Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-07-29
CHAPTER IA

When he was we'll enough, he wrote
to Felicia, telephoned the switchboard
of her apartment to make sure she
was at home, learned that she was at
her fathers, and sent the letter on by
messenger.
It was, as he wrote, completely
inadequate letter, but he could man
age no better, for recollection of his
fathers sentence stifled anything ten
der he might have said: 81 want you
to think of him of whom no one IN
these situations thinks, except with a
sort of amusement, with curiosity"
No, he would not write love-letters
to Felicia until she and her husband
were officially separated. He would
write no more than was necessary.
She was fastidious, and would under
stand.
She was fastidious; but, as did not
occur to him, she was too preoccupied
with her own problems to be able to
analyze Keith's.
He was startled by the Indignation
plain in her response, wrote a rapid
answer-and read in the next days
paper of her sailing.
He was neither relieved, nor very
angry with her. She must do what
she wanted. He would prefer to go
on with her than alone, since now he
would go on with Denise. But his
preference was not vital.
Realizing that it was not, ne re-
allied how much deeper had been his
affection for that girl who had not
waited for him, but had made haste
to resolve her life. The old tag was:
"Marry in haste, and repent at leis-
ure." Denise had had, whether she
had repented or not, he was scarcely
likely to discover.
It was incredible that Felicia should
expect Keith to visit her at Denise's
house! So he thought, until the mo-
ment of receiving Felicia's wireless
from the boat. Then he decided that
he understood. (By then he'd looked
over a file of newspapers.) Felicia
felt the need of fortifying herself
with the chaperonage of her well-mar-
ried sister, her brother-in-law and her
parents.
Sudden decision came to him. Ii
Felicia wanted that-and Denise was
willing-he would go. He would look
at Denise, happy with her husband,
probably, and no doubt become a
stranger who would be regarded with
out much interest, as happy young
wives had a way of regarding men
they had not married. Her eyes
would be serene.
(She had said to him once: 81 shall
never hate you. I've cared too much y
He had said to her once: Nothing
nowadays is forever" But ten crowd
ed months had separated them from
the people who said those things so
Confidently
And having looked at Denise, and
at her husband, he would do whatever
her charming sister suggested there
after.
Keith had seen very few friends dur
ing his convalescence, none of whom
had mentioned to him, or were likely
to, that Gilbert Windon was coming
back to America, while his wife would
spend the summer in England with
her people. He took it for granted
that his invitation would come, if it
came, with Gilbert Windows knowl-
edge, and approval. So he wirelessed
Felicia he would come if Denise ask
ed him.
For long time thereafter he heard
nothing from her or of her.
June went by, and most of July.
Keith stayed in town because his arm
still needed frequent medical atten-
ton, though his leg was completely
knitted, and he was able to walk with
a scarcely noticeable limp. The red
ness went out of the scars on his face.
They became reasonably inconspicu-
Gus.
His father would not hear of open
ing the country house and abandoning
Keith to solitude in town. So thru
the first heat they lived strange
existence in their large high-ceilinged
house, more dependent on each others
society than they had ever been. His
father began to tell Keith long stories
of his youth, the pirates methods al
the turn of the century, when he, his
friends and his competitors playet
with one another's fortunes as if they
were checkers on a board. He was
oddly interested.
Once his father interrupted him
self by saying: "This must bore you
1 suppose soon the stiffness will g'