The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-10
CHAPTER x

Mrs. Murray put down the iron and came over to JocS chair and put her hand on his head, drawing 1t against her side and holding it there. He was stiff and unbending but she did not mind. She stood there, holding him. They were silent mother and son, but there was a current flowing through them, one to the other, strong current. Il could stand up and buck the tides of death and disaster.
 Life goes on, Joe" she said. "1t's got to go on."
 "Yes," he said. T don't know whyl'
 Its not for us to say"
 She went back to the ironing She began to put up the work for tonight. After moment she said, What about Terry Mallow Joe?"
 q don't know"
 T want you to be happy" she said. "You do whatever you think best. But don't let yourself bt forced into anything that's not tc your own unmistakable liking You're man now, and you've got to be strong"
 And with that enigmatic advice the conversation ended.
 About Terry Mallow, as Jot insisted he did not know! What would be the square thing the fair thing? He could not tell His thoughts were halting, but clear enough in his mind. She had needed him, still needed him to some degree-but did she need him as much as she dreamed, and was she mistaking simple need for the binding demands of love? Suppose, in time she met some- one, someone for whom there was no immediate need, but only that passionate hunger called love? What would he do then? And where would he come out in the shuttle? Would he help her or would he wreck her life by re- maining now when he did not himself care, by drifting into the dead emptiness of a loveless rela- tion?
 He did not know.
 Terry Mallow herself knew all she cayed to know. She was not drifting; she was working very determinedly around her objective, like a very busy lady spider weaving a myriad tenuous threads to hold 1t finally fast. No single thread was stronger than @ puff of wind, but all together they were stronger than hurri- cane.
 "I.m so happy when you're around" she might complacently tell him. There were no maidenly reserves, no alternating boldness and shyness; 1t was as if she had never heard of them. T feel safe. I never thought there could be such a comfortable feeling m here" She took his hand and placed it on her heart. Feel 1t go? It goes so good when we're together, and 1t skips and misses a little when you go away until you come back. Happy, darlng?
 He smiled. "Of course"
 Contentedly she sighed. I'm glad. never knew what 1t meant to be happy. I don't ever went to forget ever"
 And another tenuous threac would fasten itself upon him.
 He knew well that she was merely a child. That, in his oWr way, he saw clearly, with its i'm plications. That she was desperate for escape from the bondage ol her former life. That in hei gentle, disarming way she wal utterly interruptions about any thing she wanted very badly That in her obvious innocence she had differentiated betweer Tommy Withers and himself only at his own arrogant insistence What if he had never mterfered' He asked her.
 But could never olve hin like this, darling!" she said in stantly. Hes not like you You're & man, you're bigger ii every way. He'd never have un derstood me the way you do. No body could manage me like you He was only another boy. Yo' knew lots of girls, didn't you, be fore you met me?"
 And Joe thought: How child like! And he thought: Childlike my eye; it's cunning as sin! An looking at her, his patience ex pired, and he kissed the back o her neck, and she quivered witl laughter and squirmed aroun and threw her arms around hin tightly.
 And then, like as not, after al interval, a silent close interval, Jo would get abruptly to his feet out o her arms and say brusquely, Com on. Let's get out of here. We'll g see a picture"
 And obeditently, with that curl ous blandly gay air, she would ge her things and come along to SCI a picture. And she would behav herself pleasantly and decorousl.
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