The Washington times., 1936-02-06
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fears. Her whole face shone.
Gene, too, had q baby. She
wanted to dash out to the porch,
and bring in her baby, to show
him in all his pink and gold
lovelineSS.
And then Gene answered: "Yeh,
II months now. Bright little tad,
too."
He fumbled in his pocket,
brought out a nickel watch.
Pasted inside the case was the
photograph Of a child, with large,
dark eyes.
She looked at the blurred little
picture. A dark-eyed baby. AS
clearly as if it were before her
again she saw Blue Mountain, the
dark pines, the summer sun filter
ing through interlaced maple and
dogwood leaves. Snelled the pun.
gent white flowered mountain
misery"
She felt as If she were being
sucked into q dark tunnel, q black,
breathless tunnel, leading back to
the past.
She was a little girl again, and
Gene was a tall, bronzed boy, with
flashing white teeth and long, dark
eyes full Of life and laughter.
Wave after wave Of emotion
washed over her, leaving her white
and limp in her chair. Weakly she
raised her eyes to the man who was
once that boy.
He was lighting another cigaret.
She saw the heavy jowlS, the moist,
thick lips. the black-rimmed, nico-
tine-Stained fingernailS. Even the
Soiled collar and the grease spots
on his coat.
Her stomach seemed to turn
over. She felt sick and half hys-
terical and wholly light-headed.
But sane again. Blessedly sane.
"You won't have another cup of
coffee? No? Then I mustn't keep
you. I've taken too much time al
ready"
"Oh, I'm in no hurry, Christie. I
may as well sit here in comfort and
talk over old times as pull door
bells. Nobody'S buying"
Nov, Gene, Is that the way to
talk? OF course you won't sell any
thing If you take that attitude. I'm
surprised at you. Now run along,
and, anyway, I have q 4 o'clock ap-
pointment and I'm afraid there's
hardly time. Yes, good luck. And
it was good to see you again. Good
bye!"
Barely had she shut the door be-
hind him when the baby whooped
from his buggy on the porch.
For moment she leaned against
the heavy door, weak with relief.
Then color came back to her moist,
blanched skin and strength to her
shaking limbs, and she went and
gathered the wailing child to her
heart.
Too late to make a pie now. Don
aid would have to have coffee cake
for dessert. Swiftly she set the
table, put potatoes to bake in the
oven, frenched the string beans,
and made the hamburger into little
cakes, all ready to put under the
broiler the minute Donald's car
came up the drive.
The tea kettle was boiling and
the beans almost cooked, and she
was just going to get the bread and
butter when she happened to look
over to the drainboard and saw the
coffee cups, the plates, and the
crumpled napkins.
That would never do! Donald
would be sure to ask who had
been in for coffee.
In her haste to get them
washed and out Of the way be-
fore he arrived she dropped q
saucer, had to stop and clean
up the mess. But everything
was done and dinner was ready
when he came.
"How'S my girl?"
"Swell! How's my boy?"
She laid her flushed cheek
against his cool one, chung to him,
feeling safe and secure at last.
But when he said, Anything
new? Anybody come in today" she
lied.
She said, mo"
Ito be Continued
(copyriSht. 1885. King Features