The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-07-22

you have a duty to me, too"
"Well My idea is that you
should take over the store. Then
if you find it-ah-incOnvenlent
under the circumstances, you sell
it for a comfortable sum. Posi-
bly, to Roger Barnes"
II know what you mean by in
convenient said Helena slowly
They'll all hate me-"
Courtney looked grim. They'll
regard you as an interlOper for
a time, possibly. l wouldn't mis-
lead you there. And Roger Barnes
may be an active enemy
And Leah Frazier"
Courtney shook his head. Il
can't answer that.
But Helena could answer 1t,
Her sure, woman's instinct told
her that Leah Frazier would be a
far more active enemy than Rog-
er Barnes, whatever the latter
might be like.
The attorney looked at his
watch. THE caretaker has offer
ed to take us to the station to
catch the afternoon train. I'll see
to =. all the arrangements, and
the services, of course, will be
be over there. You'll come with
u.s."
Helena nodded. "Of course I'll
want to to be at the funeral.
Then III decide about the - the
other"
Courtney left the room briskly,
and a few moments later Helena
sought Sandra. Briefly, through a
fresh flood of tears, she told San
dra Leigh what Peter had done.
But | can't go through with it,
don't you see? II don't belong
in Peters life OF in his town or
in his business. IL haven't the
right"
The Leigh girl sat squarely in
front of her, lifted Helena's chin
until their eyes met. Look here,
child. Pm glad you came to me
with this. II rather feel | got
you into it, and | want the chance
to see you through it. Answer a
question for me. Who has a bet
ter right to it than you?"
Peters uncle. Perhaps this -
-hiS ooh Fro zia,. >,
Nonsense! | don't know Pc
.er's uncle, but there must have
been some good reason why he
vas left out altogether. AS for
Leah Frazier, feel sorry for her
f you want. But I'll tell you this,
you'd better feel sorrier for your
self. She has that town by the
all, and she'll swing it against
you every chance she gets. l think
know women, Helena. She's the
Kind that doesn't fall for a man,
:oss over everything for him. She
lad herself set for Peter, and she
vas going to get him. 1t never
whether she loved him,
,r whether he loved her."
But L"
LET me finish, Helena. You
thought you were in love with
Peter. | think you were, but
whether it was love or just an in
that swept you off your
feet doesn't matter now. You were
willing to take the chance, and
you took it. You couldn't know
his was going to happen. And
don't think you're being handed
free. Life doesn't work
put that way. If you make a go
Of it in Peters home town with
what he left you, then you'll fight
ike hell for it and win it on your
own."
There was a knock at the door,
and at Sandra's invitation it
opened and revealed a tall, cool
blond.
"Miss Frazier =. :" Sandra said
"this is Mrs. Henderson.
Leah Frazier's gaze was sharp,
penetrating, and under it Helena
felt her face growing crimson.
How do you do?" said Leah, i'm
mediately ignoring Helena. She
turned to Sandra. II was wonder
ing about the plane schedule to
the city. Pm rather upset and
don't think I'll return home for
a few days"
While Leah stood there facing
Sandra, Helena examined her.
She was indeed beautiful. Her
features, her figure were perfect
almost as though she had been
done in marble by some sculptor
but a sculptor who had some
how been unable to breathe soft
ness into his work. Her poise was
a mosaic, nicely fitted together, a
pattern from smart schools, from
Cannes, from Paris, from Florida
and Palm Springs. For a moment
Helena felt strangely afraid. This!
then, was the woman who would
have been Peter Henderson's
wife. "Sandra was right" Helena
thought. "She didn't love Peter,
She couldn't love anyone. She
she's not even going to his funer,
al"
A troublesome voice somewhere
in her brain kept asking, "Did you
love Peter? How do you know?
How do you know it wasn't the
new environment, the gaiety OF
Sandra's crowd - Peter making
love to you in the moonlight -
how do you know it wasn't that?'
In a sudden flash of self-revela,
ton she saw that what she was
feeling for Peters death was not
so much grief as shock. Grief
was something that welled up out
of the years, out of an association
L E..oo,, &1,yo ponn1a thrOIIph han.