The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1944-01-27

famed herself with a palm leaf
fan neatly bound with green tape.
The girls name was Either,
Candace repeated soberly. A
gainst the grateful GOODNESS of
the gray linen slip cover that
shrouded the couch, her small
face looked too white.
"Has she a surname?"
cts Hops" Candace admitted,
soft laughter running under her
words.
Sarah promised to let Either
into the apartment and the next
week a young, light colored wo-
man arrived promptly at Friday
noon to clean the Thames apart
ment.
eve could get along without
anyone to clean" 'Candace, the
budget envelopes spread out on
the table in the breakfast nook,
fingered two one-dollar bills CO.
vetously.
Andy frowned. ':Not in your
condition"
They both laughed, because
one of Candace's friends referred
constantly to her condition"
Candace tucked two dollars into
the envelope marked ''Household
Help"
Andy's curiously old hands
counted out five one-dollar bills,
slipped them in the envelope let
tered "Baby Fund" His dark,
thin face was earnest. ''Say, we
want to make sure he gets his
birth certificate mailed to him
when he's born. My father hasn't
a birth certificate and he can't
get a job in the defense plant
where Fred means to apply for
a job when he's finished his
course" Fred was An
dy's younger stepbrother.
'Why can't your father get a
birth certificate?" Candace noted
that Andy was preparing to count
the contents of the baby fund en-
velope, so she went around the
table to sit beside him on the
bench.
A great many older men were
having a terrible time about
their birth certificates, Andy ex-
planned, pulling his tiny wife
comfortably into his lap, against
his shoulder. His lips brushed
her cheek. Births were record
ed haphazardly fifty-five years
ago. Hundreds were never sent
in by doctors who did as they
pleased about it. You see, darl-
ing, apparently the early Town
Fathers didn't like statistics any
better than you do, though let us
hope they pronounced the word
more successfully than you. Say
Statistics Dace"
Candace suffered, "Sta-stat-
sta-tics." She laughed under his
chin. "But you needn't be so cri-
teal. Say 'gnarled,' Andy"
He rolled the word like mar
bles under his tongue and admit
ed they were even. Quite sud-
denly his young, smiling face
stilled to seriousness. He said,
''The papers tonight seem to think
that bill exempting men twenty
eight or over, will pass. came
home on the bus with Waters.
He's all upset about it.
Candace stirred. ''That would
let Halsey Kenneth out, wouldn't
it,"
eyes, Only the bill isn't passed
yet. He'll be twenty-eight in
but lots can happen
before them
ANDY, darling?"
''Uh-huh."
''How do you feel about war?
If you should-have to-go?"
Andy considered, his chin rest
ing on her gold-streaked hair. II
guess I think Of war as a dirty,
difficult job that, when thrust
upon us, has to be done," he said
slowly. There's no honor or
glory in it and mostly the fruits
are bitterness and hate. Yet a
man can't refuse to fight, as I see
it, unless he is willing to give up
all that other men will fight for
in his stead"
'Do you wish you were twen-
ty-eight? I just wondered"
$50 that I'd be released auto
by the exemption
clause? I don't know, Dace, I
have funny feeling Even if
the bill is passed - we'll, nothing
seems permanent to me, any
more"
(T0 IA Nnok;~,,odN