The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-09-29
COPYRIGHT. 1888

heart.
/ An aching emptiness remained.
! All her world had been Larry for
days, weeks, months. Her future.
too, had been Larry: Larry COM
/ inc home to their apartment III
the evening. Larry eating the dim
ner she had prepared, Larry IN
, Producing her to their friends as
Mrs. Kent" Everything had re-
volvrd about Larry. And now 1t
was ended.
She slipped his ring from her
engagement finger, watching the
sparkling diamond catch the rays
! of the late sun. Tears in her eyes
surrounded it with tiny rainbowS.
She blinked quickly as the door
| Of the office opened. 1t was Tom,
his arms filled with dog-eared law
books.
Still working away" he asked,
lookin" down at her while she
lried to blink away the tears from
rrr eyes. She could feel his near
less. his kindness.
He put the books down on the
lcsk. stopping suddenly as his
fingers brushed the ring that still
,parkled in the light. He reached
for her hand, touched the bare
finger
What does it mean, Pat?" he
asked. his voice husky with feel
ing. Can | help? Have you had
quarrel with-with someone
She couldn't trust herself to
look up. The tenderness and SYM
pathy i'm his voice brought al the
grief OF the past week back IN
an overwhelming wave.
An engagement ring ne
continued, touching the diamond.
."Pd noticed it on your finger, OF
course. IL didn't look At it any
more than l could. | guess |
didn't like it, Pat. And now it's
off and you-you're crying. arent
YOU"
He put his hand under her chin
and raised it until he could look
into her face. You feel pretty
terrible. You care for this fellow
lot. What's happened? Has he
made you unhappy? What did
he do 20
Somehow she controlled her
self. Its all over, Tom. I'm 4
lot better off. lit just wasn't
meant to be. | see that now. I'm
l. \ IN, ti,N,n ~
II don't know who he is, but
| do know he's Il fool to let some
thing take you away from him.
| wouldn't if'I We're in his place.
I'd fight to keep you. There
wouldn't be anything | wouldn't
do if | were this chap"
That's because you're differ
ent, Tom. You're-you're Just
YOU: honest and kind"
"Do you mean that
"Ycs-everyone knows it. You
can't be swerved when you know
you're doing what's right. You
can't be bought off. You're hon
est, true.
Pm honest when | say | care
for YOU, Pat. Maybe now isn't
the time to say that, not now
when your world has crashed and
you're so unhappy. but it's true.
care for you more than I've
cared for anyone before in my
whole life. All these weeks over
here I've watched you, wanted to
be near you, waited in the morn
ing for you to come in the court
room, planned so that ! could eat
when you were ready, hung
around late just TO say gOodby III
the afternoon. ! love you. | didn't
think / had a chance before. but
now, Pat-now do you think |
have?"
She put her hand over his, feel
ing his strength and courage, his
gentleness and understanding.
"Pve never known anyone like
you, Tom. | wish could think.
Only everything is so mixed up,
$3.50 horribly confused.
~ know, darling. / know |
can wait and | will. Tomorrow,
or next week, or next month
something, though, perhaps you'll
let me tell you more of what |
feel"
She nodded. knowing that you
care helps right now. GeS-later
I'll be able to think clearer, and
then--
He touched her hair and picked
up his books. She heard the door
close after him. Tomorrow or
the next day. he had said. To-
morrow there would be other
things 10 think about. Tomorrow
the case would continue. Larry
would be found innocent or guilty.
Tomorrow Tom would either be
due for congratulations for be-
ginning his winning crusade
against traffic offenders, or he
would slip back into the role of
inefficient prosecutor who lost an
important case.
She put her work away, slipped
( into her wraps and went down on
the street. She walked to try and
see the threads of the pattern.
| Larry and his secret that she
shared. Tom and his love and
/ belief in her. Before her doomed
the big Municipal hospital. its
stone front grimy with the smoke
and dust of the city. its steps clut-
tered with people coming and 60
| ing. some on crutcheS, others with
bandages on heads and arms, some
with tear-riddened eyes, others
, claSping wilted flowers.
A peddler stood near the curb
with little cart heaped with
/ spring blossoms. Suddenly she
stopped, looking at the daffOdils,