The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-07-05
FOOTSTEPS
In THE FOG

By Gilmore CowAN sro~r

: couldn't think of that"
You're not hy any chance.
afraid q involving me IN an in
ternationsl scandal"
Again Deborah tried 70 speak
lightly sS she might have done
last summer o.. stephan changed
the subject abruptly
But you did say something
about fire. didn't YOU ." he asked.
and turned 10 stoop over the IN
burned logs on the hearth.
SO you really imagined this
vas the way 10 build A FIRE =" he
grinned. You had better take
notes for now you are about 70
watch a real artist AZ work"
He was the one who was max
ing talk now. with kind Of dog
ged cheerfulness. as II to make
the best OF a bad business.
Building fire"-he knelt on
the hearth while she sat down
misersbly. the forgotten coffee on
table beside her charts a
business demanding finesse and
the most exquisite tenderness and
patience. Like this deleatelv.
stick by stick. he began to rear
range the ehsrred kindling.
Now that ! think Of it" he
went on without looking up,
building fire is not at all un-
I like making love To get salts
factory results in either case. you
must be willing and sble-to put
everything you have into the bust
ness He stopped To place a log
very gently upon the top of the
structure And If you cannot. it
is much wiser 10 leave both alone.
There, you SEE ," he broke off
as the fire burst into compsn-
ionable cracking.
Deborah wanted 10 cry out.
Stephan, my dear, what il it you
are finding - hard 10 explain
Surely you didn't drive all the
way down here just to tell me how
to build a fire"
When he did not 20 on. she
asked. Why don't you use some
of the driftwood. stephan -. In
the basket at the left. 1t makes a
much hotter fire"
"Oh, but know all about drift
wood. too, At home: our land ran
down to the sea. When l was A
BOY | used TO imagine that each
piece had its own strange-per-
haps even tragic history. One
might almost write a sonnet about
a piece of driftwood. Now this,
for instance. He selected a heavy
piece OF charred timber. Where
do you suppose this could have
come from It's-but, why-it
looks like he broke off to exc
anime it with startled attention.
"A part Of ship? Yes, doesn't
il E. Burned at sea-and a long
time ago. OF course, you know
there were ships sunk and burned
not so far from here during the
last war - Deborah hardly
knew why she was going on. Per-
haps because she hoped that
startling and shocking him might
ease her own unhappiness. A
fragment of ships cabin,
shouldn't you say? .. wonder
what became of the passengers
BY the way. what are you going
to call your sonnet. Stephan ."
When he continued just TO kneel
there, the glow Of the fire gliding
his bent head and Pickering over
his downcast face, she found her
self remembering with stab the
blithe expectancy with which he
had stood in her doorway only a
few hours ago.
A half-burned stick broke. fell,
and blazed again before he said.
You wouldn't know. perhaps. but
my father commanded a raider
during the last war He died do
ing the thing he thought he had to
do. I don't think he liked IL very
much A great many men,
even nowadays, are doing things
they would much rather not do IL
circumstances did not make them
necessary :. I wish"
From the front stoop, the ships
bell Changed once; then again,
more insistently.
Outside, when Deborah opened
the door stood a stocky middle =
aged man. his bundled-up figure
blurred by the fog.
7 wish" began in hating
English haf understood -
His eyes shot past Deborah and
found stephan. silhouetted beyond
against the living room fire. and
he saluted. his leathery face creas-
ing with relief
Herr Kapltsn, YOU Will please
forgive me- ne finished IN Ger
man after a guarded glance az
Deborah = have news"
But you should not have come
here. Wilhelm"
ITO BE Continued)
You helm vnurself when Won BUY