Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-05-20

81 was thinking-looking at her pic
, ture, when / was having breakfast
downstairs"
Felicia thought several things 81
multaneously. That what he was
thinking he would tell her in his own
due time, and she couldn't hurry him.
That he always breakfasted down.
stairs so as not to disturb her, and
came up afterward, tiptoeing heavily,
to see whether she might be awake
and would talk to him. That the
sound of his tiptoeing was just suf-
ficient to wake her, always.
"I was thinking, Felicia, that De-
Mise is not the sort who should marry
without love-" Eustace went on.
There. He was shrewd to figure
that out. How had he? He saw so
little of Denise, she didn't suppose
he knew about Keith. She said slow
ly: "Love has so many definitions"
"No; don't put me off, darling. It
seems pretty important"
"Pretty important, too, that Father
and Mother shouldn't go bankrupt,
Eustace."
"I was afraid that was it,"
She did not answer.
He looked at her straightly, his
gray eyes clear as a child's.
eff you thing it's all right"
"How can one be sure? I think
it's sensible"
eyes. It was sensible of you to
marry me, too, instead of Duane. Have
you been glad you did, thought"
She was so startled she could not
believe she had heard him Alright.
Never since their wedding day had he
said anything that indicated he knew
she had married him while she loved
his reckless cousin.
He said evenly: Don't look troubled
my dear. Sometimes, I've just want
ed to know if you were really happy.
You're so much clever than I, and you
pretend better. shouldn't have ask
ed, of course"
"You should have asked, if you
wanted to know" But she could not,
could not keep her voice from shaki-
ing, remembering how madly she'd
loved Duane, how she had wept, Sec
reilly and so alone, when he crashed
the last of the planes he loved, and
died swiftly.
Her husband looked at her. She
made herself be steady. Futile to
wonder whether she wished she'd shar
ed one year with Duane, instead of
having all the other years could bring
her-to wonder still whether she wish
ed she had been beside him in that
last instant when his plane went down
and he who had so hated loneliness
must have been so dreadfully lonely,
facing death.
She said, very fast: II wouldn't
have married anyone but you. Pm
always glad l IN married to you, Eus-
tace." But he had been watching her
face, not listening to her words, and
he sighed.
perhaps Gilbert isn't prepared to
keep Denise with such light rein."
That odd phrase caught at her. Yes,
he had held her with very light
rein, these three years. Suddenly she
felt ungrateful. "Eustace, Pm not
half as nice to you as l should be.
But you mustn't get notions in your
handsome head, just because once,
briefly, 1 was fond of your cousin.
Such ages ago, I'd almost forgotten
it, and never guessed it worried you"
She held out her round arms to
him. He bent down to kiss her, and
she made her kiss reassuring. No
need to let Eustace be unhappy, If
kisses could help it!
November was a month of gray low
ering days and odd, clear, sunlit days
that seemed left over from a far sum-
mer. 1t seemed to Denise that they
went by fast, yet were empty, though
she was occupied with her trousseau
and wedding arrangements.
"a quiet wedding, If you don't
mind, DEAR" her mother said gently.
cts in much better taste, since our
money is Gilbert's really"
She said she did not mind.
'No use in a long engagement"
Felicia said firmly, "since Gilbert can
best arrange his affairs to take a
leave soon."
Denise echoed her: "No use in a
!, long engagement"
Gilbert was gone to Canada for that
arrangement of his affairs. sim go
ing to take a whole year off," he
!, said, "and spend it making you hap
py."
CL~ oo,,lI 80 o,,:Aa ~a~aot UY1 okinO