Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1936-09-24

|Mountaiin|
) By FRANCES !
5 SHELLEY WEES 5
: Copyright by
Frances Shelley Wees
WNU Service
CHAPTER IX-Continued
Copyright by
Frances Shelley Wees
WNU Service

l
30
My dear, you are more than wei
come" Grandmother said warmly.
ANY friends of Bryn's are our friends,
too, and our home is always open to
them. And l am delighted to hear
you discussing details of modern So
ciety. l am sure your talk will be a
liberal education for Deborah, and
help her to establish herself more
easily when she goes out into Bryn's
world with him."
Pillars black eyes rested momentari-
ly on Deborah. They were quite ex-
pressionless. "There will be no diff
culties for Deborah" she said tender
ly. "She Is so adorable that she won't
need to make the slightest effort. Ev-
cry one will fall in love with her at
first sight,
"Just as Bryn did," Sally added, and
looked fleetingly at Pillar.
"Just as Bryn did," Pillar repeated,
but her mouth frightened little, Deb
Orah saw, at the corners.
"How long are you planning to stay,
Pilar?" Madeline said evenly. "Are
you going home for the yacht races?"
Il really hadn't considered 1t. l
wasn't sure Id he invited to stay, you
see"
Grandmother gave little sigh 81
am so thankful that when Deborah
does emerge into society she will have
dear Bryn to take care of her. He un,
derstands so well what her life has
been, and lie is so thoughtful and low
ing 1t takes great load off my mind
TO have him So"
"Bryn has always been DEAR" Pillar
agreed at once. II don't know what l
should ever have done without Bryn,"
she went on. For years, now, he has
been my staunchest comrade. No mat
ter in what difficulty l found myself,
there was always Bryn, and he brought
me all his troubles and joys as well.
1t delights my heart to know that he
is happy"
Deborah did not move. Grandmother
lifted her eyes and looked at Pillar
frankly. you modern girls are so
honest and open," she said. "In my
day girl would never have dared to
make such statement about a man.
She would have been afraid of being
misunderstood"
"NIisunderstood?' Pillar murmured
flicking open the lighter.
SIN my day." Grandmother explained
"there were few young men such as
our dear Bryn, so handsome, so ell
gible in every way, so fine If girl
had been his friend always, as you
have been, my child, then she would
have been expected to marry him, and,
indeed, she would herself have expect
ed to marry him. do not quite I'M
derstand the new camaraderie which
allows Of such close friendships with
out any thought of marriage or roman
tic love. In my day, so queerly uncon-
trolled was human nature then, the
sort of friendship you mention would
have been potentially dangerous If
either the girl or the man-particular.
ly the man-married elsewhere"
Pillars eyes narrowed the faintest
trife against the light as she looked
at Grandmother. Grandmother was sit
ting up a little straighter than Deb
0rah had seen her sit for some time,
and there was little pink in her
cheeks. But her eyes as they met
Pillars were calm and kind, and Deb
Orah pushed away the thought that
Grandmother suspected something and
to1,t
the hint Of danger.
Pillar rose and stood for a moment.
tall and lissome and full of grace, be-
side the door. She was smiling. Gus
toms are very different now" she MUIR
INJURED. and begged to be excused, and
went out through the door.
There was little silence when Pillar
was gone. Deborah looked up from
the puppy to find Grandmother stitch
ing away placidly again, her eyes on
her material, and Sally and Madeline
looking at each other with steady
understand. They didn't know what
1t must have been like for Pillar to
love Bryn, to have loved him for years,
and then to have him suddenly marry
another girl. They didn't know what
1t meant to love Bryn. Simon and
Tubby were all right, of course, and
perfect darlings, but they weren't
Bryn. Deborah's eyes burned, and the
bad lump came back in her throat.
There was knock at the door. 1t
was one of the maids, wanting Deb
orah. The cook would like her orders,
The maid said respectfully. Deborah
went out and shut the door behind her.
Deborah stumbled down the hall to.
ward the kitchen. In her minds eve
she could see herself sitting on the
wall the other night, with Bryn lean
Ing close beside her. She remembered
what she had wanted to do. Bryn's
face was SO close. and he was such a
dear; she had wanted to take his face