The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-02
CHAPTER FIVE

now 1t was SIX, an hour that had
board on the card table between
Beth and Andrea.
There was Chinese checker
board on the card table between
them and save when one or the
other murmured, your move" or
Il can see three Jumps" almost
nothing had been said. A sharp
wind moaned around the windows,
and the quick late autumn twilight
had turned to winter darkness, but
neither seemed to notice the wind
or the darkness outside. They
moved the colored marbles like
two girls engaged in separate pur-
suits, as each was in her mind.
They had stood arm in arm wav-
ing to Jim as his train pulled out,
but when it was gone they had
drawn apart and walked home,
saying little.
For an hour his name had not
been mentioned and then Andrea
said, Were sitting around like a
couple of maiden aunts who've lost
Sonny Boy"
We'll miss him." B ct h said,
moving a red marble. He's been
here SO much, almost as if he'd
lived here. I expect he'll miss us.
ITS funny how someone you're
Used Ito - Andrea looked up,
caught Beth's eyes and the brief
animation went out OF her voice
and she said, Il suppose all the
excitement about war does this
With guarded eyes, Beth said,
Does what?"
Andrea shrugged. when you
think you're going to lose some
thing, you always like it better.
You see it with different values.
SIS it Jim? And do you mean
me?'
Andrea got up and got cigaret
from box on the mantle. May
be-" she said. 1--WE never seen
anybody hover and moon the way
you've been lowering and incoming
over Jim this last week"
Color flooded Beth's cheeks, but
Andrea, who had kept her face
turned to the window, did not see
it.
DO you want to play this game
any more?"
Andrea shook her head. cts a
blue day, isn't it?" she said.
"You should have let Dennis
come by when he called you"
It don't know what I'm going to
do with Dennis Andrea said in
her old confidential manner. But
1 think I'm going to treat him to
a dose of missing me. 1 read in
the paper this morning that Bea-
trice is going to Sun Valley. Now,
if it had been RENO %
"You haven't seen him s i n e
Tuesday?" Beth asked.
Tuesday, she was thinking, was
the night that Dennis had brought
Andrea home from the office and
stopped in for few minutes. Beth
and Jim had been sitting on the
sofa, Jim reading as Beth knitted.
Then, as always when Andrea
Joined them, Beth mad found her.
self looking for THAT k on
Jim's face again, imagining again
that she had seen it and again
telling herself it was all magma
ton. But that night she had felt
her eyes drawn to Dennis Archer s
face, and Dennis was looking at
Andrea and Jim, and she read in
his face the knowledge that she
had been right There was some
thing intangible, but something
tha, Jim and Andrea said to each
crher whenever their eyes m e t..
Something that Beth wished she
could face.
Then abruptly, she said, ANDY,
sit down.
I'm too restless" Andrea said,
pacing the floor.
AL right, pace; but let's talk.
Do you know why you're rest
less?''
Andrea let leisurely column of
smoke drift from her lips, but her
eyes were alert and her whole be-
ing was instantly guarded. Gust
nothing to do, guess"
Meaning no dates?"
could be-" Andrea answered.
'For you and me and hundreds
of thousands of other Women-tor
a long time to come"
80 I,