The Washington times., 1937-03-31

| very Sell!
The strangest thought came to
her husband: that there on can
vas. smiling a little forever, was
all that remained of the Denise
who had loved Keith Sheldie; that
the girl upstairs was already an
other person.
She came running down the cor
ridor to him, in a gray tweed SKuC
and white pullover, hatleSs.
Gilbert smiled at her as he re-
marked:
Sometimes, Denise, you look
about 13 years old. It's startling,
when one is expecting an adult to
appear"
Don't worry. It's an illusion.
I'm old for my age, really. Let's
go find mother and father, and
tell them we'll be gone all day."
She was carefully not turning
her eyes to the portrait; and when
she observed Gilbert glancing at
it. she flushed little.
"It'S nice thing, Denise"
eyes, better painting than any
thing I ever saw of his. But l
don't want it, now"
Better keep it. You needn't
hang it until"
Until what, Gilbert?"
Until some day you only think
Of it as a good painting"
They walked long way, speak
ing to each other of some bit OF
scenery, of the Sheep-dogs watch
ing their flocks, of nothing beyond
the moment, the sunlight upon
them, the salt air against their
cheeks. They lunChed in a fold in
the downs, by a dew pond, a mood
upon them such as they'd known
before.
When they came near home, the
shadows we're long across the
downs, and that steady fresh
breeze was rising, when her foot
steps Jagged. He asked: Tired,
DeniSe?"
Not really. could walk on for
ever in this breeze blowing. 1t
blows away so many things. Old
foolish intenSitieS and bitterness. :"
What does it leave?"
"The feeling of being glad to be
alive. Poor EuStace!"
Il don't think he would have
wanted life much without Felicia"
She stretched her thin young
arms out to the sky, the sea, the
blue downs. "Good-by, Eustace,
whom I liked very much! Good-by,
Keith and Felicia, whom I loved,
and all the yesterdays happy and
unhappy when I knew you" A
gesture, a speech, eXtraVagant,
young, tender, q little WiStful.
Gilbert waited, breathless. She
walked on ahead, then turned
and smiled at him over her
shoulder.
Denise" Gilbert said after a
moment, you said once that you
wanted to know what you
wanted"
Eyes, Gilbert"
DO you KNOW!
"Yes, Gilbert" She was laugh.
ing now.
Tell me-"
She still walked little ahead
of him. Her laughter rippled
back softly. 1T will take a long
time to tell you"
But she stopped then, and
looked up at him, her eyes grave.
He looked at her without touch
ing her. do we have a long
time, Denise?"
She repeated his words-"A
long time. All the years. To be
busy. even to be little useful if
possible, and always to love each
other"
She held up a face altogether
serene for his kiss.
In the instant his arms
frightened round her shoulder, she
remembered, far away, ONE one
younger who had said, after a
minute that might have been like
this and never as: End of
Denise RendaIe and Keith Shell
die"
That minute that never was
went far, far beyond remem-
brance down the clear wind,
when Gilbert kissed her now. So
she never quite knew, any more
than Gilbert did, why the first
thing she said afterWard was:
This is the beginning, r. ally,
of Denise and Gilbert Window"
They were sometime secure in
that beginning by their first we'd
ding anniversary. They were
back in New York, furnishing
ter house. "A house." she'd
said, mot a penthouse. I don't
know exactly why"
Because Felicia and Keith were
living in Maryland, she never
saw them, and was seldom re-
minded of them. So she did not
remember Felicia saying: "Why
does anyone want a house, when
a penthouse is so much easier?"
She just thought: "I want a
house. A house is much more
fun for children"
On the morning of her we'd
ding anniversary her husband
walked her by saying: Denise,
darling-We've been married a
year noW-the trial year you
wanted. And I suppose we did
marry in relative haste, so you've
had your leisure to repent. Tell
me, have you repented?"
Why on earth was Gilbert wax
ing her to talk about repentance?
Sleepily she replied: Dearest,
dearest-many happy returns;
only that's for birthdays, isn't
it?"