The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-24
CHAPTER THIRTY

What IN HSdtGll lldIIle Is LQc
matter with me? Cathy demand
ed of herself furiously. w h I
shouldn't Mark look at Elaine
as though he like her a whole
lot? What's it to me? Pm not in
love with Mark-and won't be
ga cat in the manger! I'm
fond of Mark, Of course; he's
nv friend. But I'm not in love
with him, and if Elaine is-then
cheers. Because Mark could fall
in love with her so easily.
She was ashamed of herself
for that little momentary stab
of jealousy. Because unless she
was in love with Mark, what
right had she to be jealous? And
she wasn't in love with him!
She wasn't in love with anybody
and she didn't want to be, ever
again. She wanted to be free in
her heart and in her mind, free
to devote herself to her job.
She was startled suddenly by
the sound of q car coming up the
drive, and for an instant the vel
low beam of the lights lay full
upon her, binding her. The next
moment the lights had passed on
the car had stopped, and some
one was running to her across
the drive.
"Cathy!"
1t was Bills voice. sharp and
urgent with anxiety that had en-
dured until the strain had be-
come almost unbearable. IT was
Bills arms that gathered her
hard and close against him and
Bills cheek was against her
hair.
ooh, Cathy, Cathy are YOU
all right, darling? Maggia said
you were but she hadn't seen
you since an hour after h e
storm struck. When she told me
you were here with Aunt Edith
good Lord, Cathy, I probably
broke every speed record in the
state getting home.'' He was
speaking huskilv and holding
her a little away from him so
that he could look down at her.
His fingers beneath her chin til
ted her face upward until he
could set his mouth on hers in
hard. eager Kiss that brought
her heart up on its tiptoes.
The dear. familiar sweetness
of Bills kiss. to which her crazy
heart responded with such un'
conscious ardor. shook her She
had to tell herself that she
wasn't in love with Bill any
more. and that this responee to
the pressure Of his arms to the
burning tenderness of his kiss,
was a hangover from long habit.
But before she could withdraw
from his arms and put into
words her repeated assertion
that she was no longer in love
with him Mrs. Kendall came
swiftly across the terrace.
"Didn't I hear Bills carr" She
cried. "Oh, Bill darling, is that
you? Are you all right, Bill?"
Bill LAUGHED and took one arm
from about Cathv and put it
around his aunt. holding them
both close to him.
"Of course I'm all right, Aunt
Edith I'm sorry as the dickens
that you were worried about
me-" he assured her. kissing her
cheek lightly. ''I tried to tele-
phone or wire you, but of course
all communications were dis
rupted until just little VIII =,
ago; and was so close to home
then that I just kept pounding
along. unwilling to stop long
enough to try to phone
But, Bill, where have y u
been?" Mrs Kendall clung to
him, still fearful, still aggrieved.
but with her eyes shining with
happiness
"It's long story, Aunt Edith,
but one you and Cathy both will
have to hear" said Bill almost
curtly. "Suppose we postpone
it until after I've had bite? l
hate to admit it, but I'm starving
now that I find my two girls
here together where I've always
wanted them to be-"
He kissed Cathy and then his
aunt and turned toward the
house, still with an arm about
each Of them. As they went up
the steps from the garden to the
terrace, the light flashed on and
Mark and Elaine stood facing
them. Cathy's face burned as
she saw the look in Marks eyes
that took in Bill with one arm
about Edith, the other about
Cathy.
well, you hound" Elaine
said sternly to Bill. 'Where the
heck have you been while all
Hades has been popping loose
around here? As il all Of US
didn't have enough on our minds
coping with the worst storm that
has ever hit the place, we had
TO take time out to worry about
YOU, tool"
Sorry as the dickens,'' said
Sl'l. i went out of town list
night on bit of business. I was
IN Atlanta a little after five this
morning. I went straight to the
Motel and checked in. got q few
hours sleep. and then attended
10 my business. After lunch. on
H1e way back to the hotel. l
picked up an afternoon paper