The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-18
N +! r! (! oWGAE%,tL2 sE EAIR
h~b~dy hshsrns mAu~ IN H1(ODXWOW LW/XXXH

years. 1t was the time when she
must make her position unequiv-
ocally clear to Roger himself that
she dreaded. And that time came
on the occasion Of their first en-
gagement following Margaret Bed.
loe's death. Several weeks had
elapsed with no contacts between
them save those necessitated bv
their business association al the
store. And Leda appreciated Rog.
er's discretion his considera-
tor for her. So on the warm even
ing In May when he stopped by
her office and suggested dinner,
Leds accepted, though not without
some qualms.
They dined leisurely ana with
mutual enjoyment at an exclusive
French restaurant which had long
been a tavorite of theirs. The food
was delicious and the little place
had a great deal OF authentic at.
mosphere and charm. By the time
they had reached the demi-tassc.
Roger was in an expansive mood.
He told Leda, There's a restau.
rant very similar to this in Paris. :
He broke off, remembering, or
there was. Sometime later on,
when they've had time to smooth
over the scars a bit, we must 20
to Paris. There are so many things
I'd like to show YOU
There it was, more open now
his assumption of a future to be
shared by them. Leda couldn't let
him go on, taking for granted that
she would marry him, when she
hadn't the slightest intention of
doing so. She said, frowning a lit
tie, Roger, l think it's time we
had a talk. There are things that
We must settle"
He nodded, his glance warm on
her face. 1--WE felt the same way,
Leda. Only you've given me no in
dlcation you were ready for such
a talk. And l didn't want you to
feel 1 was speaking too soon for
GOOD taste"
He was smiling, confident. Leda
curbed a feeling of Impotence.
She said. This is scarcely the
place for a private conversation.
When We get home. . :"
At her apartment they sat as
they had sat SO many times be-
fore, in deep chairs opposite each
other. Helga brought in brandy on
a silver tray and went out again,
quietly u~nobtrustive. Leda used to
enjoy sitting thus with Roger, easy
end relaxed in their pleasant m
demanding friendship. But that
ha6 been before she realized that
Roger considered their friendship
merely a stepping stone toward a
more intimate relationship. How
much more strongly he must feel
that now, with his wife deao.
And yet Leda didn't know how
to begin. The right words, that
would set Roger straight without
offending him, were so hard to
find. For Roger was easily Of
Tended, as Leda was we'll aware.
She had known him to develop an
implacable grudge against some.
one, for reasons that seemed to
her almost trivial.
And so she sat there, rather
quiet a maturely beautiful woman
in q soft blue dress, with a brandy
goblet in her fingers and a slight
frown between her brows. And
Roger Bedloe sat opposite her,
slipping his drink and looking at
her with candid admiration.
His feeling for Leda was easy to
understand. He had been, for al
the long, lonely years of his wife's
illness, neither married in any true
sense, nor unmarried. 'Leda's
friendship had been something to
clinP to, a fire at which to warn
himself. Naturally. he had let his
DIRE ans form about her, fostering
d yearning for a still closer and
more satisfactory relationship.
Ever Leda's failure to respond on
the one occasion he had permitted
himself to put that yearning into
words hadn't made Roger realize
how different were her feelings for
him. He had assumed her reluc-
lance was due merely to the fact
that she found any discussion of
marriage distateful while his wife
sti' lived.