Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-10-06


"You hush, Jo!" It was the sharp
est they had ever heard Janice speak.
JOS arched brows framed an unspoken
question. Linda spoke hers.
"You seem upset when mention
Bills name, JAM" Linda asked, sis
it because you know him well-bet-
ter than you've let US see?"
There, it was out! Linda had ask
ed it; that question which spawned
from the seed planted in Linda's mind
by the idle gossip of "Oriole", the
Titan Tower scandalmonger.
"Why no, Linda" Janice was flush
ed. cts not that at all, honey.
just get mad when 10 picks on you.
If you love the Doctor, that's your
business!"
"Then you're not keeping back any
secret from Mother?" 10 wanted to
know. She was smiling, but Janice
wasn't.
"NO," Janice said. You know I'd
never keep any secret from you girls,
except :" She stopped, and her
color rose even higher. Except one, "
she finished.
$50 2" 10 said.
eff 1 loved a man and he had a
good reason for wanting to keep it
secret, I t.. (. wouldn't even tell you"
For once 10 didn't joke. She and
Linda let it go at that.
Much had happened since Linda had
tainted in the emergency hospital of
Titan Tower.
Linda's fainting had served to stop
any fight which might have ensued
between the two doctors. But, Linda
had learned shortly afterward, DR..
Renquist had stomped into the office
of DR.. Franc Carter Vance, himself,
and had resigned on the spot.
Steve, both hands swathed in ban
dages, had been taken home by Merry
Blaine, an utterly contrite Merry, who
was extremely solicitous and anxious
to do anything to make amends for
the result of her thoughtfulness.
What Merry did, however, was to
make matters worse. Not knowing
of the condition of Aunt Cynthia, Mer-
ry had bluntly broken the news to
the aged blind woman, and Steve's &C.
cident had come as shock which
Frustrated his aunt.
Although she joked about it, Jo-
and Janice, too-knew that Linda's
collapse in the emergency hospital of
Titan Tower was nothing to be taken
lightly. When Linda explained that
she was "tired," she was guilty of
understatement. She needed rest
badly.
"Lin, chile" 10 said, "why don't
you take up your chum, old Mr.. Avon,
on that offer to let you have his shack
over at Boulder Greek. You could
have a weeks quiet rest-and you
could use it."
"But what about Mickey?" Linda
protested. 81 can't leave him again
Il WON'T!"
"Take him along, honey" Janice
put in. Hell be company for you."
The girls arguments won out over
Linda's feeble protests. She asked
DR.. Thorpe if she could have week
off, which was readily granted. She
didn't have to ask Mr.. Avon for the
use of his summer cotatge. He sug-
gested it again, the next day at lunch.
Mr.. Avon insisted upon driving Lin
da and Mickey to his mountain place,
upon leaving his car with Linda and
returning to San Francisco by train.
Then began for Linda and Mickey a
delightful six days alone in a little cot
tage by brook, surrounded by tow
ering trees, with nothing to do but
rest and play and picnic every day.
It was a dream existence in a dream
cottage that was mostly huge stone
fireplace, surrounded by a few COM
fortably-fitted' rooms, with walls of
logs.
But what was happening to that
dream, while Linda and Mickey were
enjoying it together Linda little mag
ined-and Mickey wouldn't have I'M
derstood, had he known.
X
"JAN!" 10 Monroe exploded burst
ing into Janice's office three days
later, with about the same amount
of warning given by an aerial bomb.
"Jan, I've found QUIT"
"What?" It was all Janice could
manage.