The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-14


in place she could call her own.
And always before her had been
the vision of a cottage like that in
which Susan and Bill Potter lived.
Colorful draperies, soft rugs, the
right sort of pictures, and a sum
room, glass enclosed, in W h C h
breakfast could be served the year
round - the glass slid back for
warm weather, and closed for cold.
husband to share that perfect
cottage, man who would love
and cherish her. But try as she
might. she hadn't been able, dur
ing the past two years. TO visualize
JACK V1nton as t h t husband.
Again and again she had tried,
but always the husband resembled
Adam North.
L got my QUESTIONABLE late this
afternoon Jack said. Gosh, but
It's complicated affair."
Ruth looked at him. and sud-
denly felt fear. How awful for
Jack, and thousands of young men
like him, so full of health and
promise, to be turned into what
some people called cannon fodder.
And yet, she further thought, she
supposed it was as it should be.
People had to fight to protect what
was nearest right, and she knew
that the American way of life was
just that. There were many things
wrong, maybe, but not SO many
things wrong with democracies as
with some other forms of govern
ment. She'd heard Adam discuss
it in terms like that, and they had
stuck. And yet it was tragic to
think that maybe men like Jack,
and Peter Plat, and those other
Linvil]e boys who were now in the
service might be killed or maim-
ed. Certainly there must be some
thing terribly wrong somewhere,
when wars kept on happening,
even though the world was sup
posed to have advanced far along
the road toward being completely
civilized
She remembered something else
Adam had said. The words came
back to her even as Jack chatted
about his questionable and the
cottage. I'VE have gone back to
a sort of mechanical primitive
ness" Adam had said one day in
the office. when he seemed low
and discouraged a b o u t several
matters. Back in the Stone Age
men used big sticks" he had add
ed but now we use monsters
called tanks, and outrageous birds
called bombers."
Here we are!" said Jack. He
brought the car to stop before
a white picket gate. isn't it a
beauty"
Yes" said Ruth softly. lit isl"
She sat looking at the fence, the
front yard and the cottage. 1t was
small and neat and honey. Il
love it, she added.
Come on Jack urged, jump
ing up, lets go have a look"
He helped Ruth. Sorry l didn't
get the key, but we can look in
the windows and explore the acre
of land that goes with it,
This they did. The living room
urif1, MID 10 firay1loon
and bookshelves built low and gen.
erous on either side of the wide
mantel. The moonlight was bright,
and it did its best to help them,
pouring silver into the rooms and
reaching even to the farthest cor
ners. They looked into the other
rooms, also-and stood for some
time beside a small, glass-enclos-
ed porch on the south side of the
cottage. Ruth caught her breath
when she saw this, for it was as
though her dream cottage had sud-
denly materialized right there be-
fore her eyes and nose and face,
as her Cid Aunt Carrie had had
a habit of saying.
PLENTY of room in the living
room for all my books on engineer
ing and tool-making, said Jack.
And plenty of room here for us
to sit and read the Sunday papers
He stepped closer to Ruth, slipped
his arm about her slender waist.
Cant you just see Jack, Junior,
and Ruth the Second, sprawled
out on the floor looking at the
funnies?"
No. my imagination does not go
quite that far" Ruth said, trying
10 smile and failing miserably.
This is no world in which to
bring children, jack she added
mot with things as they are-all
upset, and-and-"
And sugar shortages, Jack
laughed. "Oh. we'll, everything S
going to be all right, once we get
going. Just wait until join Peter
ard the other Linville fellows!
Well finish the scrap up in no
time at ALL
81 certainly hope So" Ruth said.
But until folks are sure it will,
they oughtn't to bring babies into
the world who'll have to grow up
TOTO be shot in World War Ill
You talk like a defeatist," Jack
said, looking at her. Don't do it,
sweetness, please. Now that we're
in it, we have to keep our chins
I'D. and our shoulders to the