Evening star., 1941-11-23

pin. She d felt something melt inside her when
he fastened it on her dress and said Nov
you re my girl, and Id like to see you have
date with anyone else!" "A badge of owner
ship" he'd called it, And she'd heard the
softness in her voice, saying, "A lot care
about other men. | mean''
Don had liked that He d been triumphant
and possessive - and tender. And sometimes
she'd look down at the pin and find him look
ing at it too Black and silver with diamond
in the center, and DkE in relief, and Don's
initials on the back. A dainty and fraudulent
thing, dangling from her blouse - making
her 50 happy that she felt like singing right in
the middle of classes,
Dur, of course that was over now, and
she'd started her act almost twenty-four hours
before pasted the smile on her face inChed
her voice to higher register, and bounced
joyously from room to room, being gayer
than ever before. That was the most i'm
portant thing she d ever done - maintaining
a nonchalant and CHEEKY smirk while Pam
was telling her the news If she d broken down
then, if she'd burst into tears and let Pam
comfort her - and secretly despise her -
she'd never be the same girl again. No matter
what happened - even if she forgot Don and
fell in love again and married - there'd still
be that time when she'd made fool of her
self. and wept publicly, and gotten all swollen
up and shaky over man.
But she hadn't. Not for moment Pam
had said, Christie, have to talk ito you"
She'd shut the door cautiously. and there
had been a lot of things in her eyes - pity
and confusion and kind of secret anticpa-
ton. Pam was her best friend, but people
we're like that No matter how sorry they felt,
they couldn't resist the excitement of seeing
someone crumble.
Christie hadn't exactly guessed but she'd
begun steeling herself. The casing edged to
within reach of her heart She pushed back
the history paper she was working on, sat
cross-legged on the bed and said, Spill it."
Pam wandered about the room, and then
hiked up onto the desk with her feet on a
chair. and for long. CHASTITY time she just
sat there. brooding. But finally she said,
Christie, it S about Don. just heard it last
night. and I've been trying all day to think
how to tell you"
That was swell start, with Pam looking
as though doom had fallen. Christie laid the
groundwork for her future behavior right
then. She kicked her slippers off, yawned
hugely, and said. 'Oh, you don't have to be
50 serious about Don, you know. He's just
temporary as far as I'm concerned"
Fam looked surprised and relieved, and
just little disconnected. She said, well,
that's good, because what do you think,
Christie! met boy last night who is visiting
over at the Delta House. He comes from
Don's home town, and he says Don has girl
out there. They're engaged. and Don's going
into this girls fathers business Ralph told
me all about it -"
Christie didn't answer right away. She was
too busy grinning into space, feeling a trip
hammer where her heart used to be, and a
kind of dryness around the edges of her
tongue. Then she saw that Pam was looking
away, with the beginning of pity on her face.
So she laughed on a new high note and said
gaily, well, that's break for me all right
Pam was trying to think what to do about
poor Don." She wasn't sure Pam was con-
vnced, so she elaborated: He was amusing
enough at first, but then he turned into almost
a bore. Think of it!' she exclaimed happily
ME worrying about Don all this time How
idiotic!''