The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-02-08


60 home" she said sullenly.
| I'm taking you Birthstone can
! carry double"
A new alarm leaped into her
face. "You not ging to tell my
father, Lee? You wouldn' do
that?"
She had reason for fear. Fran
cisco, vehement in his friend
ships and primitively direct IN his
methods, would not hold his
hand if he discovered the trick
she had played on a man who
had befriended him. Lee knew 1t
as we'll as she.
"You needn't be afraid. I shan't
tell - anybody"
The ride from the ridge to the
ranch house took less than hall
an hour, but it was the longest
half hour that Virginia could re-
member, She did not want
Stanley looking at her, she did
not want anybody to see how
blazing angry she was, and how
ridiculously that scene back
there had shaken her.
Stanley had tactfully, and
wisely, refrained from comment.
That had been decent OF him, but
of course he had seen it. Virginia
had caught the turn OF his head,
the cynical grin, politely suppress
sed.
Hurt pride stung like an angry
burn. She turned toward Stanley
with an indifferent shrug. dis
missing something which really
didn't matter, and began to talk
of something else. Virginia was
unusually nice to Stanley all the
way home.
When they arrived she went
straight to her room, locked the
door, and dropped on the bed
with a strangled sound in her
throat
''Lee!"
One dry sob came, but no
more. She lay there with her face
hidden in her arm, her shining
hair tumbled and one fist clench-
ed. .
Minutes tickled by unheeded.
When she sat up there were
tear stains on her face, but the
line of her lips had hardened.
She could punish Lee Hollister
almost as cruelty as he had hurt
her. There was one door that she
could close in his face forever,
and then she need never see him
again or his dingy loves.
She went to her desk, pulled
paper toward her and began to
write.
That night Stanley again asked
her to marry him. She listened
restlessly.
Come on, Vee!" His voice was
gay and caressing, with reck-
less note of adventure. well
catch the first train out and let
the cows go hang. Well be mar
ried in Saunders, or Yuma, or
New York, get the parental bles-
sing and be off on glorious
honeymoon"
"It sounds - exciting" She
laughed little, but the laugh
died quickly. She added slowly:
"And after that, Stan?"
"After that? Stanley looked
surprised and puzzled.
She felt his suddenly gripping
hands, and slipped away from
! them with a SILVER.
No - please I thought I
could, but I can't. 1t might be all
right for a while, just to play
around and amuse ourselves, but
there's more to it than that.
Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but
when I marry / don't want to
just experiment. I want it to
stick.It's no use, Stan. I can't do
it."
His face darkened. For mo-
ment all his debonair good looks
vanished in sullen resentment
swift revealing glimpse of what
Stanley might be if he let him
self 60.
well, that's definite" His
laugh was brief and brittle.
Stanley recovered himself
quickly. "pll give up everything
but hope" he added, caught her
hand in quick squeeze and was
gone.
Lettering glumly outside, his
under lip took on a sullen thrust.
So he was thrown over for a
flannel-shirted cow hand! That
was a pleasant thought. Why
hadn't he worked something
/ stronger?
The next day found Stanley in
Saunders. The young paying tell
er of the First National shot an
! interested look from the check to
the bored looking young man on
| tho afIoy> Gill; ~E md