The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-18
CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER VIII
 The hills were SO close and blue; the sky, unchanged; the smell oi the wood fire still fingered. But to all this, April Burnett was oblivious
 It's like that when you para chute from rose-colored clouds and land feet first on hard brown earth.
 At first, she was too stunned to be angry. It seemed. in fact, as if she were sitting beside stranger who was telling her something about another stranger.
 Kent, now that he had started, was plunging ahead. He loved Ann, her sister; he had deep de- sire to protect her, and yet, as April could tell from the way he talked, he wanted Ann to be sure of herself.
 "Oh, April may turn out all right someday," he said with a grudging attempt to be fair,
 April nodded, found herself mumbling something silly that sounded like, Sure yes, l think SO"
 The trouble with April is that she never looss beyond her mir TOT. Everyone raves about how beautiful she is, how stunning, Personally, I could never see it."
 "No?"
 She has a greedy complex, thinks that she's so ravishing she can get anything she wants, no matter whose toes she treadS on."
 That's right April mumbled it again and all the time she kept thinking. "This isn't me he's talk ing about
 But it was and she must take it. Once or twice she even found her lips twitching with half smile. It had its funny side, too. No one had ever told her all her faults like this before.
 She's spoiled" Kent said. Everyone has spoiled April"
 Not Octavia."
 Who - oh, Octavia. Well, Oc- tavia can't be fooled like outsiders. She knows!'
 That's true"
 whats more" Kent went on, "the Glitterbug figures she's the belle Of the town and everyone owes her homage"
 April made stab to defend herself. "Oh. I don't think that, Kent. She doesn't mean to. It's just she is, well, maybe a little thoughtless."
 "A little?" he snorted. Your trouble, Ann, is that you've always been loyal to her. Whether she meant to or not, she was giving you an inferiority complex. All those boy friends hanging around her, all that so-called popularity, naturally made you feel you were being pushed aside. I've always told you that, but you've learned 1t for yourself now.'
 "Yes - I guess maybe I have" April agreed and felt the ghost of smile on her lips agin. In- deed she had learned for herself | what April Burnett was like!
 Kent pulled pipe from his 1 pocket, fumbled for tobacco. Then | he leaned contentedly close to April as she held a match to the bowl.
 Sorry" he chuckled, T don't ! mean to waste time talking about | April. It was only because I'm so glad you've pulled out of the pock- ct before you did anything des- perate. It makes that quarrel we had seem awfully silly now, doesn't it, my love?'
 "Oh yes," April choked the | words out, "I'd forgotten we quar- reled at all"
 "As it should be-"
 Well forget about April, too," he said. Let her go her glittery way and more power to her"
 That's what say"
 I'm afraid though, she's going to have rude awakening one of these days"
 Something impish rose in April, even while she smarted and stung with the terrible hurt of his words. ''Yes," she said, and I bet it will be soon."
 Kent drew her to him and the touch of his lips brushing her cheek was her undoing. It wasn't fair What he'd said was wrong and heartless. And because she was so hurt, she wanted to fight back. The April storm side of her began to rise up like thunder. She'd speak out now.
 Happy, darling?" Kent was asking.
 Even behind the dark glasses she could feel the look of adora- ton in the temporarily unseeing eyes. He loved Ann He thought 1t was she beside him.
 Ahead of him were critical days In the hospital, battle he'd have to fight out in the darkness. This was his day. It must end in peace for him no matter what happened. If she shattered it, she would be even worse than he had described