The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-11-20

de Lord be praised" he cried
rushing forward to assist her to
the ground.
Mrs. Horton had come to the
open door to greet Peggy friend
but she could see only Maxine.
She opened her arms wide and
the girl rushed into them, literal
ly picking the fragile old lady up
in her arms. !
"Gran, Gran!" she cried.
Mrs. Horizons eyes were wet
with tears as she eagerly drank
in every detail of her grand
daughters appearance. She held
her off from her for an instant to
study her again, then smiling she
reached up and patted Maxine's
cheek before tucking her eldest
granddaughter hand beneath her
arm. It was not until she reached
out her other hand for Peggy,
who, with Nancy, had seemed
conscious of the presence of an
outsider. A shadow crossed her
face. But it was only a shadow.
Forgive me-" she exclaimed,
extending her hand and smiling
graciously. Il am delighted to
have you with us"
Maxine was taken to her old
room after she had been to the
kitchen to see Aunt Jenny, for
merly her nurse, and the other
servants who had gathered there
to welcome. her Peggy took Nam
cy upstairs with her.
"Come on" she said as they en-
tered Nancy's room. "Tll help you
unpack before we go down for
tea"
"Tea?" Nancy asked in sur
prise.
EYES," Peggy replied simply.
She was bending over suitcase
and did not see the wry face her
guest made.
LET me see your ring again,
Peggy. didn't get very good
look at it at the station"
Peggy gritted her teeth at the
thought of the ring, but answered
hastily: "Oh, not now. Gran might
come in, or something. I'll show
it to you later. But where IS
yours?" she asked suddenly turn
ing to Nancy. 1t had just occurred
to her that she had not noticed a
ring on Nancy's finger.
With a toss of her head the 9TH
er girl explained. Il gave it back
to Pidge." ,
"You mean you aren't engaged
any more?" Peggy dropped on the
side of the bed. Why hadn't she
had sense enough to say that?
mo, I'm not" Nancy answered
Grossly. "Although I know he is
still in love with me. You haven't
told me the name of the man you
are going to marry" she con-
tinued.
Peggy wondered desperately If
she could manage a faint, or fit.
Anything to get Nancy away from
the subject of her ring and her
engagement. And she would have
to keep this up for a week. Each
day would call for more details,
probably. If she could only go
back to this morning when she
had had no ring!
"Well, 1 can't tell you his name
yet" she answered aloud.
"Won't 1 meet him while I'm
here?" Nancy wanted to know,
watching her closely.
"No, you see he doesn't live
here. That's why. He's away, and
1 don't know just when he is
coming. I'm awfully sorry but you
see that is the way it is. He
doesn't live here, and he is COM
ing, but I don't know when, and
there are several complications. F"
That seemed a good line. Peggy
told herself, and she had better
learn it we'll. "Come on, let's go
down." she added.
"There seem to be complica-
: tions," Nancy muttered as they
: left her room. They stopped by
Peggy's room while she put away
her hat, gloves and bag, then
went downstairs to join the others
on the back terrace for tea.
! Maxine, of course, was the cen
ter of everything during the rest
: of the afternoon and evening.
Nancy seemed morose, but she
always was when she was not the
center of things, Peggy thought
unhappily. Only once did she en-
ter the conversation.
"I've often been told" Nancy
said, patting her blonde hair,
''that am a lot like Carole Lam
T. n 800, 4L;o1> o>ooO Two cOnoa-