Evening star., 1941-02-07
CHAPTER K.


CHAPTER K.
Verify looked through the hatch
way into the kitchen Of the farm
house just as Peggy broke away from
Jimmy. But she had seen the kiss.
Verify knew that she could never
love that way. She knew 1t was i'm
possible for her to pick or choose,
it was impossible for her to laugh at
love as Peggy did. And she Won
dered if it might be better for her
If she could.
Love had struck at her suddenly
when she was off guard, almost eX-
pecting it to come in some other
way. She knew now that she had
been expecting to find Dennis Dan
forth and expecting. when she found
him, to fall in love with him. Ev-
erything would have been very sim
pie then.
But love had struck her unaware,
and had struck her hard. She was
In pendulum swing between happl-
ness and unhappiness. Talking with
Michael alone in the barn, she had
been in seventh heaven; away
from him. she was in pit of uncer-
tainty. Not uncertainty about her
self or her own feelings, but about
her life.
He had given not the slightest
inkling that he was interested in her
at all. He had said he hated women
and was only interested in living a
quiet secluded life with his pottery,
making enough in the summers to
live through the winters with his
work, his books and music.
But she knew if she had to leave
this place and leave him that some
thing would be left behind from her
own life, and that afterward she
would go through the days like
some one wandering through dark
ened room.
The prospect frightened her. The
longer they stayed in this place the
harder it would be to continue with
job in which she no longer had any
heart.
Michael Is Moody.
That evening Jimmy insisted that
he could cook better soup out of a
can than any man he knew, and
that If they didn't mind cold ham
for the second time in day he
would do the evening meal. because,
he said with grin. he couldn't bear
to see future wife wearing herself
out before the wedding.
Peggy froze him with glance, but
didn't say anything for fear he'd
withdraw his offer, and the two
girls decided to dress up for the
occasion. Verify wore a rust red
lounging suit with a loose jacket
over an off-blue sweater. 1t en-
phasized the bronze in her dark hair
and set off her ivory skin.
Peggy wore much the same style
of suit, but in a pale blue with an
ivory sweater. Jimmy was impressed
by Peggy's appearance and flattered
himself that he had inspired the
effort to please. Michael, on the
other hand, hardly seemed to notice
that they had changed. He had
relapsed into moodiness that toned
down the cheerful banter that had
been the keynote of their lunch
together.
Cheer up, Mike" Peggy said.
Martha and Olaf will be back
tomorrow won't they?"
He started from his absent mood.
"Oh, that - oh, yes" There was
a momentary silence. then he added.
They always come back"
"Always?" queried Peggy. This
must be an intermittent household"
Very" said Michael.
Jimmy tells me you know some
one called Danforth."
Peggy Reveals Quest.
Verify sat up suddenly and gazed
in surprise at Jimmy and then at
peggy. Michael looked UP, too, sud-
denly awake from his mood.
"Yes. oh yes"
"a friend of yours?" asked Peggy.
Father or son?" asked Michael.
Son"
"I know him very WELL" said
Michael.
Thank goodness for that" sighed
Peggy. Now our troubles are at
an end"
Michael looked at her with a
puzzled glance.
Would it be too much to ask you
why?'
Jimmy grinned and Verify caught
her breath wondering how far the
impulsive Peggy would go.
Not at ALL" said Peggy. Were
sleuths, that is, excepting this kitch-
en- scullion, who keeps edging too
near me for my peace of mind"
Michael lifted his eyebrows.
"Sleuths?"
Detectives, private inquiry
agents, dicks the real genuine
article" boasted Peggy. "Commis-
stoned by repentant parent to
right the wrongs done on pig
headed son who hasn't the sense to
see which side his bread is buttered
on. He's nuts, If YOU ask me-"