The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1944-01-13

he has time. He's really a gent
us with paint brushes"
The rug, she pointed out, was
Brussels carpet square, sprinklec
thickly with tiny wreaths of pink
and blue roses. ut was Andy:
grandmother's carpet. We founc
it in his attic. I wish we had {
pair of those china dogs with cur.
ly heads to sit on either side OIL
the fireplace"
eyes, I've seen them" Ton:
Strengthened. "Such things are al
very pleasant under normal con.
ditions and in a normal world.
may as we'll tell you, Mrs. Thane
that I'm hoping to enlist you in 6
cause that's taking my time and
attention to the exclusion of ev.
erything else. I refer to the
struggle being waged for democ.
racy." Toni Fits took gulr
from her glass, set it down with
such involuntary emphasis that
it threatened to crack the crys.
tai coaster.
eve need clerical help at the
workroom where we're packing
boxes for Britain,'' she went on
eve need donations, but helpers
also. Just two evenings a week
of your time, Mrs. Thane, will
give us a tremendous lift. And
how about parading? I'm to lead
the women who are grouping for
national defense. In time we'll
have uniforms, but we don't want
to spend thirty dollars on a uni
form, until we know what our
duties will be-"
Quiet people baffled Toni Fits
who believed it everyone's duty
to keep conversation flowing as
freely as salt. Surely you can
come to us for one evening a
week, Mrs. Thane?" Toni suggest
ed.
She was sorry, Candace Thane
said clearly. eve need our even
ings, Andy and I. Neither of us
makes an engagement that ties
us up in advance. My husband
studies three nights a week, here
at home. The rest of the time we
need to get our rooms in good
order"
There was something old-fash-
Toned about the setup, Toni de-
cided. Aloud she said, ''We're all
making sacrifices. It might help
you to do more for others, if you
budgeted your time. Now, for
instance, if you had a telephone
="
They couldn't afford a phone,
Candace demurred, turning a ra-
diant face toward her husband.
Sand the way we feel about our
time-well, everything is so un-
certain, we place a high value on
the hours we can have together"
The older woman shrugged her
thin shoulders. 'You took an aw-
full chance, getting married be-
fore your husband was called.
There's been a lot of criticism of
men who married after the Act
was passed and then claimed ex-
emption.''
I'm not claiming exemption"
Andrew Thane looked soberly at
the fire.
Toni sighed. "Well, I've wasted
an hour. And I dashed up here
without my knitting, so I've &C
complished just nothing. I don't
suppose you'd agree to knit, Mrs.
Thane? We supply wool at cost
to those who are able to pay for
it,"
perhaps a little later" Can
dace smiled. IF a dollar will be
of any help to the wool fund, I'll
be glad to give you that. You
have a dollar, haven't you, An
dy?"
His curiously old, veined hands
brought out his new, saddle
stitched wallet and his stubby,
blunt-tipped fingers extracted a
clean dollar bill.
"You ought to get your wife
one of our pins, Mr.. Thane." To-
nj took the dollar with a brief
Thanks" The pins sold for as
little as two dollars and a half,
she continued, and were the sort
of thing that in time became heir
looms.
Someone wished to speak to
Mrs. Andrew Thane on the out
side phone, Sarah Daffodil an