The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-27
CHAPTER

Because She liked the Way nc
said things as much as what he
said, Gayle had slipped into the
habit of reading Cholly Earring
toms gossipy column every morn
ing in The Chronicle-Post. Several
mornings recently he had chatteo
about The Oaks and the %goings-on
there. Most of what he said had
been complimentary.
This morning she was downstairs
at seven o'clock, and Graham
brought her the paper on a tray
with a tall glass of pineapple juice.
The juice, slightly chilled, had a
sprig of mint in it, mint from the
Merrifeld garden on the east side
The yellow juice and the green
mint were beautiful, and Gayle
lolled back in a deep porch chair
to enjoy the luxury here. She
slipped the juice, and nibbled at
the mint to enhance its aroma,
and she gazed out at the glory OF
the early morning. She had come
to like these breakfast hours more
and more. Sometimes she ate and
visited here with old Mr.. Merrl
field, sometimes she was alone.
I'm not entitled to all this,
she told herself today, as she had
often done before. why should l
be suddenly snatched from a cot
tage, struggling all the time for a
living, and placed in a mansion?
l wasn't destined for this. It's
grand, but it doesn't belong to
me-"
Still, she knew better than to
walk out deliberately on such a
break" in life. She had come
here to get a job and certainly it
was no fault of hers if the job
turned out to be a strange, whim-
steal one in surroundings of digni-
ty and wealth. In these modern
times, n takes whatever 6 o o d
Job one can find, so long a. it is re-
spectacle.
1T may not last long," she ad-
mitted to her mother on visits
home. But it certainly is in my
favor Wills I'm there. Mr.. Merri,
field is ever so generous. The 'ex
pense money he gives amounts to
a salary, really. I'm ahead eve ii
l never get the-the $40, O00."
"Oh, dear!" Her mother h a c
been distressed about that, and
was still SO every time Gayle men,
toned it. Il don't like your hav-
ing to court a rich young man, or
make him-whatever it is, 1 don't
like having you heart tempered
with, Gayle, honey. Not for any
pay"
Gayle had laughed that off.
"Oh, gee. that's just all in fun,
really, mother. I'm nothing but a
sort Of hostess there, and a big
sister to Jeremy. I'm quietly
coaching him along. If he should
happen to imagine himself in love
with me some time and propose to
me, that would be grand. 1 would
simply be sweet to him and may
he direct his interest. You see,
Jeremy's emotions are back in the
high school stage. He may fall in
love two or three times before he
really wants to get married, moth
err"
Mrs. Dixon had sighed. You
talk like a mature woman, child. )
Goodness, mother, l am l.
most 23!"
Alone on the broad porch at The
Oaks this morning, though, Gayle
realized that her own heart was
not immune to emotional stimuli,
after all. She hadn't slept well
last night. She had, somehow, done
a lot of mixed-up thinking in bed,
illogical but insistent imaginings.
She had gone to bed at 10, and got
ten up at II to hunt a bite to eat
and then wander around The house
aimlessly in her silk dressing robe
and dainty mules-the blue set she
had gotten for Christmas.
Bill had come in at midnight
and after they had talked a bit
she went back to bed. Bill had
said that he saw Lola Montesa but
he hadn't explained anything about
why. This morning she was still
vaguely disturbed by it. Her pine
apple juice was almost done when
Bella LANAN-COURT RI
Founded on Actu;