The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-01-30
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- VD(ette Kimboll Dunn ~

he said it, and grinned. Not that
the mans liking for Mark de-
pended on checks.
"You never had any children,
did you?" Chiltern asked Mrs.
BanWood.
Mono she admitted slow
ly. did your"
mono = as it happens" He
hadn't thought of being asked
himself when he put the question
to her. "But it hasn't stopped me
from keeping my eyes open. Mr..
Alexander's what you might call
natural father"
"I'm sure I hope So said Mrs.
Banwood primly. But she didn't
sound very convinced.
(Which is more than can be
said for some people"
eff you mean Mrs. Alexander
"I'm not naming any names, "
Chiltern told her. He watched
Marks car around the drive,
and left the housekeeper stand
ing by the window.
Valerie leaned back beside
Mark, and looked out on the
world. She supposed she was the
same girl she had been SIX
months ago. Three months ago.
Even six weeks ago.
She looked up at him, saw that
he was looking back at her and
that he was smiling.
"When 1 was young, girls wan
ted to know things" he said.
'You haven't spoken for a least
ten miles. You haven't even asked
where we're heading"
"But it doesn't make much diff
ference, does it," asked Valerie.
"You see, this is the first trip l
ever took. I mean, with my ia
Their. Because you can't call a
chaffeur's driving you a trip, can
you? It's the first time I ever had
friend. I mean really a friend.
Are fathers always friends?"
"Well, anyway they always
ought to be-" said Mark. GAS for
where we're going, I thought we'd
just head north and let things
ride. Well loaf along, and if we
see anything we like, we'll stop
and look it over. It's nice not to
hurry when you're just out to
play, don't you Think"
81 think it's all NICE" said Val
erie.
Two days this side of home,
they ran into adventure. They
had made an early start, getting
up at six, with a long day of driv-
ing ahead. The world still wore
it's early-morning face of innoc-
ence as they came out of the no
tel and watched the head porter
direct the slowing away of their
bags.
Valerie sat beside Mark in the
car looking up at him admiringly.
''It's a nice day, isn't it," she
asked as they swung out of the
winding drive of the hotel into the
highway. 'There have been a lot
Of them, haven't there? Just for
us-for The Trip" She still spoke
of the trip in capitals, the way
She thought of it. Mark cooked an
eye at the weather.
Somehow I'm betting on rain"
he said.
Valerie could see no cloud in
the brilliant blue of tahe sky. But
if Mark said rain, you could pro-
baby count on it.
"Why?" she asked.
II don't knoW-smellS rainish.
somehow. But what do we care?'
Il sort of like it. I like car in
the rain. A little house, running
along by itself, all dry with the
water outside.
Mark looked down at her, and
she smiled back at him.
The road ran through little viii
lagos and past thick woods, There
were miles and miles Of road,
built over waste land and mar
shes, and they planned to cover
it by afternoon.
They stopped beside a great
elm under which a little brook
chartered, and ate their lunch
from a hamper, sitting side by
side on the running board, like
children.
Getting back in the car, she
could see why Mark had predic-
ted rain. A heavy black cloud un-
rolled across the west. Like a
dark blanket putting the sun to
bed, she thought.
"You were right, father-about
the rain. Look!" she cried.
give often thought I'd get me
a job with the weather bureau -
he said. However, I won't de-
ceive you. I read it in the local
paper last night. Probably show