The Washington times., 1937-03-08

A boy ana a girl. GfeaG-grano
Everyone murmured faster and
faster, except Felicia, who was
nearly overwhelmed by the mad
dest impulse to tell the truth to
all those self-satisfied, dull, dull
people! If she said: II won't
have children, because they
wouldn't be Duane Fenton's chill
dren. How long since the name
Of that other grandson had been
spoken here? He was the most
brilliant and charming of you all"
They all, auntS, great-auntS and
cousins, disapproved of him. He
wasn't safe. Their disapproval
drove him from recklessneSS to
reckleSSnesS. because he'd wanted
their admiration so.
Or if she said: I'm an expensive
moment of sanity I married
Eustace instead Of Duane, though
Duane and I used to talk about
the children we wanted to have!"
She looked at Eustace. who was
looking at her SC adoringly! Poor
dear, sometime when she was a
little older, a little more resigned,
she'd have children if he wanted
them. even if he taught them to
ride before they could walk. Some
day when she really faced the
fact that there was nothing else
ever. Not quite yet.
He said at Newark airport, so
hopefully: "I'll miss you. You
might change your mind and
come out later"
She answered, Perhaps" and
went from the airport to q lesson
in acrobatic dancing.
Next day, as she walked up
Fifth Avenue thinking about buy"
ing some new hats, she met Keith
Sheldie. walking down Fifth
Avenue.
After Thanksgiving, Keith Shell
die, Senior, caught cold, and re-
fusing to take care of 1t, cD'on't
wish me into my grave yet,") de-
veloped pneumonia. He was very
Ill.
His son sat at his bedside with
an appalling feeling in his heart
that he should care very much
about what happened to his
father, and he could not. could
not!
When the crisis passed, and the
coterie of assembled physicians
said, Hell recover" Keith'S re-
lief was greater for the feeling
that he was spared knowing what
his emotions would have been,
under other circumstances.
It was not until his father was
well along in convalescence that
Keith realized he was changed.
Amazingly, he had grown gentle
On Christmas night he summoned
his son into his bedroom, where,
wrapped in blankets, he somewhat
resembled a Shrunken Buddha,
and said: "Sit and talk to me a
bit, if you have no other engage
ment, Keith"
Then he seemed to have moth
ing in particular to say until: "A
great many things got burnt out
Of me with that fever-old hates
old revenges. I've not given you
much of a life, my boy"
Keith could find no answer. But
none apparently was expected HIS
father went on:
You'll have your own money
from now on. I'm seeing to it to-
morrow"
Now that it didn't matter! Those
old shrewd eyes seemed to read
that thought on his face. You'll II
still find things you want to DO
with it, Keith. even people who'll
seem important to you. You are
young" There was kind OF
wistful envy in his voice for just
a moment.
But Keith thought, Denise,
DeniSe!" and did not notice. He'd
said to her, "nothing's forever
nowadays" but if he believed that
or not, he did not know. Denise
was on her honeymoon in the
Mediterranean.
In the next 10 days, to amuse
his father, he painted a portrait
of him. 1t was rather good, and
cheered him op. Until then. from
the day Denise had said, play
around with painting" he had not
touched a brush.
His father was delighted with
the picture and commanded fine
gold frame for it. But the an.
accustomed role Of devoted son
had become something Of q strain,