Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1938-07-08
CHAPTER II

In all those years Denise would
never have believed that there would
come a day when she would open
letter from her sister with dread ana
a kind of sudden sharp dislike.
Not since the afternoon that cable
gram came had she written to Felicia,
but had waited until time should
come when she might know what TO
say. The time had not come yet.
Then she set her pretty mouth. NO
need to dread anything Felicia might
write about. The things she wrote
which had used to seem so important
could not be important any more.
That was gone with the rest.
The letter read:
"Well, my pet:
'T Judge by the complete absence
Of daily cablegrams, transatlantic
telephone inquiries and flowers (tele-
graphed anywhere in the world, as the
ads say) with your best wishes at
tached, that you have no best wishes
for me. Nevertheless
"By the way, forgive the discourse
i've style. I'm doing this in bits and
pieces over days, in the intervals be-
tween sledgehammers going on In my
head. I'm pleased to say the sledge-
hammers are lessening in intensity,
and they tell me they're typical after
math of skull fracture. Why do they,
as soon as they've got one locked up
in a hospital, tell one that one has
typical this and typical that? Gets
ones individuality so down.
GAS for my looks, they assure me
they'll be practically the same. keep
hoping they don't mean just that I'll
continue to have two eyes, nose and
mouth and the usual assortment OF
teeth; but until they unwrap my face
from its various layers Of tissue, I
shan't know.
Probably you're not interested in
that, any more than you used to be
interested in my theories about life.
However, it serves as well as any
thing else as an introduction to GER
tain facts you should know. They
are all for your very private informa-
ton. I shan't bother explaining to
anyone else. Most people wouldn't
believe me; and besides, it's so much
trouble to make explanations.
"Well, then, I am the innocent VIC
tim of circumstances, as my defend
ing lawyer, if it comes to that las
Eustace's people want), would be sure
to remark. The circumstances, must
say, were pretty largely of my own
creating, and Keith's. A little ulti-
mate assistance from a truck.
"In other words, Keith's honor and
mine are unchanged as new-fallen
snow, for all our regulations are no
more. Are my ridiculous SMILES suf-
ficiently explicit, my lamb? They're
sufficiently dreadful, I grant"
There was break; then.
1.-TWO days later, and much less
groggily:
demise, it seems important To-
you to know that Keith and had nc
affaire. We went to that inn to have
three days together, to make up oul
minds about each other. It's a fac
that we clicked beyond belief, since
the winter. mot before, darling,
give you my word.)
eve were on our way back to tel
Eustace that we Keith and y were
all for going on together, when tn
truck interviewed, and he heard b!
radio instead.
"None of which changes my pro
found conviction that you performe'
the most intelligent act of your lif
when you married Gilbert Tn
getting tired, and will have to wal
until tomorrow to explain that -.
"Here we are all freshly bandage'
like a mummy.
"The major point is that neithe
Keith nor I are solid citizens at heart
Eustace is one; Gilbert Individually is
And you are, fundamentally.
"People like US are always LETTING
the solid citizens down. But With
limits. AS for instance, neither Keit
nor I seriously considered 'deceivine
Eustace; we registered as we did jus
because it was convenient.
Glow I detest tearing myself
part! I shouldn't do it for anyone bu
you. To continue the process indirect
ly: Keith and I just decided that tn
pleasantest way we knew to spend on
remaining years was together. An
he never felt about me rs he felt
bout my little sister Denise, thong