The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-03

Some hot coffee will do you
good"
Don't botner-please Lex
But they stopped at the same
little roadhouse where Lex had
taken her so often. As on former
occasions, there was an aroma of
hamburgers and coffee in the air,
a blurred background of juke-box
music. only a few other custom
ers.
Lexis hand was firm under
Sherry's elbow, propelling .her to-
ward a booth. When they were
seated, he leaned toward her, his
low voice apologize. "Your lip.
sticks smeared. Better fix it,"
She nodded and left him to 60
to the little washroom, with its
crooked mirror and wire basket
overlooking with paper towels.
Her face looked back at her for.
lcrnly in the glare of the unshad.
ed overhead light. Sherry mopped
at her mouth with her handker.
chief, the lump in her throat
growing bigger and bigger. She
wouldn't let herself think - but
there seemed to be nothing she
could do about the tears that oyer.
flowed from under her eyelids and
coursed down her face.
When the sudden storm of her
weeping was over, she dashed
cold water on her eyes, outlined
her lips once more with crimson
and, her white scarf discarded,
ran her pocket comb through her
shining soft hair.
There nowhere" she num-
bled idiotically to herself You're
all right now. You look almost
human again."
And still she pushed the rushing
tide of her thoughts aside and
would not face them.
Lex got to his feet. as she joined
him once more in the little booth
There were two hamburgers on
buns on the harrow table, two
mugs of steaming coffee.
LEX, the coffee looks good. But
Pm not hungry enough for any
thing else"
He wasn't paying any attention
to her words. His blue eyes were
steady On her face. "Sherry, were
you crying?"
She hid her face behind her two
hands. Don't stare at me So"
Were you crying?" His voice
was husky, gentle. 1t touched
Sherry's heart like a probing fin
ger.
He reached out and took her
hands in his, held them close and
hard. Her eyes slid away from
his. IF 1 vast was very foolish
Of me-"
mo, it wasn't" Lex denied.
''Only Pm sorry, Sherry. Don't
you believe that?"
Eyes, of course I believe you"
"I'm sorry" Lex went on un-
happily, land Pm ashamed. Be-
cause I'm SO very fond Of you,
Sherry - we've been such good
friends. And your friendship
means a lot to me-"
"It means a lot to me, too,
docs It," His voice was eager.
And / haven't spoiled it? Tonight
won't make a difference?"
eff you don't want it to, it
won't"
"Of course 1 don't want it to. I
want everything just the way it's
been" He said then, still holding
her hands in his across the little
table, Sherry, 1 wish I could
make you understand the way a
thing like that could happen"
81 know how it happened" Her
mouth curled in a little self-deri-
smile. "Something - biolog.
ical, isn't it? They don't teach
quite enough about it at finishing
school, or I'd know the scientific
terms better"
Sherry, don't"
''Why?" she asked lightly. Her
eyes came up to meet his. She
made them. She made her smile
and become easy. natural.
was hard, but she did it. She
said, AFTER all, a thing like that
can happen to anybody, Lex.
Even loving Kay as you do-well,
we are friends, we're fond of each
other. And you haven't been see
ing Kay lately-you miss her. We
just-got a little mixed up-both