Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1938-02-24
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

"Or else you think I'm not to be
trusted. I will not tolerate it long
er. I want neither your company
nor your friendship. Do you under
stand?"
"You make it singularly clear"
the other answered, with pale lips.
She stood holding her half-opened
book, the crayon poised as If she
waited merely for her caller to
pass out before resuming work at
the schoolroom slate.
The silence deepened. Cleo felt
suddenly at a disadvantage. With
an effort at dignity, she turned and
walked out.
Bill had set the room to rights
and drawn the curtain to the meet
ing-rail.
"Good-nights Overt" he asked.
"She looks like a friend to tie to-
your Miss Leighton"
''If I believed so once, I don't
now" said Cleo, grimly. "She's a
disappointment"
"So?" asked Bill, in surprise. 'I
shouldn't have thought it."
They passed down the stairs and
out through the corridor, where only
line Of light showed under Carey
Leighton's door. The other rooms
were dark.
Cleo's heart ached for moment,
but only for moment-she was too
full Of her new-found happiness in
Bill. The older teacher had been
kind when Cleo came, a stranger,
to the village where Carey lived and
taught. Gradually strong friend
ship had grown up between them.
Then Bill came. Carey had known
Bill almost as long as she had
known Cleo. Bill had thick, light
hair and ruddy cheeks, and an il
Eliminating grin. His firm had sent
him north on surveying job and
for a month his office would be in
that village.
Cleo's engagements multiplied,
and the after-school visits were very
brief indeed, though Carey never
011OWCQ LllCIIl W ldRSS.
Things had come to a pass where
there was need of a quiet meeting
place and much deep conversation.
Cleo's room at the school building
offered such opportunity.
Absorbed in each other, they took
no thought of outside opinion. To
be sure, Cleo had caught a troubled
look in Carey's eyes when first she
met Bill there. Cleo's gathering re-
sentiment over her suspicion of espi-
onage had eliminated in her out
burst Of displeasure, on the night
when she and Bill had finally set
tied matters.
Bill was leaving next day, and,
after the few remaining weeks Of
school, he and Cleo would be mar
ried.
Cleo spent those weeks in happy
daze. She met Carey, to be sure,
but paid her no attention, and
thought but little about her until
one Of the long fall evenings which
she and Bill liked to spend in their
new home.
Bill was reading aloud while Cleo,
a pleasing picture of the dutiful
wife, mended socks. She insisted
on being entertained. No entertain
ment, no darning. Struck by a sud-
den thought, Bill dropped his maya
zine to say:
"Cleo, what became of that Carey
Leighton?"
"Home, / suppose" she replied,
shortly. "We quarreled-or did
the night before you left.''
"Quarreled," exclaimed Bill, hor-
rified. "That was tough, consider
ing that She"
"She what?" Cleo reused instant
ly.
Saved you from the conse-
quences Of my own foolishness,"
said Bill, deliberately. "There was
a committee meeting that night. My
Office was next door to your superin-
tendent's. There was a door be-
tween, and was sitting in my desk
chair, back to that door, clearing
out my stuff. They were discussing
reprimanding you, on complaint Of
some righteous old gossips.
"In comes Carey Leighton with
the super, and blows them sky-high.
Said she was in your room every
single night, and you left the build.
ing before she did every single
night, and they'd be doing a grave
injustice to listen to any such CAB.
BILE. One Of 'em said, If Miss Leigh
ton says so, that goes with me- and
they all said the same. I never
meant to tell you. It hit me pretty
hard that I had done that to you"
BILL" moaned Cleo, "it isn't a
patch to what I did to her. Just
listenl"
Bill listened, the look Of concern
deepening.
II can never make It right" Cleo
said. II could apologize and she
would accept, but things would new
er be the same. I destroyed some
thing fine that might have lasted a
lifetime"
II get you," said Bill, soberly.
"She couldn't say anything to us.
-. Il Il