The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-07-04

fered his hand, said: Hello, Mr..
Worthington."
Hello, Rollins" Dan Worthing-
ton ignored the outstretched
hand. "You have a few minutes?
What I have to say won't take
long. There's no use beating
about the bush. For some fool
reason my daughter seems to
have become infatuated with
you. We can't persuade her to
change her mind, but we're sure
if she would consider the utter
futility of the whole situation"
"Futility?"
eyes. You know she'll never be
happy with Gou Rollins. She's
been used to such things as you
never can possibly give her. Soon
she'll miss them, then" he
shrugged. II want to spare her
that if can. I quite appreciated
what you're doing, but you must
admit that it's all too hazardous
and poor a life for a girl like
Grace"
'She's happy" Len said quiet
ly. She'll be even happier"
every girl thinks herself hap
py when she is in love. That's
Grace's trouble. OF course may
be wrong. You two may actually
be deeply in love and it may last
forever. But I don't think so. ]
ask you to- talk it over with
Grace, persuade her not to marry
you until-well, until after you
have reached a position where
you can take care of her as she's
always been taken care of. Ask
her to come back home; give up
this-this gamble, Rollins"
Lens eyes bored into Worth
ington's. IF you wish," he said
grimly, "1'll tell you where Grace
is staying. You can go to see her.
We've already discussed the en-
tire situation from every pos
sible angle, Mr.. Worthington, but
the, conclusion is always the same.
We love each other Somehow
nothing seems to matter but that.
And nothing in the universe, I'm
sure, can change U.S."
Nothing in the universe, Roll
lins?" The words were clipped,
decisive, confident. ''Not even
thirty thousand?"
'Nothing!" Hoarse, vibrant,
threatening.
But Dan Worthington was un-
daunted. Len watched, held
speeches. and immovable, fas-
cinated, as he watched the older
mans pen slide quickly emotion
Dan Worthington tore out the
check, folded it and thrust it into
Lens hand. Then he turned
quickly and, disdaining the eleva-
ator, disappeared down the stairs.
Len laughed. Why, it was just
like the movies. Yet here it was
happening to him in real life. He
could see the tabloid headlines:
wealthy Father Buys Daughter
From Former Tennis STAR
"Tennis Ace Sells Fiancee to
Father" Then anger transcribed
all else; anger that made him feel
like lashing out, hurting, MAIN
ing, killing. He was glad Dan
Worthington had gone.
Should he rip the check to
shreds or first show it to Grace?
He decided almost instantly to
show it. He opened the folded
white paper, looked at it for a
long time. A tremor raced
through his body, shaking it IS a
sudden draught causes chill. The
check was for fifty thousands dol
lars.
At dinner that evening in an
uptown restaurant Len said: ''Bet
you can't guess who was in to
see me this afternoon"
"Who?" The smile she attemp-
ted was thin. Father"
Eyes"
CT was afraid of that, Len.
What did he want?"
"He wants me to give you up.
Send you back to Easthampton.
Thinks can make you see things
differently. He asked me to point
out to you that, cut off from
them and entirely dependent up
on my twenty dollar a week sa-
larry, you'll soon become restless
and unhappy. That our marriage
is doomed to failure"
"And what did you say?"
"Not very much. Told him he
could talk it over with you if he
cared to, but that I wouldn't try
to change your mind because you
seemed perfectly happy with
things as they are. Then he Of
fered me money if, would con-
sent to give up the thought of
you. If he'd been any
one but your father I'd have kick
ed him down the stairs. He push