Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-12-30

thing feeling its way and coming
only slowly into clanking reality
was an event.
2 On and on he drove. steadily
p carefully, mechanically, like some
5 thing affiliated with the turning
earth and found little negative
, comfort in fetching at last,
! through familiarity and instinct, a
along eclipse that brought him
+ back 10 his house looming large
and dark and empty against the
: .blue-black sky and the small, cold
$ stars.
!, Big empty house. All the room
I in the world there for man and
his family-and in it now, him.
self and some servants.
The days ground past, and the
weeks, and the months-three of
them; and if there had once been
doubts in his heart about what he
wanted, there were doubts no
longer.
He wanted her. On any terms
she cared to name. And If there
were to be no children, ever that
WAS that. He was very sure, now
that il was too late. Now that
! she was Henry lie Claire's wife.
HER TELEGRAM
And then, in the midst OF
flashing bright blue day when he
was working hard, trying TO for
oct her telegram.
II went to Cape Cod intending
+ to marry Henry, but you went
/ with me and couldn't. ! didn't
5 know about your telephone call
n three months ago. Peter Miller
has just told me. He thought |
we had been in touch all this
time. Is il too late? Will you
meet me at the~airport at half
past four"
AS she came down from the big
passenger plane, the three children
walked ahead of her.
"They were my sisters she
said. "and my sister Is dead. She
and her husband were killed by
a bomb in London, but the chill
dren were i'm the country and
don't even know yet. And now
they are mine"
And then.
susan" she said, Shepherding
them up, land James, and
D Hilary"
"We-we flewed through the
air. Susan said in burst OF
5 enthusiasm. and smiled straight
y into Melvin Reardon. He smiled
back at her.
? SHAKE HANDS
;, "You did: Wen do il some
D more, out here"
Her brothers, a year or two
= older, STRAIGHTFORWARD, brown, alert,
E keen-looking youngsters, shook
q hands heartily
+, as there chance" James
l inquired, that we could see
some wild animals around your
place. sir?
Z When they had them settled in
3 the back seat of Melvin'S car and
g had turned away 10 see about
\ luggage.
3 Well" she said "now that
{ you've seen them, may We stay,
a Melvin"
q He slipped his hand under her
y arm and drew her up close. The
q weeks during which they had been
g apart had shaken and largely de-
y Stroyed the world. Men who had
z planned 10 pillow and plant and
g NOW >othing more dangerous than
q wheat found themselves moving
Z down other men.
q People who had studied 10 learn
q 10 build in order TO survive them
q selves turned 10 the business OF
F destruction Boys who had had
& thousand schemes Of usefulness
q existed 10 poiSe and dart and kill.
q Women who had wanted homes
v and children dug other women and
q children out of their wrecked
q homes and helped TO nurse or bury
70 them as the case might be.
S More human beings had had the
q patterns of their lives changed or
e wiped out than in any equal space
b. OF time IN the worlds history.
at il a strange thing" Melvin
II said. that with the whole
q darned world cracking up. this
10 little byprOduct Of what we
~ wanted"
81 Eyes" she said. what I really
h wanted, darling-though l might
b never have found II out"
q "-Should have been dumped
Is into our laps like this" II
3 III j. perhaps the Hest wind"
2 Merle FenwiCk said with a little
r SILVER that ever blew around
6 the world. and its brought us
u this! Fold me tight. darling,
d and don't leave me till--till
o. YOU have TO, And. by the way.
X I've left the stage"
* Tom0rrow's short story: "Un-
81 til Midnight" by Ralph Con-
III iStOn.