house.
Later, when Roddy thoughtfully
returned home, the strong wind
beating up the slope against him
seemed fantastcally like that sud-
den impact of Silver's cold, slender
body.
Good Lord!" he muttered, and
ran his hand across his eyes, must
be crazy"
But as he lay in bed thinking
over the events of the night, it was
the memory of Silver Grenoble's
clinging to him that gnawed and
worried at the core of his being un-
til at last as he stared up toward
the invisible ceiling, his whole life
seemed to be tangled in hopeless
maze.
He vowed savagely that tonor-
row he would do two things-he
would write a letter to Neal An
thony definitely rejecting his offer,
and in the evening he would drive
to Ballantyne and fetch Corinne
home.
Beneath the cobalt glitter of the
sky Roddy found himself driving
along at a snail's pace, although he
had forty miles yet to go-and fifty
miles back home again, with Co.
rhine beside him.
Corinne had deliberately pro-
longed her visit with her mother,
as Roddy knew, in the hope that he
might finally accept Neal Anthony's
offer, if only to please her. She had
been affection itself, indeed, and
always spoke regretfully of her
prolonged absence. But Roddy had
had time to do a little thinking
about Corinne. She was young and
spoiled and wholly unframed in re-
sponsibility. But she would grow
up in time, Roddy reflected, and
the passing months would bring to
her a sense of her place in the
scheme of things.