The Wilmington morning star., 1943-07-31
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dered these thoughts while spend
irg her mornings hour on h e
beach with the child.
Her love for her sisters boy had
grown like wings that expanded
each day. T. had succeeded in
winning responding affection
from the little boy, too, in break.
ing down those barriers of differ
ences, in removing most of that
first shyness and fear. He was
such a manly, brave little boy,
so very dear.
mo- darling. It's nothing. Just
one of our cwn planes, perhaps
Fauls. So you keep right on dig
ging." Karen had been on the
pied now, the quick gleam of fear
r,f the child's head, dark hair rum
pied now, ten quick gleam of fear
that had flashed into his large
eyes. He WAS brave. She still
argued that in the too frequent
arguments that still arose between
herself and Paul over the child
for, ridiculous as it was, Paul was
jealous of the boy, resenting all
the time and thought Karen law
ished on him. Buffy would con-
quer this fear, too, given a little
more time, more security. She
had learned that the child had
experienced an air raid, which
was why Denise finally had de-
cided to send him home.
I'm coming over and help with
that tunnel" She put her own
affairs aside for the more impor-
tant one at hand. She had prom
ised Paul she would set that date,
ri obably for some time in Janu-
cry. so there was no use mullig
ii over and trying to wonder if
she hadn't better make it Febru-
ary, or even March instead. She
got up from the blanket spread
under the shadow of the beach
house and went to sit beside Buffy,
who dug at the waters edge.
"It is to be a trench, not tun-
nel," Buffy corrected with grave
politeness. AS Mary had predict
ed, this little boy liked to play
war" in spite of having been
much too close to that grim re-
ality, as did every other boy any
where. "It is for our soldiers. To
be in readiness when the bad Ger
man soldiers come into our very
cwn town ana march down the
street where I play"
"But that may never happen!"
Karen interrupted swiftly. She was
willing for him to play in what
ever way he chose, but she al
ways tried TO steer such play as
far away from actuality as pos
sible. She never encouraged the
hoy to talk about the real war,
or to think back to the expert
ences he had endured. All her
efforts were to put all that as
far away as possible, thus allay-
ing all fears for all time. ''I'm
sure it won't, Buffy. Anyway, let's
pretend this is a street in New
York, the big city where you stay
ed a few days after your big boat
came in. Let's pretend we knock
co down all those tall sky5crap-
ers-remember seeing them, dear?
and build dis trench right where
they were. How would that be?''
1t might be a poor substitute,
but it was the first to present it.
self. Of course it could not hap
pen in New York-German sol
dlers marching into that town,
goose-stepping down its streets.
Karen shivered, as she always did,
at such grim thoughts. There was
talk of lot of unrest and trouble
new between the United States and
Japan rather than Germany. But
il would not come to anything.
Even now Japan had sent two
representatives to Washington to
talk peace with the president. Her
father and Paul were still a bit