The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-12-18

I
ing flung open and light footsteps
were rushing down the stairs.
Nancy" murmured Peggy.
"Pidge must have come" Whis-
pered Maxine.
But Pidge had not come. 1t was
only Nancy rushing out to them
on the terrace with a motion pic
ture magazine held open in her
hand.
81 suppose that was meant to
be funny" she snapped at Max
inc as she passed her and handed
the magazine to the astonished
Peggy. "Here is a picture of your
sisters Mr.. Newton" she told her
as if Peggy could fail to recognize
the face that was smiling at her
from the page. "'Mr. Stanley
Newton,'" Nancy read aloud, one
of the youngest and most out
standing directors of the motion
picture industry today So that's
your detective!"
Peggy stared in amazement at
the picture in her hand. He wasn't
detective. No wonder he wasn't
fat and he didn't wear a derby
hat. Or
Maxine was laughing. For hea-
ven's sake don't let Gran see that.
Of course Stanley isn't a detec-
tive. He is my director and ne
came here to see me, but after
Gran said she didn't want to meet
anyone connected with pictures
I didn't see how I was going to
manage it until Peggy said that
about his being a detective, and
to get him out here. Of course L
was just kidding when I said that
to him over the phone. I had not
known he was coming, and was
surprised that he had found out
my home address. But it did seem
an excellent way for me to see
him, and it really was awfully i'm
portant. I thought the ring would
be found anyway. I'm sorry" she
faltered as Peggy and Nancy both
eyed her in silence.
"He came here to see her, OF
course. 1T was aWfully lmpor-
tant,'" Peggy was repeating to
herself. 81 am just the little sister
who mustn't be allowed to marry
the wrong man. Oh, hate hlm!
she thought, slamming the maya
zine shut.
There were voices in the hall
now. Grams and Stanley's. Gran
was on her way upstairs. Maxine
and Nancy started towards them
and Peggy slipped away from
them quite unnoticed.
i Without thinking where she was
going Peggy ran through the rose
garden and into the summer
house. This was where she had
always come with her troubles
since she was child.
It was here that she had come
when Maxine had written that
she was going to remain IN Call
fornia. And it was here that she
came now when she was unhappy
about-about Stanley not finding
the ring, she told herself. What
had he been saying to Gran this
afternoon? Had he told her about
the engagement, and that the ring
was here? But even as she thought
of that she dismissed the idea. He
would not do that, she knew.
What was she unhappy about?
What more natural than that
Maxine's director should be in
love with his star and follow her
home in order to be with her? He
had not spoken word of love to
her, Peggy, and if she had been
foolish enough to imagine things
from his tone, his expression -
we'll, it was just too bad.
He had only been glad for the
family when she told him she
would give Harry back his ring.
Of course he had been glad. He
wouldn't want Maxine's sister to
do anything foolish. And she had
been counting the minutes until
six o'clock when he would bring
her the ring. And now it was
she glanced at her wrist watch
it was two minutes to six, and
he was probably in the house
laughing with Maxine at the joke
they had put over on them.
But he wasn't in the house be-
/ cause just then she saw him come
out of the front door, pause mo-
ment there to look towards the
rose garden and then start down
the steps. Well, she wouldn't
wait, she wouldn't be here if he
came. She didn't want to hear
his explanation. She didn't feel
like laughing over the joke. She
wanted the ring to give back to
Harry and then she wanted to for
get men.
However, it seemed unnecessary
n ,,,,Vo L xryoo