The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-08

1 with nef DtAOlt lciNihS hei lhSi Z,
TO afford them opportunity to ask
| questions if they desired-and to
give them q pleasant smile and d
kind of cool, daunting eye if they
thought to try.
They did not try, much. He was
not a harum scarum boy; there
was nothing sinister about him
that they could object to; he had
q mind of his own, and he was OBJ
viously playing square with their
granddaughter, whatever they
thought of her own reliability.
And then all at once they with
drew all opposition, scrutiny,
even curiosity. They left the two
of them alone when he came, even
so far as to close the door DELHI
erately between. They made no
comment OF any kind in Terry's
hearing when he had gone. They
were not approving; they were
simply holding off, waiting. 1t
was not Ike them.
IL came suddenly to Joe that
they were furthering q marriage
they thought they saw in the ar
rangement even TO the extent
of leaving him in undisturbed
privacy for hours at Il time with
their unreliable and hayward
granddaughter, in hopes =. in
hopes. e.,
II was an infmiating thought.
The meanness of that! They would
be rid OF her, and in a way that
would Justify them utterly. 1t was
against nature-and yet there it
was,
II caused reaction i'll Joe Muir
raw. Ii set him 10 thinking. A
man begins to go about with 4
girl. and pretty soon people smile
and take matters for granted, and
first thing you know they are
married, whatever they may have
thought in the beginning. That
was right enough. But here he
was going about with a girl, and
her family were thinking of mar
riage i'm their own twisted way
other people probably drew
their own conclusions as well. q.
His own people. He had long
stopped talking about Terry at
home. Terry had long stopped
dropping in. There was certain
tension at home; they dared not
breach personal questions, but
they were thinking, and he could
feel il. They were like any family
anywhere. jealous and particular.
They did not think SO much OF
Terry as Il wife for him. With that
family the best the kid had, you
couldn't blame them. They want
ed a fine, proud, beautiful girl
for him, somebody with substance
and Importance and cleverneSs,
who would at the same time adore
him madly and manage him cooily
and expertly, saving his money
and running his home and mother
ing his babies. His, mind you!
How hopeless their dream.
lie could never make the grade
with I girl like that, even if so
miraculous u person did happen to
want him. lie might try. But he
would fail. She would be too
much like Helen. When he
thought OF falling in love again,
of choosing himself such fine.
proud, beautiful wife, he only
thought OF Helen, and the other
faded to nothingness.
And what would they have
made OF Helen, if he had brought
her to them? They called her
"Polack." Not now. but once they
had. "Polaek", They knew moth
ing of the pitiful endearment, in
that word. They knew nothing Of
the beauty he had almost, almost
possessed. They knew nothing
about the happiness, the suffering
that came after happiness, the
quality and power of his dream.
They did not know anything about
him. He was alone, among friends,
among kin.
Except tor Terry. That was Il
strange thing. He was not i'm love
with Terry. She did not stir him !;
he never felt brutal and tender
with her, darkly, hungiily, as ne
had with Helen. He had even, in
the total absence Of all emotion,
told Terry all about Helen. Yet
| she understood him, ....
you must have loved her ter
ribly, joe" she told him, sweetly
and solemnly. Terry was not all
effervescence and childishness. al
guess man loves that way only
once in bis life-and only one
man in dozen even once, that
way. It's something to be proud
of and thankful for, even though
| it hurt you so. Because it's per
feet and nothing can ever make
the least mark on it. Don't you
feel that"
| He did, in the end. But he had
a thought, a difficult thought.
Perfection was not for an every
day man in q workaday world. A
man who has known perfection
once is ready to die. There is
nothing left. He told her that,
groupingly.
| "Oh, but there is" she insisted.
She seemed for all instant to lift
her bright eyes up to an ever
shining vision. There's so much
left: I've never had anything, but
! always kept thinking of all
was going to have some day. Don't
you ever think Of homes all your
own, where everybody and every
thing there is all yours and you
can love them and nobody to stop
YOU? Babies all your own q
She loOked at him, Think OF
] that I" che Sas1