The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-12-11


arrested her with a hand on her
arm.
"Sit down here a minute" he
said, Immediately seating himself
on the landings top step. Flows
it gone? Had any fun out Of it?
I've seen you coming and going and
didn't know whether it was any fun
for you or not. Get your candy?"
"Oh, it was wonderful, Mr..
Coates"
mot your first box of candy. ]
suppose?"
Cherry was too dizzy to know
what she said by the way of reply.
She tried to make it grateful. But
merely talking to him confused her.
The lost evening was suddenly
aglow with color and light. She
was to have her moment after all!
In her agitation she said exactly
what she would have wished not to
say. Swallowing hard and with a
nervous, quick laugh, she asked,
Didn't didn't Mrs. Marsh
banks look lovely tonight?"
For a minute his expression was
so odd that she was terrified. He
didn't like her saying thatl Then he
said briefly, Lovely"
laundering on, in spite Of half
defined feeling that he would not
like to talk about her, Cherry said,
81 used to think she was almost
well, homely. But when you know
her face you see that she's beautiful"
He had folded his arms, in ia
vorite gesture Of his, and was look
ing at her seriously.
"Fran," he said simply. But the
word brimmed with some secret
magic for him, and she felt its ech-
oes reach her, and was chilled. 'The
Randalls are taking her home," he
added. "I've got to be on my way
back to Sausalito. But you-what
kind of time have you had?" he
asked after moment.
Rotten" she said, suddenly hum
cry for his sympathy and under
standing. It was unwise, it was inn
pulsive, she knew it, even as the
ground slipped away from beneath
her feet. 81 hate that Amy!" she
said. "That is, I don't hate her."
she amended it, shut she treats me
as if I wasn't there-didn't count.
81 suppose SOL he conceded with
a thoughtful look. "Give it time"
he went on, with little stress on
the last words, "give it time. You'll
leave Amy behind you some day,
| and then this will all seem very
small-girl stuff. Patience, Cherry"
His use of her name, his serious
consideration for her ill-timed out
bursts destroyed the last shred of
her reticence. She was tired, ex-
cited, jealous, lonely; she wanted
somehow to hold him, and blindly
reached for whatever claim upon his
interest she could find. Ia
''No matter what / did," she said,
looking down shyly and lingering the
ornamental end of one of the brass
rods that held the stair carpet in
place, mo matter what did would
never matter to you, know that!
You'd never think of me as any
thing but a girl from Saint Doro-
thea's who didn't count-you'd 60
on falling in love with Mrs. Marsh
banks = of course" Cherry f1oun-
dered on wretchedly. II know I'll
never be like that-dressed that way
and playing bridge and all; she's
been in Europe-but If had clothes
and money-if my husband was as
wonderful as Judge Marshbanks-I
Couldn't know couldn't :"
She stopped in terrifying ST.
lence. She could not raise her eyes.
As Kelly got to his feet she rose
too, but still she could not look at
| him.
I'm sorry" she said thickly,
when she could not bear it an in
slant longer.
''Well!" the man said dryly, on
surprised breath, as she came to a
Mortified and frightened pause. And
forcing herself at last to meet his
eyes, Cherry saw that he was smil-
ing, in sort of annoyed indulgence,
as one might smile at a forward
child. At the look her soul died
within her. Those eyes could never
again hold anything but contempt
and dislike for her. Presently with
nod and quiet '.Good night he
left her, descended the stairs. Then
the front door closed and he was
gone.
For the first time in her life, Cher
ny spent an entirely wakeful night.
Her wearied mind thrashed over
and over again the last episode Of
the. ill-starred party; her weary
body twisted and struggled in q
physical misery that matched the
| torture in her soul
RIO BE C0NTINUEDl