The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-10
HATE OR LOVE
CHAPTER VIII

For c moment, as stephan came forward, Deborah caught her first real glimpse of the man she had only half suspected beneath the boy with whom she had played -- nii older man, q little hard-pefhapB h little ruthless.
 "But it was necessary to come, Exceilency," the little man hur" fied on before stephan could stop him. "You, yourself, would have been angry not Co know, II iB to Dc earlier than we thought, A flshtng boat will slip you out through the fog. The Coast uuard-"
 "r,noughl" Stephan interrupted sternIy. Walt here, We will talk am sorry" He turned to Deborah, speaking again In English. "Hc is an old family sers want --- Wilhelm, must talk with him, if you will forgive me"
 Surely. Ask him to come in,'
 Thank you, but we shall do very well walking about outside"
 Already he had found his coat in the closet where BrldglC had hung it, and was BhruggIng into it, h those brief sentences he had gone away again pleasantly, couFteously as always, but very finally behind his wall,
 With crisp finality he stepped out Into the night and closed her door.
 Deborah stood, stralnlng her eyes to follow him through the glass of the door; but q few steps down the walk, his white ralncoaL and fair head were completely enguIfCd fin the mist. AS If m unpleasantly cammy head had brushed her face, Deborah shly. cred So # had come then -- that time she had always felt must come some day,
 Confused impressions r n c g q through bCr memory; "J'hey do be eayin' that the crew Of a schooner that run in out Of the fog tells Of Bightn' wan Of tbim turin flghtln' ahIDs, skuikin' around Of the coast" Bridgie had said .a
 Steplan's startled absorption in the messages the Coast Guard cutters were flashing out, Could he road them? If 70, what about them had disturbed him go much?
 And now that strange, breathIesS little foreigner: "A fishing boat will slip you out through the fog"
 Slip him out --- to what? . For what purpose2
 It seemed like houfs--it was per- haps IS minutes before Stephan opened the front door, hung his rain coat in the closet, and came slowly into the living room,
 Iie was pale, and more grave than Deborah had ever seen him, For . moment he stood silent, locking into the fire, hlB eyes wide and absent aB fl, it seemed to Ee- borah. he were seeing for the first time with complete clarity some- thing he had always known, but had never quite recognized before for what it really WaB,
 Finally he said without looking up, You heard? e., l am not sure how much you understood"
 Enough" Deborah said, And not enough"
 "so2 And the devil Of it is that cannot explain, ! can only say that did not plan it this way, I aI1 torn between wanting to kick myself for coming here at all, and unhappiness that shall have 50 little time with you"
 But if you must go," Deborah cried, "why not go openly, as hundreds Of others have done, I could understand that, Why slip out through the fog2 And what have the Coast Guard cutters to do with it2 Unless it's yoi that submarine the fishermen saw off the coast is waiting for un- less then need information that you can give themp"
 For an instant he stared at her tncredulousIy. Then he gave a short, entirely unmirthful laugh.
 Then that's what you belieye" he said. "I never dreamed that you, too felt this way about me ..-that you could hate me this way"
 Hate StephanI But that was preposterouS, when all that she really knew about him was kind and honorable and generous.
 Stephan" she stamm mered wretchedly, "I-I don't know what to believe except that I am con- fused and little frightened. Believe me, 1t was not what I wanted - to have 1t end this way Yet it was bound to come to the surface sooner or later all that have never understood about you; all that you did not want me to n