The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-02-06

IN neRTOWn.
They sat in the Arlington lounge
after dinner, talking and listen
ing to an orchestra that came
from somewhere just far enough
away. Valerie thought it was all
terribly exciting. It gave her a
thrill to see Lucy in a dress of
primrose taffeta that she herself
had never worn. For with the
plans, and the storm, they had
forgotten all about Lucy's clothes.
It wasn't until just as they were
coming into the outskirts of Al
/ lington that Lucy suddenly re-
membered she had nothing to
wear.
"But it will be fun!" Valerie
had cried. Because I have such
a lot Of things my father bought
me. Some I've never even worn.
You see, I'm tall for my age land
you're not so very tall for yours
Oh, please"
And so Lucy wore the primrose
taffeta, which fitted her perfect
ly, even to the slippers.
They shopped together in the
hotel drug store for a toothbrush
and a cake of Lucy's favorite
soap.
It seemed quite impossible she
had known Lucy only since ear
i,ly afternoon. Valerie thought Of
tomorrow and goodbye with a
strange hurt. But she put it away,
remembering that after all they
were all three here now. She was
afraid somebody would suggest
going to bed, but nobody did
Mark just put his arm around he1
as she sat beside him on the big
couch, and she mapped on his
shoulder as he talked quietly tc
Lucy, on his other side.
'My doings must be an awful
bore to you," said Lucy at last
"They are not" he said. II new
er imagined travelling library
How did your"
| "Oh-I was brought up or
books. Practically nothing else
but. If my father had known any.
thing was going on outside the
covers of books, he'd have guessed
there was something phony in the
| way the bank was running his
affairs. But of course the money
lasted until he went. I'm thank
full for that. And things didn't
really crash until I'd finished col
lege. have a simply swell edu-
4 cation I've even got a couple OF
degrees I snatched when nobody
was looking"
! ''Don't go modest" said Mark
I'm greatly impressed. The mere
sound of a degree incites me tc
reverence"
! II haven't been able to cash In
on it. though. I wanted to teach
1 followed all the clues I could
find. But somehow they don't
seem to be using education sc
much right now. Anyway, Pm ter
ribly against poorhouses, so I had
to make up a job. I kept think
ing about books. You'd be sur
prised how much people want
them. mean all kinds of peo-
pie. In the country = especially
women-too far fer libraries-sc
1 decided to take library tc
them"
"It's a grand idea," said Mark
II wonder nobody ever thought
of it before"
ooh, they have. Heaps Of
times. Only not in this particular
locality"
"I'n bet it went over big"
Lucy looked at him sadly
''Then you lose - because I'm
folding UP tomorrow.
"But moi"
"You see, it never was a sue
cess. Not really. First, there's the
Ark. It wasn't much more than
junk when bought it. 1t cost
only fifty dollars. But has it cost
me money since!" :.
"That's the way with used
cars" He spoke as if he had had
vast experience. She looked
quickly at him, but he looked
back seriously. -.
Most Of the books were ia
TIERS" she explained. ."But. ]
hadn't counted on their taste. It's
changed, you see, since fathers
time. / tried to get them interest
| ed IN Dickens and Thackeray.
l nsS% - xsya~& 40 cess = c. hnI -,