The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-01
(60r4 @ 3! e! !';t:,!;! 9


I wrote it before Raoul was killed
and that I wanted her-both of
them-to come home. I'm glad
because of Buffy, who, as you told
me once before, my dear, is
RaouPs son as well as Denise's {.
poor little fellow, we will all have
to make it up to him the best We
can"
I'VE will" Karen said. Buffy
would be fatherless. but he would
have not only his grandfather and
herself, but his mother, living in
the big house that would be the
boys real home now. She could
not help being glad, too, because
of that. Buffy would not have to
go away, he would not have to
return to that far-away country OF
his birth.
Il will send cable back at
once" her father said-her father
and Denise's. Il shall express our
sorrow and sympathy, and our joy,
as well, that your sister is coming
home. I don't suppose it will be
possible for Denise to come very
soon, although I will do all 1 can
from this end to make it possible
81 know you will, darling" Kar-
en- knew he would move mountains
were that possible, but her father
might be able to use some influ-
ence so that Denise could secure
an early passage on some ship
bearing exchange passengers, or
the like. Denise coming h m e.
Why. that would give Karen the
freedom to 60 away, should she
choose, since their father would
not then be left alone.
Her father had given her that
not long ago, when he had told her
he wanted only her happiness, no
matter if that meant he should
lose her love. He had told her that,
Karen saw now, to make COM
plete this freedom that she sudden
~ realized was hers.
With this retaliation came that
something nore-another reallZa-
ton that broke like the clear light
i, of belief into shining radiance,
almost a radiance so dazzling as
to be unbelievable, although Karen
knew it was ''truer than true
She loved Martin Halliday. She
loved him in way she had never
loved Paul. AS Denise had loved
Raoul, so Marty came first, be-
fore everything and everyone.
There was love that passed all
understanding, that would 60 on
as long as time itself and beyond
time, even. That was the sort of
love Karen knew about now.
Why, were Marty to 60 away
without saying goodby, Karen
could not have borne it; she would
have followed him, if possible, to
the ends of the earth. If Marty
were to be killed in the dangerous
game he played in this terrible
war, without Karen's having told
him of her love, she never could
forgive herself.
1t did not matter yet whether
Marty returned that love or not
Pride did not matter. either. for
a love like his held such pride of
its own that any lesser vanity was
overruled. Indeed, nothing mat
tered except love, as Karen had
once said to her father and as it
had taken her all this while 70
discover and learn.
She would not waste any more
time, not SO much as single day,
an hour, or any more of a fraction
thereof than she needs must She
ran upstairs to get ready, which
would not take long, either, as all
she had to do was to remove a
certain ring that always had been
much too magnificent from a GER
tain finger of her left hand. A ring
that she would one day return to
Paul. 1t must not be on her finger