The Coolidge examiner., 1936-08-28

for q little stroll.
1t was q glorious night. The
moon had already risen, and hung.
a huge silver lamp, just over the
top Of the lowest hill. The sky was
deep blue. Grandmother leaned on
Bryn's arm; Deborah was on her
other side.
They came back to the front porch
at last, but Grandmother did not
stop. She did not seem to notice
their awkward silence. She walked
to the corner of the house, and
there, gently, she withdrew from
between them and tucked Deborah's
arm in Bryn's.
There, my darlings," she said,
with the ghost Of laugh. Walk
together down the path beside the
brook. It's perfect night for low
ers. am going in now. Good
night" and before Deborah's hand
could stop her, she was gone.
Very nice night" Bryn said for
mally.
YES" Deborah agreed after a
moment.
She glanced up at him In the moon
light, but his face was cool and un-
moved. Wordless, she followed his
lead, walking quietly beside him.
They went slowly down along the
brook.
They were almost at the end of
the path. He had not spoken. She
lifted her head. I'm I'm sorry
you fell and hurt YOURSELF" she
Said in that delicious low voice
with the tiny break.
II didn't hurt myself" Bryn said
calmly. Sorry to cause a commo-
ton"
They reached the end of the path.
Bryn turned. Deborah hesitated,
but, after a second, turned beside
him. Halfway to the house she
heSitated. 1T was kind of YOU
to remember tobacco for Gary" she
said. II didn't realize why he
wasn't smoking"
Bryn did not reply.
Almost back at the house, she
spoke again. Her voice held hint
of desperation. 1T . it is a love
ly night. isn't it," she said.
II think it's little chilly" Bryn
replied. do you suppose your
grandmother thinks we've been out
long enough nOw?"
She stopped and looked up at him.
And as he looked down at her, she
turned away with a little droop in
her shoulders. and left him.
Deborah stood against the stone
railing Of the balcony, surveying
the changes taking place in her lit
tie world, and was thoroughly mis-
cradle. Everyone seemd to be in a
conspiracy against her. Day by
day, slowly but inexorably, all that
reminded her of the old peaceful
happy life was being removed, and
nobody seemed to realize or care
that she was being left alone in a
vacuum. Even Grandmother didn't
care. Grandmother was very hap
py; her cheeks grew pinker every
day, her appetite had improved.
Grandmother. of course. thought
that Deborah was happy too. 1t
hadn't occurred to her that this
dream of hers which had come true
had never been Deborah's dream.
Yes, Bryn was making Grand
mother happy; but that was fright
ening. Because, at the end of the
year -.
Deborah fell to wondering what
Bryn's own girl was like. She would
be beautiful, of course, and prob
ably tall and queenly, instead of lit
tie and childish. 1t was difficult to
understand what her circumstances
were that she would allow him to
make money for her in such a
strange way. If she were wealthy,
surely they would have been mar
ried whether he had money or not.
If she were poor, one would think
that she would have been willing TO
marry him and share his difficult
times with him. There must be
something about her that Deborah
didn't understand.
Deborah moved suddenly from the
balcony railing and went inside her
own pretty bedroom; and there she
flung herself on the bed and cried
miserably into the silver and vio-
let spread.
After long time she sat up and
dried her eyes. There wasn't any
thing to cry about. What if they
had laughed at her? She would
never see the girl, and the girl
would never see her. AS for the
man, they were as distant from each
other as any two people could pos
Slniy De, WHO Hdu l" act at inter-
walls an affectiOnate little comedy.
The other night she had tried, it
was true, to be friendly. He had
been cold and unresponsive, and
she hated him for it. But it was
better for him to be so. Far bet
ter. There wasn't anything be-
tween them but the relation OF an
employer to servant; he had said