The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-11-08
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for being so good to him. It's been
ages since I've seen you-Im going
to ring you one day this week fol
lunch"
do. I'd love il. .
They said goodby and Elizabeth
put back the phone. She laughed to
herself as she did so. Everything
was back where It ought to be. Her
friends, her children. the warm Sc
curity Of her life Going over to
the desk, she took up Spratts pic
ture and kissed him through the
glass.
AS she went downstairs she heard
babble of young voices and a
sound of laughter. Dick and Cherry
had evidently come indoors with
their friends, and the four of them
were making quite as much noise as
might have been expected If they
had been greeting one another after
years of separation. Doesn't their
energy ever give out?" Elizabeth
asked herself with fond wonder as
she heard them. She glanced into
the dining room to make sure the
table had been set with two extra
places. made ready the cocktail tray
in the living room, and then went
to the balcony that ran along the
back of the house, to observe the
state of affairs around the pool.
The children had hung their suits
and towels on the line provided, leav-
ing the place quite tidy after their
swim. They were really very good
about that, except now and then
when they had something important
on their minds and forgot to clear
up. What a good time they were
having now! They had gone into
the back den, the windows of which
opened on the balcony where she
was standing, and she could hear
them as they discussed something
that must be excruciatingly funny.
for the conversation seemed to con-
sist less of words than of laughter.
Not wanting to interrupt whatever
it was they were enjoying SO much,
Elizabeth sat down in deck-chair
on the balcony to wait for the ap-
pearance of Spratts car in the drive
way.
The shadows of the lemon trees
were like dark lace shawls lying on
the grass. A little wind rumpled the
surface of the pool and moved gently
past her, bringing odors of damp
grass, lemon blossoms, torn gerani-
um leaves. The air was full of the
twittering of birds making farewell
to the sun as joyfully as the children
were laughing within.
Elizabeth leaned back, wrapped in
a warm glow of pleasure. What a
lucky woman she was, she reflected,
and how much she had--a beautiful
home, husband who loved her, such
charming, happy children. In the
midst of all this. how foolish it was
ever to remember anything else. 1t
was good to have a few minutes
alone, like this, to look at all of it
and know she had right to be
proud because she had created it;
good to take pleasure In her chill
dren's laughter and know they were
so happy because,of the love and Sc
curity she had given them. No mat
ter what might happen to them in
the coming years they would have
this to remember.
She found herself laughing too, in
echo of the four mirthful youngsters
in the den. They were reading some
thing, for she could hear the rustic
Of pages-no doubt those dusty old
magazines they had brought in from
Julia's mothers attic-and their
voices came through the window to
her, breathless with merriment.
go on, Cherry" it was Dick
speaking-"what have you got now?
Read it."
"This ones wonderful" exclaimed
Cherry. Listen" She read, gran
diloquently. In these days of Bit
ter strife, when the earth shakes
with the force of battle, new future
is being born. We make sacrifices
gladly, for we know we shall be
richly repaid with the glory of uni
versal brotherhood. The world must
be made safe for democracy! In
this magnificent hour
Another shout of laughter inter-
rupted her. Cherry announced,
That's an advertisement for
raisinsl"
"I don't believe it." said Pudge.