Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-08-12
~Lei/urrte to 2,e Rs

/
you"
"Odd," said Denise, ''he likes
lish ships best, usually"
81 suppose this was the most
venient sailing"
Denise was reading the SC,
message: Sailing Normarrie
Southampton Thursday all love
So in six days he would arrlv..
Felicia quoted: so make the most
of what We yet may spend" Denise
looked at her. Something scornful in
Felicia white face!
There were six days, five days, four
days, three days left; and nothing was
resolved in Denise's heart. Two days
before the Normarrie was scheduled
to dock, Felicia said at breakfast:
"Think I'll go to London tomorrow,
and leave Keith and Denise to amuse
each other"
"I'm going up with your mother" i"
her father said. well all take the
same train"
mo, if you don't mind, Father, I'd
like to start at sunrise and drive. It
would be fun to see the country"
"Such long drive!" Sara Rendale
protested.
"Well, I may stay in town over
night"
"But then you may not be here for
Gilbert's arrival"
"He's not coming to see me-" Fe-
licia said dryly.
On Wednesday morning, she did
start a little before sunrise, but for
Southampton. True that the Norman
rie docked Thursday, but Gilbert was
aboard the Merritaria. She had
changed the message on a sudden an
CRY impulse when she copied it down.
Denise had been too interfering! She
would get even by interfering a little
herself.
Occasionally during the interval be-
tween changing that message, and
waiting for the Merritaria"s arrival,
what she had done troubled her. Per-
haps Gilbert would wireless as he
neared England. But she could Just
say she'd mistaken the original cable,
and no harm done. But he did not
happen to wireless.
Keith finished Denise's portrait that
week. 1t was charming thing. They
both seemed very pleased about it
and Felicia's determination hardened,
watching them. They made it plain
enough she was less important to
either of them than they were to each
other.
Well, when Gilbert came, they
should see!
Mr.. and Mrs. Rendale left for Lon
lon shortly after breakfast. "Well be
nome on the ten o'clock train to-
hight, Denise," her mother said. "But
ion't wait up for us unless you want.
You'll have to make such an early
start tomorrow to meet dear Gilbert"
eyes," Denise said. Then they were
rome, and she and Keith had one day
eft to spend together.
Con the road to Southampton, Fe-
icia was thinking: "Today's all the
ime they have. That itself will bring
o crisis whatever-oh, whatever I
perhaps stupidity, imagine" Yet she
ould not have imagined that special
glance they exchanged, whenever they
hought she was not noticing, or the
excitement in their voices She
lated them bothD
To Keith, these weeks of an Eng
ish summer held the curious quality
# dream. Nothing settled between
himself and Felicia. But all that had
o be, could be settled now in a mo-
nent. He did not hurry the mo-
nent, because-because from the hour
lie first saw Denise, he knew he loved
Ter more than in the year before.
He meant to speak no word to her.
He told himself furiously that he did
not mean to be doubly cad! He had
owed her, behaved badly to her, and
so lost her as he deserved. But had
ne, had he lost her? Her dark blue
eyes regarded him; her smile was gay,
tender.
Keith said to himself over and over:
II am crazy to think she's more than
lust courteous. Her husband will be !,