The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-30

'oooy, 81 great was her self-ab-
Sorptlon, She was unaware of it.
although S e drew its fragrance
nte her lungs with every breath.
After a little while the road dwin-
cled to a mere track and the as
cent became sleeper. Then,
through a thicket of trees, she
came out onto the crest of the hill
and the valley lay spread before
her, the river cutting through it,
tie farms dotting it's fertile bot
tom land, the roofs of the town
clustered off to the right.
Sherry sat down on the coarse
grass and clasped her arms
around her knees, waiting for the
serenity the peaceful scene below
usually laid upon her spirit. But
her thoughts were too cropping
too confused.
Will this place be my home al
ways she wondered? Will l live
here when 1 am an old woman
like Miss Spence, brittle with
years? Will the town and its peo-
pie grow more familiar to me
dearer, coming at last between
ME and the hurting memory of
old friends, OF places lost to me?
Ane will they make Lexis face
grow DINNER in my mind And
the feel of his arms about me that
night on the bridge? And the
touch of his lips that meant
nothing to him and so very much
to me?
But it was no gooo thinking
about Lex.
Think of the future, Sherry told
herself sternly. Don't brood. Don't
look back.
She tried to fix her thoughts on
the man Laura had said she
might meet someday and be at
tracted to. She tried to give this
stranger features, a personality.
But he seemed to stand tall and
easy in her minds eye, with a
shock OF brown hair, with gray
eyes that Were warm and friend
ly. He was Lex Morell. Must it
always be Lex, Sherry wondered.
And would she grow old alone and
unloved. as Miss Spence had,
never marry, never have chill
dren Such an empty, futile life.
MORE MORE MORE
Laura had said that time would
help. And there was a quiet wis
dom in Laura Holmes that Sherry
trusted. Maybe Laura w a right
about this-Sherry hoped SO. She
hoped so with all her hungry ach-
ing heart.
A twig snapped in the stiffness
and Sherry realized that someone
was coming along the path behind
her. She resented the thought OF
intrusion and wondered a little,
too, since no one had ever come
here before to violate her privacy.
She got to her feet, intending to
leave. She smoothed the skirt Of
her blue dress, turned her back
on the panorama of the valley.
And then her heart began to race
and her breath crowded her
throat. She stood staring, beWlld-
cred, not sure whether she saw,
or only imagined.
A tall. e~asy-moving figure
| strobe toward her. Lex. 1t was
Lex! These were his hands, clos
ins hard around hers, these his
eyes, this his mouth. Sherry
couldn't speak, she couldn't move.
She could only stand, spellbound,
her eyes wide and questioning,
her lips parted.
Lex couldn't speak, either, for a
moment. But he could move. He
drew Sherry close into his arms
and she was at home, after such
a long and lonely time. He kissed
her, a long deep kiss, and 1t was
as though Sherry came alive I'M
der the warmth of his lips. An
ecstasy too sweet to be borne
flowed through her. And every
sense responded. Now she was
thrillingly aware of the fragrance
Of clover all about, the muted
song of birds. Now she was COM
plete and whole, as she had never
been and never could be except
with Lex, except knowing all the
things his kiss and the hungry
grasp of his arms told her. Know
ing he loved her as she loved him
an that they would be together
from this moment on.
After a whine Lex began to talk
still holding Sherry close as
though he were afraid she might
escape. 81 got to the newspaper
office just as your boss was lock-
inc up. He told me where I could
probably find you, so l drove as
far as I could and ran the rest
of the way. I'd have come tor you
DAYS ago, but Steve and 1 had
no right to ask you to marry me
till I'd taken time to think. AS
though 1 needed time to think
once you were gone and realized
how / missed you'll" His voice wa
husky. Sherry, it's been
ST know" she murmured. I've
bee through it, too"
That's why Steve made me
wait" Lex went on. "He said I'd
already given you such a bad
time, he wanted me to be alb
solutely sure. And oh, Sherry,
am sure-for always. Will you
forgive me-and marry me"
ooh, darling, yes,' she told
him But she was still cropping