The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-23

lhave been. II was dlrectly IN the
path of the tornado.
"Oh, no, he hasn't been hurt, :"
said Mrs. Kendall "If he had,
lhe'd have been brought straight
home. Why. everybody in town
knows limits silly! He's not
liz town; he left last night, right
after we quarreled. It was a
little after ten; l heard his car
20 down the drive and l looked
at nv watch; it was a quarter
after ten. / lay awake for hours
listening for it to come back,
but it didn't. And the st o m
didn't strike until about four this
r,orning-I'd just gotten to
sleep"
Cathy felt a sharp stab of re-
lief. She had been trying to deny
THAT uneasiness ever since
Elaine had told her that Bill was
not at home when the storm
struck. In all the horror OF the
hours Immediately following the
ldisaster, she had been comfort
led v the thought that the Ken
ldall place had escaped the full
furv of the storm. There had
|been no time to look for Bill;
|she had taken it for granted that
lh> had been in one of the rescue
SQUADS. But since Elaine h a d
told her, she had been fearful
and uneasy. But if Bill had gone
away at little after ten
Though where had he gone? She
accepted Mrs. Kendalps assur-
ance that if he had been among
the dead or the injured discover
led in the ruins of the storms
passing, word would have reach
ed the Kendall home long before
this. And if Bill had been with
one of the rescue squads surely
she or Elaine or Mark would
have seen him; and he would
have managed to get word home
|some way, knowing that his
aunt would have been alarmed
and frightened.
Mrs. Kendall was watching
her, fearfully expectant, con
viction dawning unwillingly.
"You really don't know where
he is, Cathy?" she asked after
a moment.
4 don't, Mrs. Kendall wish
IL did," answered -Cathy gently
"But he'll be all right. TRY not
to worry about him. Hadn't you
better try to rest bit? Y ou
didn't get much sleep and your
nerves are adly shaken
Almost humbly Mrs. Kendall
nodded. 81 suppose so," she an
|swered huskily, for the moment
like a docile. bewildered child
II couldn't possibly sleep, o1
course. but I could go and rest
land I know you need sleep
She trailed off at last anc
ICathy dropped onto the bed, toe
exhausted even to pull the light
covers up or to remove the thir
|robe she wore. She was puzzled
by Bills behavior; she had tolc
him as convincinglv as she knew
Ihow that she was no longer ir
love with him and that she die
not want their marriage an
nounced; that as soon as she
had her new assignment to duty
she would get a divorce. Yet he
had come straight from her t
Ibis aunt. had announced his in
tention OF marrying Cathy ane
|had quarreled with his aunt anc
gone off. Where?
BY now, the story Of the dis
aster that had almost wiped out
tn town would be In the news
Ipapers and on the radio; nc
matter where Bill was. he woulc
be bound to see 1t, and if he
were able, he would come
straight home again as fast as
he could. The fear that he hat
been among the storm casual
tiles had faded beneath Mrs
IKendall's firm assurance that
since every man,, woman a n
child in the towns would recog
nize him instantly, he woult
Ihave been brought straight
home.
Cathy was so exhausted tha'
even in the middle of hel
Troubled thoughts she sank intt
a deep, dreamless slumber
from which she awakened in thu
late dusk. Confused, she looked
at the clock and saw that it wa:
almost eight! Outside, the sum
mer night was soft and fragran
with the dew-wet scent Of rose:
and new-cut grass.
She slid out of bed wincing a
1.-The painful twinge of strained