The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-04-18
She wished some one would

DIG "1S11CN SOA4AC OAAS VIVA"
cut in, but her friends were too
tactful. She muttered an excuse
when the music stopped and es-
capped to the dressing room.
She arrived at the ballroom to
find that her partner for the next
dance had looked everywhere for
her before retiring in dungeon to
the bar. Had Janet followed her
inclination she would have hunt
ed up Jim and asked him to take
her home. She felt sure he was
bored to death and eager for an
excuse to 60, but at that moment
a couple drifted by her on the
dance floor. Janet could scarcely
believe her eyes. From the rapt
expression on his rugged face, her
brother with Miss Helen Sanders
in his arms was anything but
bored.
ooh, mol" cried Janet.
She did not realize she had
spoken aloud until some one who
had come up behind her address,
ed her. "Shall we finish this
dancer"
She turned sharply. Tony Ryan
stood at her elbow. Evidently he
had only that moment arrived.
She intended to make an excuse
for not dancing with him. How
ever, he gave her no chance to do
anything of the kind. He merely
put out his arms and danced off
with her as if he believed any
girl would feel flattered to be
singled out by the famous Tony
Ryan.
Janet was glad when the music
ended, glad when Priscilla came
skating across the room to assert
her prior claim to the visiting
celebrity, glad when everybody
crowded around Tony Ryan so
that Janet was edged to the
extreme rim of the group and
finally extricated from it entire
ly by Ted Hughes with whom she
had the next dance.
The last dance of the evening
was the only one in which no
cutins were allowed. Every one
was supposed to dance it with his
escort, but Janet had not seen
Jim for an hour. She had a notion
he was lurking outside with a
cigarette. However, she made a
circuit of the veranda without
locating him. She was perched on
the porch railing staring somber-
ly at the setting moon, when Tony
Ryan again came up behind her.
want to dance?" he asked
mo" said Janet without turn
ing her head.
There was an interval of silence
which Janet found trying. In the
end it was she who broke what
had begun to seem a contest be-
tween their wills.
"It must be nice to return to
the old home town in the role of
conquering hero" she remarked
in a light, disdainful voice.
He laughed. cts a complex, I
suppose. I could never convince
myself tthat 1 had outgrown
Shanty Town until I came back
here and had the seal of approx
al put upon me by the elite of
Bay City. Queer, isn't it,"
She gave him a grudging
glance. THAT at least needn't
worry you any longer"
II always get what I 60 after r, "
he said quietly.
Modest, aren't your"
mo, just sure of myself. There's
a difference"
'Who am I to take exception to
your pride in your accomplish
ments," she inquired bitterly.
"You are on your way up, I am
on my way out"
He stared at her curiously.
"Yes?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
CAS- you may know, a generation
ago my family was prominent To-
cally. Now my mother works in
a store and so shall ] when I
finish my course in interior de-
corating."
He was studying the dead end
of his cigarette. IF you're an ex-
pert on interior decorating,
might have a job for YOU"
"a job?"
perhaps you aren't interested
in jobs"
ooh, yes," said Janet ;+h a
hostile smile, I'm interested in
any chance to carr money. It's
so important to make money.
Nothing else matters"
Give bought the. old Radcliffe
mansion"