The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-03
cuApTER TwENTY.THREE

Prunella, the bulk of her filling
the doorway to Fabienne's bedroom
looked at the girl on the bed, her
great round, black face watchful and
affectionate. Over one arn she car
ried a soft pink blanket, the other
balanced a tray that contained a
foaming glass of egg-nog n a
smaller glass with two capsules IN
it.
Fabienne opened one eye, looked
at the tray and promptly closed 1t.
A smile that was like sunshine IN
brown clouds broke out on Prunella's
face. She said, "Miz Fabienne, you
CANT fool me. You amt been asleep
Fabienne smiled ruefully. Am l
a baby that I have to sleep all day
and drink things I don't want to
drink"
"Yas, ma'am, you sho is. You
gotta sleep ali the time like the doc
tor SEE SOS you can git well and
strong again."
Fabienne sat up and punched her
pillows to show how strong she was
after the attack of influenza that
had missed becoming pneumonia
only by quick and skillful care a
fortnight before.
what time is it?" Fabienne de-
manded, looking at the long shadows
stealing through the window.
Bout time for the doctor to
come. Miz Fabienne," Prunella told
her, advancing with the tray.
Color came and went swiftly these
days in Fabienne's transparent
cheeks. It came now briefly with
embarrassment because Prunella had
read her thoughts.
81 got a nice fire in the living
room for you, chile, and yo' couch
is all fixed up. Drink this here
egg.nog. Put some fat on yo' bones.
Gennelmens like a little fat" she
said, laughing her wild, infectious
laughter.
Fabienne gave her a crushing
glance, but she drank the liquid and
swallowed her medicine without Of
ferlng any rebuke for Prunella's
observations.
pink or blue today, chile?"
"Pink. And don't forget the RIB
bon." Pink gave her more ANNA.
ton, made her look prettier.
Prunella adjusted a soft pink robe,
brushed her silken hair and tied a
pink hair ribbon to keep it from fall.
ing over the girls face. Illness had
washed it of old expressions; it look
ed young and unprotected: a little
girls face.
Fabienne said, Il can walk in by
myself, Prunella. You might make
tea for the doctor. He's looking
rather tired these days and it's
frightfully cold out, I think. What
a miserable winter"
mo wonder he looks tired, Nil
Fabienne. Night after night when
you wuz so sick, he sat up with yo'
lax it meant an awful lot to make
you WELL" Prunella told her, fussing
with the pink blanket, tucking it
in, making Fabienne comfortable
and pretty before the fire.
Fabienne frowned to discourage
further revelations. Go along and
make tea, Prunella. How soon did
Miss Chapman say she'd be here?"
"She said she don't know. Maybe
six, maybe sebben. But yo' is to
have yo' supper and git back to bed
before she comes"
Fabienne caught her underlip be.
tween her teeth. She wished that
Ellen were coming now, because
deep in her heart she knew that she
was treasuring these afternoons
alone with Bill. Afternoons that
were so hard because they slipped
by quickly, deliciousiy on the wings
of conversation that was an hour
old before she remembered to talk
about Ellen. Always talk about
Ellen, she reminded herself, how
sweet, how fine Ellen was whenever
she found herself and Bill on the
precious road Of intimacy.
The little things they said to each
other that were so meaningless! And
yet they were spoken in a little
space of time that enclosed only the
two Of them, building up something
between them that other people had
not shared.
She knew about Bill now. About
The farmhouse where he'd spent his
boyhood, the dream Of becoming
surgeon; the sacrifices he had had
to make to get through medica.
school; and his dreams of the future
working in research with an Older
friend at a laboratory in Colorado
tracking down the dread germ O.
paralysis. That was an impossible
dream at the present; he had worl
to do to pay his debts. But some
day
And she told Bill things he didn't
know about herself, about her child
hood, the gilt on the pattern b,
which she had lived these years I'll
to a few months before.
They talked Of books about which
Bill knew nothing, and of must,
which was a passion with him.
He brought her his little phono
And once he brought her a Persian
kitten.
Fabienne put the silky ball O
mewing sweetness into Ellen's hand'
saying, 'Bill brought it to US
Ellen"
Ellen had stroked the soft littl,
head and put it back in Fabienne'!
eager hands. "Ill be it's aunt" sh'
told her, smiling her erene and I'm