The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-27
CHAPTER XIX

Another day passed quietly. The letdown was rather hard on me. We'd been living on so much excite ment that the peace and quiet I'd come to Paradise Lake to find was now 6 trifle boring. Anyway, when young Tod Palmer stopped that morning and announced he was driving to town and had room for another passenger, l decided to go.
 'I'll stop back in about half an iaour," he said. "I'm going up to get Jeanie. She has some busi- ness in town, too.'
 thought Jeanie looked better. There was color in her cheeks again that showed through the nice, healthy tan and her features didn't look so thin. There was still that pained, withdrawn look in her eyes. But I had faith enough, after watching Tod with her, that he could eventually change that.
 wasn't in town a decently long time before calling Denny and, surprisingly enough, found him in the city room of The Daily. We made a date for dinner that even- ing; Tod and Jeanie had decided they had enough to do to keep them well occupied until that time.
 It was relief to be back with asphalt under my feet after dirt roads. regardless of their rustic beauty. And I was so glad to hear honking cars and changing street ears instead of chirping crickets shat I strolled along the streets like . real hayseed.
 It was nice, too, to have Marie work on my hair, which had gone somewhat wild from swimming and makeshift shampoos. It was such a luxurious feeling that l suddenly found myself agreeing with her that a new style of hair do would be a good idea. When I saw how 1t looked there as noth- Ing left to do but go out and buy q new hat and then Q dress to go with the hat.
 
 It wasn't in vain, though, that spending spree, because by the way Denny's eyebrows went up into tri- angles and the slightly vulgar whis- tie he gave I knew I'd hit the jack pot for once. And I felt much less like c teacher of Lit. I. felt loved, and wanted, and able to hold my own.
 Even when Margie Dixon came over and spoke to Denny I was only mildly conscious of my lack of glarlor - for glamor was what that girl had in abundance. She greeted him in that flip, sophiS- ticated way that was meant to let me know how well they knew each other.
 where have you been keeping yourself, you lamb?' she drawled and turned to give me the kind of smile that's like knife in the back. When you drove me in from the lake you promised you'd be right out to see my new num- Der and I've looked for you every night"
 I was glad to know that he hadn't been sitting there in the Whirlgig every night, but I was conscious of that crack about his having driven her back from the lake. I'd taken 1t for granted that she had gone back with some friends of her own. But I wasn't going to let her spoil the evening. She didn't either.
 It was fun to be there with Denny. He was in a particularly amusing mood with his endless stories about the assignments the boys had been on and the strange assortment of characters he seems to attract like flies. We even danced and by the time he took me back to the hotel where Jeanie and Tod were to meet me I didn't care particularly about returning to the rural countryside. The city offered a lot one couldn't get out there-Denny included.
 Jeanie seemed completely done In. She'd spent most of the after