The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-06-23
ORPHAN IN DIAMONDS
BY
LORENA


tons with those too-vivid word pic
lures Of Larry as he had been dur
ing the interval Of separation. She
was glad to be finished with break
fast and move into the guest room
and begin packing the few things
she had removed from her bag.
The mothcr .railed after her and
watched W. 4 tear-filled gaze. 1T
doesn't seem right for you not to
stay longer. Why you and Larry
have hardly had a minute together.
Long enough" thought Annette,
"for kisses that went right through
my lips to my heart, making me so
happy and miserable all at the
same time that l wanted either to
die or else to stay in Larry's arms.
just being kissed again"
You're going to stop at the Mill
| Stream, of course?" the older
woman's voice was agonized as she
followed the girl about like a little
huttering bird.
Yes" said Anette, meaning
quite the opposite.
She breathed a tremendous sigh
of relief when she was sliding care
fully up the muddy little side road
and still more of one when she
reached the asphalt highway. The
air was delightful, cool and filled
with the fragrance OF wet flowers,
fields and trees and of soaked red
earth. Breezes swept through the
open windows OF her coupe; the sun
was just warm enough.
She turned on the radio and
hummed an accompaniment to the
cheerful morning hour dance music.
The powerful engine hummed along
with them.
| AS she crossed the culvert over
the stream that then crooked and
ran parallel to the highway and
past Larry's summer theater, II
pleased her to step harder on the
accelerator. 1t pleased her also, as
she passed the little green shingled
structure, to ignore 1t and glance.
instead, in the opposite direction at
some tall, bright yellow flowers in
a water-filled ditch.
Immediately after she looked at
the Mill Stream theater, but in her
rear vision mirror. Let Larry sit
there and wait Telling her so inn
periously not even to stop unless 1t
was to say she loved him and In
tended to stay. So supremely self
sure. Just as he had been that
night when Walt had taken her
backstage in Chicago. She again
| glanced at her rear vision mirror
but no longer could see the build
ing.
Now she felt as IL she actually
were on her way Monochrome to
James Lyndon and a new life OF
utter placidity. Thank heaven! She
deserved it. She had earned IL. She
pressed the accelerator still harder,
and the powerful car leaped for
ward. Her long black hair blew in
the breeze. She looked like joy
riding schoolgirl instead Of the IA
nous Anette Winslow.
Evidently waiting for the sun to
dry the earth. few people were in
the fields or along the slippery side
roads. Very few were travelling
even on the comparatively dry
highway. The girl turned on the
radio louder, then suddenly turned
1t off altogether. She looked at the
speedometer and saw she had driv-
en- almost 10 miles without seeing
a soul. The rain had been even
more torrential In this section. In
a land Of slick red clay there was
only one really safe part, the
asphalt highway. and 1t was not
entirely safe. How on earth did
people get onto the highway from
those treacherous, slick mud roads :?
And then she knew she did not
care how people got onto the high
way. That was not what made her
watch the sides Of the pavement.
Ahead Of her was a little country
store. She siackened the speed OF
the car. Yes. it had gravel in front
Of II. Again she applied the brake
until the machine was barely crawl
ing. That dry gravel plot in front
OF the little store would make an
excellent place to turn and head
back.
| (The EndN