The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-02-27

adly. "But sometimes you can tell
right away. Look at father and
me and you
II suppose that was an excep-
ton" Lucy wondered why she
was fighting on Elise's side, and
couldn't discover any reason ex-
cept that she wished to teach Va
lerie tolerance. ...--. ...
Its like this" Valerie ex-
planned. She drew on the bright
chintz of her chair with a poin-
ted finger. "She's going from here
to here, you see." She made a
straight line between two points
But she doesn't. She goes this
way" A series of curves mdlca-
ted Elise's circuitous course. LII
CIV looked at Valerie in amaze
ment. "And then she wants to
ask you something terribly, and
she doesn't. She just talks
around it, until you get all mixed
I'D and tell her something you
don't want her to find out. So
you see, she isn't very nice per-
son. At least, I don't think So"
"She's rather nice to look at
suggested Lucy. 1t was the only
thing she could think OF in Ell
ise's favor.
"Not to me. It's sort of like
smelling lilac, and then tuoer.
rose. Both of them are sweet, ou'
the tuberose is shivery. Anyway
it is to me-" Lucy wondered if II
wasn't, somehow, a rather com
plete summing up. II suppose II
isn't nice, feeling this way, but
what are you going to do?"
There are the excuses l tolo
you about"
"All right. You begin"
well" said Lucy, "she's
alone, isn't she? Being lonely Of
ten makes people disagreeable."
"She didn't have to be-" ex'
planned Valerie. There was hel
husband. He was quite nice. No
very handsome or young. bu
nice. And she knew he WASH
very young or handsome whel
she married him. Then after
| while, they weren't married an!
more. If she was lonely, VIII.
didn't she keep him?"
Il give it up" said Lucy. Sh'
had rather a feeling of being car
ried over her head.
She heard with relief Mark
knock on Valerie's door; ant
Valerie, with her young arm
i around him, forgot Elise and tn
game of making excuses. Sh'
didn't think of her again unit
an hour later, as she and Mari
and Lucy sat swinging their bar
legs ever the edge of the pool at
ter an exciting game Of waite
ball in its green depths.
|
| Valerie, Mark and Lucy swan
every day, even when it raineo
Mark, fired by their enthusiasm
was already making plans for al
indoor winter pool. McTavish hat
left the kennels, and was neve
far from Valerie's heels, runnini
frantically on his short black legs
Mark had come to look OF
himself as the father of a family
and he liked it. He thought o
Lucy as almost as much of chile
as Valerie. It never failed to as
tonish him when she spoke to hin
maturely. Even when he remem
bered the diplomas and degrees
and knew that she and Valeri
kept regular school hours.
He found himself urging then
not to overdo the learning bust
ness. To enjoy the summer day
which were frightening magical
ly. He took to coming home ear
lier to play around the pool witt
them before dinner. He felt a
young as they were, which aston
ished him little when h
stopped to think about it at all
Mark looked at the placid pat
| tern of his days, and marveleC
His life had seemingly crashed s.
thoroughly; and yet here it was
weaving itself as if nothing ha'
| hammered. He hardly rea1izet