The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1944-06-01

=" they seemed so final.
But surely he meant such a state
of affairs to be temporary, until
they knew something definite
about Denise.
Only how were they ever to
know for certain? Was this what
Simon was now trying to decide
as he walked across the open
country, leaving her alone here at
the cottage? Time slid by. The
clock downstairs in the hall struck
four.
ooh, Simon, come back soon!
Simon, there's going to be so lit
tie time to talk!" These mute
words must perhaps have reached
him, for after a little while she
heard his footsteps in the garden.
She went out and joined him.
She looked at him hesitatingly,
hoping that the expression on his
face would bring peace to her
troubled heart.
But it was still cold and hard.
They made polite conversation
while Mrs. Greene brought tea.
When she had gone, Cherry said
desperately, "Simon, what do you
want to do? You can't mean that
x-0,, o~I oo,,1I~SA m
on. She wouldn't say the words to
him. There was something in the
spoken word that made a thing
seem so much more irretrievable.
But he wasn't afraid to say it to
her. II do, Cherry. At least, I
think for the time being We'll let
this cottage arrangement slide.
AS matter of fact, I'm going to
be pretty busy in town. I was
rather wondering how l would be
able to get away, even for these
occasional week-ends. And under
the circumstances " he, too,
left his sentence unfinished. But
there was no doubt in her mind
as to how it would have ended.
"Under the circumstances, you
and I are through - at any rate
for the time being" Her hands
frightened in her lap, the knuckles
showing white, and her nails dug
deep into the palms.
She thought, we'll, now you
know, and there's nothing you
can do. What's more, you've
brought this on yourself. You've
bungled things badly. You should
have told him about Denise in the
first place, or at the very latest
when you found the ring, but you
shouldn't have told him now, be-
cause clearly it seems worse to
him than it ever did to you. You
were willing to take the risk. You
knew all along what it might mean
were she to come back again.
It's evidently risk he would new
er have dreamed of taking himself.
Yet if Denise were still
alive, if she did come back into
their lives, she, Cherry, would be
the one who would suffer most.
Her position would be far more
difficult than Simon's.
I'm sure that's the Wisest thing
to do, Cherry" Dreadful, the
GOODNESS in his voice, the complete
lack of feeling.
Where was her pride? She need
ed it now. If Simon no longer
wanted her, she must learn to get
along without him. Presumably
she could bring herself to do it.
A Waaf had no time to NOPE with
so many girls around her.
She managed to make her own
voice as cold and impersonal as
his: Every well, Simon, if that's
what you want =. :"
II don't say it's what l want"
She made little possible ges-
ture. "You can't have it both
ways"
1T seems to me the only possible
way"
Suppose we never know for
certain what has become of Den
ise?"
He banged his clenched fist
down on the table. eve shall.
Somehow I'm going to solve this"
She didn't bother to ask him
how he proposed to set about it.
Instead she glanced at her watch.
IF I'm not coming here again for
some little while there are one or
two things I'd like to take away
with me. By the way, what shall
we arrange about Mrs. Greene?"
"I've not got so far as Mrs.
Greene yet. Well keep her on ma
turally, I'll write to her from
town. AS it is, she doesn't expect
us here very often. If we don't
come down for a few weeks, it will