Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-07-22

call WFlle.
Only. she thought, not that he low
ed her much else he would not hav
written that. She said to herself fur
iously: $50 he's willing to make al
honest woman of me. Well, h
needn't" And in that brief ange
she sailed.
But the anger did not endure pas
New York harbor. She began to maxi
excuses for those two letters.
She sent him a wireless: "Pleas'
Keith sail as soon as you are able tt
join me Stop 1 had to sail stop will
explain when I see you Love Felicia.
He had to join her, to make hel
feel important and wanted, and thai
her looks were all right, really, that
she just imagined they weren't. She
was glad she had instructed the wire.
less operator to give her any message
she might receive privately.
Keith's answer was comfortingly
prompt: Get Denise to invite me
and then there is no reason not Stop
Will be able to travel in month Stop
What a willful woman you are Stop
Where shall 1 address letters Love
Keith"
Well, she could get Denise to in
vite him, she supposed. She had u.s.
ually been able to persuade Denise to
do what she wanted. But on her ar
rival in England she was startled by
her sisters attitude to her, having
believed-because she wanted to
that Denise would long since have
recovered from any resentment of the
situation as it involved Keith. Still,
Felicia was determined to have him
join her. They would face the family,
all at once, get it over with, and sail
home.
Felicia was patient with difficulty
through the days before Gilbert's de-
parture. Better not try with Denise,
while he was in her presence. Denise
would ask his advice, and he would
certainly refuse to have Keith as a
guest.
Denise might not tell him, of course
There was clearly something strain
ed in her relationship with him. But,
it couldn't be chanced that Denise
should tell. Wearily the possibilities
went round and round in Felicia's
head.
She could meet Keith in London
even if she failed with Denise. But
both Keith and herself knew too many
people. The chances were that they
would be seen. And, for Eustace's
sake at least, she would cause nc
more unnecessary scandal. Let Keith
come to Sussex, be chaperoned by her
parents presence and they would Set
tie everything quickly enough.
The most important thing would
be settled, so far as she was con-
cerned, when she first watched Keith's
face, regarding hers. So great was
her urgency to have that moment ar
rive and then be past, that her pa
tience wore extremely thin in the last
hours of Gilbert's stay.
She and Denise were no more than
turning from the dock-side when that
patience snapped. She said: Il want
Keith to come here, Denise. You
must help me about it"
A broken right leg and arm, lacera-
tions of the head and neck and pos
sible internal injuries (they turned
out to be slight) give man time off
from engagements to think.
The thoughts of Keith Sheldie, Jr.
in the time after his physicians ceased
giving him sedatives, were curiously
regretful: First, that he had not been
sufficiently convincing with a gir
named Denise Rendale in an era that
seemed about equidistant (the dis
tance enormously in time and in re-
ality. Second, that if an encountel
on an unfamiliar road, with a vehicle
the driver of which he'd never, con
sciously seen, was to fling him out o,
his normal life, he would rather have
been travelling that road for SOM
more vital reason than to bring hom
from an innocent and so stupidity com
promising weekend, lady he did no
much love. His thought clarified a
the sharp agonies of pain subsided
But clearest from the beginning, wa
. that knowledge that he did not mucl
; love Felicia n.
The transition from the hospital t
his fathers house always remained
, blur in his mind. There after he i'm