Glacier County chief., 1940-10-25
CHAPTER xH-Continued

asked Sheila.
Mother feels very badly abou,
you. She feels that we could have
shown a little more confidence in
you that day."
"She didn't believe me-"
"She was all upset"
"And your father didn't believe
me-"
"Well-he did, kinder"
Sheiia was looking somberly ahead
Of her, resentment smoldering in her
eyes.
81 can't blame you, if my own
mother thought was liar!" she
said bitterly.
Il believed you, right through, -
Frank said.
Sheila's look was scornfully in
credulous.
Honestly I did," he said. Truly.
But it seemed to me that anyway,
true or not true, you and Peter
might want to be married"
II don't love Peter. I'm not 60
ing to marry anyone I don't love. "
Frank shrugged.
perhaps you're waiting for some
thing you'll never find," he said.
''If I had known that you knew
where I was" Sheila said, after a
long pause, during which her blue
eyes had rested steadily on his face,
81 would have run away again
from here, I mean"
ut wouldn't have done you any
good"
She looked up suspiciously.
Wouldn't"
mo, you can't run away from
things. It only makes people think
you've got something to hide"
II don't care what people think. |"
"We'd have had to find you. But,
knowing where you were, I could
tell them you were all right" Frank
said. II knew it wouldn't hurt you
to work off your mad. I was down
here the day after you came, and
saw Mrs. Kearney. She's a good
old GIRL" Frank said. "She said
she'd keep an eye on you and not
talk. I didn't tell her much"
Tears of helpless anger stood in
Sheila's eyes.
"You did it up in style" she COM
mented, dryly.
"Ah, now listen" Frank began.
Listen nothing!" she said, with
a sudden choke in her voice. "You
double-crossed me. You've all been
laughing at me, all this time. Mann
ma and Joe and everyone"
"There isn't one of them has the
faintest idea where you are!" Frank
interrupted.
'Why, Sheila," he added, as she
did not speak. "Do you suppose your
mother'd let an hour 60 by without
coming down here after you? She's
breaking her heart for you. She'll
never forgive herself that she didn't
believe you that day."
Mamma" Sheila said thickly,
and swallowed, and was still.
"About every third night I tele-
phone Joe at the office" Frank went
on, land tell him to tell her that
you're all right"
as Joe working?"
Papa got him a job, with a con-
tractor"
"Oh, that makes me feel happy!"
'Sure it does" Frank said en-
couragingly.
where is it?"
''It's over on Long Island. Papa
has some little houses there. Your
mother and Angela were going down
to look at one."
"a housed"
$50 that, you see, if you did go
back, Sheila, you'd be in a new
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS be diff
ferent-"
"But what rent would Ma have to
pay for a place like that?"
''Wel, guess that part of it
wouldn't worry her. My father knew
your father you know, and your ia
theirs father"
Sheila pondered, with a knitted
brow.
"Your fathers an awfully good
man." she said slowly.
"Sheila, why don't you come
home!" Frank besieged her sudden
y.
II can't" Sheila answered in a
troubled tone. She did not look up;
tears dropped on her hand. They'd
all think-everyone-that I had
done something wrong" she said.
81 couldn't face it."
"You couldn't" he said persua-
sively, ''just slip in again, and
put up with-whatever you had to
put up with? Would it be so hard?
We've all got to take it on the chin
sometimes, you know. What do you
care what people say? Your own
people love you and want you. Isn't
that all that matters?"
Earthquake and fire had torn her
old world apart. Now she had had