The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-15
CHAPTER ~THIRTY-THREE
~ urs poa AID EELDr
~ nnL pHzz AHoCAT"

it on a nail and surveyed foul gas
ses of only slightly burned apple
butter with pride.
'Hey wait a minute" Bill salo'
getting off the kitchen table where
he had been watching Fabienne s
culinary achievement. you donl
think you're done, do your"
you wouldn't like me to eat IT,
too, would you? Surely no after
that dinner!
We've got to take it back to
town. I'm going to keep it all 1or
mself and eat it for breaklast
every day-thinking about you"
"Oh," Sometimes Bill said things
he ought not to say. And did things
he ought not do. Like having that
newgpaper picture of her on his
highboy. She supposed the Thomas
sine child had given it to him and
he'd pulled it out Of his pocket ana
forgotten about it. But he oughtnt
to do things like that, not when ne
was trying to WOO Ellen.
A small froWn puckered her
brow. She wondered what Ellen was
thinking of her at the moment. Bill
had practically dismissed Ellen,
sending her off for a walk with
Nicky, while Fabienne and Bill
peeled apples and stirred them
while they stewed in cider at the
back of the big range. Any other
girl would have been jealous and
showed it. Fabienne most certainly
would not have taken that dis
missal.
There was one small comfort, she
thought, and that was that Ellen
and Nicky always had plenty to talk
about. Shed been afraid they'd find
nothing in common and she wanted
her friends to like each other.
1t would not be hard to like
Ellen, but Nicky was a different
matter altogether. Fortunately,
Nicky had been a different Nichy
these last few weeks, since the we'd
ding, from the old Nicky. Not only
was he practically on the water wa
gon, but he was really settling down
to work, bringing them enthusiastic
accounts Of what he was doing. I'm
only a glorified office boy now, but
I'm getting the hang Of things.
Who'd think Nicky'd ever have an
ambition to carry on the glorious ira
ditions of the Bartlett name?"
Fabienne said truthfully that she
was not n of them. Ellen, who
was not at all surprised by Nicky's
settling down, said nothing.
Walking beside him on the frozen
road at the moment, she was say
ing, do you think it will last,
Nicky? Do you think you'll keep
On liking work when the novelty
has worn off,"
eff 1 don't, I'll come right back
to you for fresh impetus. You're the
first person who ever made me feel
ashamed of wasting my life"
II never meant you to feel that
way, Nicky. The only reason that
I talked the way l did was because
/ think that people who are born
with a responsibility to meet get
the most out Of life when they do
meet it. So many people look UP
to a man in your position. They de-
pend on you to carry on because
when you do, they can be sure OF
their bread and butter and a kind
Of security they have always
~~ ~1a- +hnt --r11r fot1lr
and your grandfather have built up
something upon which hundreds Of
people depend for their livelihood.
It's more than just a company. It's
the Bartlett company. Understand"
He grinned at her. you make
everything clear, Ellen. But 1 have
q confession to make. 1 didn't do it
for any of those reasons. l did it
because l - well, Fab's been after
me for a long time to go to work
and now"
There was no cloud over the sun.
but a shadow fell across Eilen's face.
She said, wed better walk a lit
tie faster, Nicky. Fab will think
we've been lost"
Fabienne saw them coming over
the hill.
Bill had gone into the '1ab" and
came back with a cake of wax. Il
told you you needed a nan around
the house, ma'am," he said, melt
ing it to top the bottles.
Sometimes 1 think you're right"
she said somberly. when 1 have
to chop wood and bring in water
and milk cows, 1 do find it leaves
me little time for my beauty treat
ments."
Bill poured the wax over the top
of a jar. You know, Fab, you
wouldn't look as funny doing those
things as you think you would.
You're made UP of a lot Of quail
ties"
Nicky and Ellen came into the
kitchen stamping snow from their
boots, looking ~rosy-cheeked and
radiant.
Its getting a lot COLDER Nicky
told them. and the sky looks pretty
gray over in the east"
WED better start back early"
Bill said. This is no place to get
caught in a snowstorm. Claiming
and I came up here one weekend
last winter to do a little work. He's
interested in amateur radio and
went owe to see Willie, a guy who
has a little ham outfit in Danbury.
He couldn't get back and 1 couldn't
get out until the middle of the
meek The snow niles LID foot in