The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-17
ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN
| was surprised when Dave Otis
said there was a gale blowing into
the alcove from the front window,
1 knew that window hadn't beer
opened all morning. His remark
though it might have been made
in friendliness-seemed to me a
- bi. critical.
Il didn't open it," I said, a bit
simply.
Probably Alice the second
maid) has been in since we came
cut" Kaye soothed my suffled feel
ings. She always opens the Win
dows to air the rooms if they seem
at all stuffy. Did you smoke in the
alcove this morning, Nancy?"
''One cigaret," I answered, Won
dering if I had transgressed a
rule. Cary and 1 had smoked com
panionably when we were working
together in the library, and 1 had
not thought the alcove prohibited
territory.
That's why the window is
opened,' she lightly returned.
Alice is a fend for fresh air,
Come On, lets get going!"
On the steps a red = headed.
f~recale-faced boy was standing by a
splint market basket filled with
groceries. Kaye gave him a smile
and continued talking to Dave, who
Was leaving US. When he started
across the lawn, she said:
This is Johnny Wing, Nancy.
I don't know what 1 would do with
out him. He carries all my bundles
tor me-"
Johnny was a polite little fellow.
lie removed his hat and, smiling
shs y, spoke co~urteously to me:
Chen. with an adoring glance at
ka}e, he added:
She really means, Miss Nancy,
tia, We couldn't get along without
HER. Half the kids in the fishing
village amt hungry today because
Sues always taking things down
there He looked from me to the
BASKET he was carrying and back
c3atn, as though insistent that l
should thoroughly understand her
goodness.
Kaye mechanically said: Aren't,
Johnny, not amt" tossed aside
his meaning with a careless shrug
Of her shoulders and promptly
starred a conversation about the
weather.
1t was a glorious day. The last
bit OF snow had vanished from the
ground, leaving it more than a
aifle muddy underfoot. But the
blue sky, bright sunlight and crisp
m~vlgoratlng air were enjoyable
enough to offset the need for care
fully picking our way.
Walking has always been my ia
vorite form of exercise. I had
missed my daily tramp since l had
been at Purple Beeches. Now 1 de-
termined that not another day
should pass without my obtaining
the relaxation which pure air and
a brisk hike always gives me. If
couldn't take the time during the
day, l could, at least, go out for
10 or 20 minutes before going to
bed. This path we were following
would be a delightful place for a
good run which I was still young
enough to enjoy-if without Spec
tators.
We walked down the driveway
until, hallway to the gates, we
turned sharply to the left and con-
tinued on over a mile-long path
through the fields and woodland
Gown a gentle slope toward a beach
from which Was coming the distant
sound of breaking waves.
Johnny had dropped a bit behind
us, and we we're chatting gaily
when, rounding a curve, 1 saw lust
ahead, where a wood cut across
u way, a horseman facing in
our direction.
Plague take him!' KAYE
stopped short and gnawed angrily
at her lower lip. ITS Proctor
Rand" she explained. He always
seems to know when I'm going to
the fishing village and waylays
me. He's a nuisance, a pest AL
W IS makes me think of a garden
toad, and 1 hate the horrid things"
Her smile was a good one,
though the resemblance hadn't &C.
CURED to me. Proctor Rand is
only a trifle taller than his father.
probably he is five feet six or
seven inches, but he is so thick
set that he looks ever shorter.
His lack of height is all the more
noticeable when c%ontrasted with
the Essexes, who are all tall. Some
times I feel like a pigmy when I
trot along beside n of them, and
I am five feet three.
Proctor's hair is dark brown.
thick and plastered down on his
skull with some oily substance
which leaves a grease ring inside
his hat. l noticed that last night,
when he, hat in hand, stood near
me.
His complexion isn't clear like
-