The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-07-18

Kate reused, opened her eyes,
blinked at the light coming in
through the window beside her bed.
She had forgotten to draw the shade
when she had retired, she thought.
She had forgotten to undress, too,
apparently, since she seemed to be
fully clothed. That was a little care
less, to say the least. She stretched
under the blankets, blinked again
and remembered.
Her eyes, wide awake now, flew
to Gays bed at the opposite end of
the room. The counterpane was
drawn smoothly over the pillows and
Gays white wool robe lay flung
across it as it had lain since yester-
day afternoon. Kate glanced at her
watch. Nearly half-past seven. She
threw back the blankets, sprang
from the bed, stood listening.
She glanced in the mirror above
the low chest of drawers. Her face,
colorless from anxiety and fatigue,
| glared back at her in the morning
light. What fright she lookedi
Not that it mattered. She was glad
she'd done what she had. She'd
wondered, last night, how she would
feel about that this morning. Gay
would be furious. Let her. There
were limits to patience and toler-
ance and being good sport. Last
night, at least, she hadn't let her
sympathies run away with her COM
| mon sense.
How treacherous sympathies were!
Kate, brushing her long sandy hair,
felt hers stir beneath anxiety and
evaporation as she thought of Gay
and John. They were so obviously
in love with each other, romanti-
| cally in love which was more dam
| gerous than mere physical attrac-
ton. Not that he wasn't physically
| attractive. He had charm and good
breeding. His characteristic gravi-
ty, Lit by flashes of humor, was ap-
pealing. He was sensitive, but Gay
couldn't dominate him, which, for
her, must be unique and intriguing.
In that quality, call it strength of
| character or stubbornness as you
please, lay, she supposed, his strong
| attraction.
What was that? Kate dropped her
brush on the top of the chest. They
were here. They were laughing to-
| gether, somewhere, close at hand.
Her first reaction was light-head-
ed sense of relief. She opened the
bedroom door into the main por-
ton of the cabin.
The sound of laughter reached her
more clearly. She smelled bacon
frying and toast and coffee. Relief
sharpened into indignation. They
were laughing, were they, having
| breakfast, while she worried. Kate's
back stiffened. AS she walked
through the living-room, she glanced
at the telephone against the wall.
| She was glad she had done it, she
told herself, steeling her sympa-
thies, resentfully forcing from her
mind an unjustified feeling of guilt
But she wasn't so sure she was
| glad when she came to the doorway
OF the kitchen. Sympathy, for a
sentimental moment, took prece-
dence over indignation and anxiety.
They had built a roaring fire in the
wood range and were cooking break
fast together. Gay, wearing his
sweater, too large for her, the
sleeves rolled back to free her
hands, was toasting bread. John,
standing beside her, turned bacon in
the skillet. Steam rose from the
coffee-pot, curled in a wreath above
their heads. Sunlight streaming in
through the two east windows lay
over them, promise, seal of ap-
proval, benediction.
They were not aware of Kate
standing in the doorway. Their faces
bent over their separate tasks were
absorbed and smiling. AS she
watched, their glances lifted and
met. They broke into soft laughter
though no word was exchanged.
Leaning toward her, his lips brushed
across her hair.
The light caress, significant of a
new relationship, banished sympa-
thy and sentiment. Kate stiffened.
"Well!" she said crisply. For
two people who've been out all
night"
Eve didn't expect to be so long,"
Gay interrupted. John had baby.
It took all night"
What" Kate's hands grasped the
sides of the doorway.
"A Mrs. Whitaker had a baby"
John said. 81 merely assisted"
Kate drew a steadying breath.
"And what did you do?" she asked
Gay.
II waited for John outside in the
car"
"I'm surprised you didn't-as-
sist."
sI wanted to. John wouldn't let
me-"
! Kate felt her lips twitching in spite
of the very real dismay that weight
ed her spirits. I'm glad he had
that much sense she said "You