The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-06-14
CHAPTER IX--Continued

il
They've all been especially an
noying, except Dad. Or maybe 1t
has seemed so to me because
John" Gay paused.
Don't be afraid to speak of him
to me-"
You're generous, Todd"
"Not very" He gave a short
laugh, quickly stilled. Perhaps I'm
just trying to impress you with
how well I'm taking it, to make you
admire me-"
II do admire you. ! have always.
/ feel toward you, now, just as I've
felt any one of the hundreds OF
times I've climbed this slope since
we were kids"
"How is that?"
ooh, that it's fun to be with you,
that / can say anything without be-
ing afraid. you'll misunderstood. I
don't wonder what you're thinking
when you're silent, or watch your
reaction to every move I make. l
hoped, when we came through the
grove, that you might be coasting.
It was good of you to make us well
come"
You're always welcome" He
hesitated, then asked, SIS there
Has anything"
Nothing of any importance-Just
Aunt Flora. was disappointed
about something I hoped could hap
pen. And last night-it was diff
cult"
Don't worry about it."
IT won't any longer. This was
lust what I needed. Coasting, silly
fun, exercise. Everyone has been so
solemn all day. Being with you"
"I?" He laughed with a note of
embarrassment in his voice. what
have I done?"
"Just been natural, and allowed
me to be. There's no strain in
being with you"
"Not now" he said gravely, ''but
there was. You felt sense of
strain last summer, after our en-
gagement had been announced, when
YOU were trying to persuade your
self that you wanted to marry me"
She was silent for moment.
Then-"Was that difficult time for
YOU? Forgive me for asking but I
It's strange, isn't it, that you should
be the only one can talk to? The
others"
"It was difficult" he said in re-
ply to her question. II went through
hell"
"And you seemed so casual"
81 told you that night at the cab
in" he said slowly. 81 thought you
wanted me to be casual. ! was
afraid that if I let you know how I
felt it would irritate you. 1t was a
relief to know, in spite of the fuss,
in spite of having to acSl the fact
that you loved John. I'm getting
over you. I've done pretty well and
I'm going to do better"
ooh, are your" she said so in
dignantly that they both laughed.
ssI didn't mean that" she said,
when the laughter was stilled. IT
want you to be happy"
81 shall be, if you are. Or con-
tent, at any rate. Of course being
here with you like this is little
disconcerting. I keep thinking
That's enough of that. I'm glad
we've had this time together. You
won't keep on trying to avoid me as
you have done until now? We have
something left. Oh, anything may
say will sound asinine, but we can
be friends, can't WEI"
There's no question of that" Her
voice was not quite steady. "After
all the years we've known each
other, the fun we've had"
81 hope so. don't want to lose
you entirely. If there's ever any,
thing-If you need me or" He
broke off with an embarrassed
laugh. "Skip it. We'd better get
back to the others. They're proba-
bly, thinking things which aren't
true. This slow-motion progress
may appear a little discriminating
when viewed from the heights"
She laughed and heightened her
stride to match his. The irritations
of the day no longer lay like a
weight on her spirits. 1t seemed in
credible, now, as glowing from the
exercise she climbed the slope at
Todd's side, that she had allowed
Aunt Flora to annoy her, that in her
unreasonable disappointment she
had fiared up at John. She was
eager to be with him again, to make
her partial apology complete. As
they approached the lake, she broke
away from Todd and ran ahead.
''Wait a minuteI" he called.
She did not reply. A chorus of
voices greeted her, She made laugh
ing replies but her eyes flew to John.
He rose, at her approach, from the
pile of blankets on which he had
been sitting with Ellen Janeway and
her guest, little Julie Lelange from
Charleston. Ills face frightened as
his eyes met hers through the ruddy
glow Of tn Are. She went to him.