Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

Continued from Page 14)
family. standing up too. IT didn't
KNOW hardly know you. really.
You are being very gallant"
There's no gallantry about 1t, "
he flushed. I'm telling you the
sober truth, Rosemary. Yester-
day l was free as air. Boosting
to myself that I would stay that
way. No ties-no chains-only
my mother and she's a free soul
herself. And now today don't
want freedom. ! want nothing
that takes me away from you.
It's abrupt. know. But 1t didn't
come gradually. 1t hit like
lightning. But I meant not to tell
you-not so suddenly. meant to
give you time. I was rash enough
and conceited enough to think
that some time you might-care,
a little.
Rosemary came around the
table and held out her hand,
brown and slim and small. with
tiny freckles like flecks Of gilt
on the back. Her eyes were level
and darkly blue. without CO.
quetry, without that intimate
fire in them that women kindle
to drive men to madness, yield
ing a little and then withdraw
ing to the hooking music OF q
laugh. She looked at him as a
young boy might have looked
a small, lonely lad.
She said, thank you, David.
For telling me. It's rather
splendid. No one ever made me
important to them. before. I've
just been Rosette-Somebody
who knew the right things to do
when the wind shifted-just a
good sport. Even to the men who
made love to me before, ! wasn't
the important one. They were
important and / was supposed to
be-flattered. wish / could
care, David. / must be stony,
somehow-maybe / haven't any
heart at all. Maybe was made
all wrong-and yet / do love my
father. / love him so terribly
that 1t seems to shut out every
thing discovery other love, and
that's wrong, of course"
HAVID PATRICK took her
- hand. Darkness was thick in
the room, the hot black darkness
of storm, breathless and electric
and tense.
He said, Rosemary. you're a
sweet kid. And some day you're
going to wake up and find that
you're woman. When that hap
pens-Pd like to be around"
Hope you are around,
David. But don't hope too much.
And we don't have TO change, do
we-be stiff and strange. because
you've told me this ?"
Il won't change. But 1t won't
be easy. Rosemary-seeing you
every day"
Il know. I'm sorry, David. But
do need a friend. ! seem sud-
denly, somehow-to be terribly
alone"
be around he said. And
then he bent and kissed her
quickly on the forehead and went
out, through the front door,
tramping off toward the shore.
Rosemary stood at the window.
looking out through the flashing
branches, watching hip go. The
rain wept on the palms and on
the window pane. and the thunder
was a savage mutter now.
Suddenly the house seemed hol-
low and haunted, an empty, un-
bearable place.
Suddenly she could stand 1t no
longer-the walls and the doors
that had opened to let sunlight
and laughter in, the perfume of
blossoming trees. and sea wind
with the scent OF the salty
marshes. Windows where lamp
light had shone out at night.
chimneys where happy fires had
crackled-suddenly it was all
dead and ghostly. with the wind
wailing about like some friend
less, homeless thing and the rain
sadly crying.
She opened the door and ran
out, the wild wind in her face,
the wet sand in her shoes, rain
soaking her garments as she ran,
gasping. down the path.
A palm branch waved wet
hands over her, great drops spat-
tering down and a tendril Of
allamanda snatched at her hair.
Overhead the sky was murky as
night, and down the shore a
dark, angry sea thrashed and
foamed, flogged by the wind.
The door of Jeff Lanes house
stood open and within, a light