The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-21

POSSIBLE SLl CCSAA ~
ton. That's the reason.
For one more instant the win
trv barrier held there in front
Of the unblinking blue eyes.
Then it cracked, cracked into
million pieces. A bright mist
burned into its place. Cam neveo
knew whether she moved flrst'
or whether it was Joel. But his
arms were hard around her,
where a second ago there had
been such distance between
them.
"Darling!" he whispered,
chockingly, into the wlndblown
hair. "Cammie, I love you sol"
she breathed, clinging to him:
81 should have known that,
"My heart kept telling me so.
But everything else fitted to-
gether into such horrible tight
and complete picture-such an
ugly picture. When I heard
Maurine talking to you on the
telephone"
.sMaurine?" Joel pulled back
his rumpled head unwillingIy
.'But I've never said anything to
Maurine, by telephone or not,
that could hurt you, CANINE
live never talked to her on the
telephone at all, except to ask
her for casual date or two.
What did you hear?"
s'But-but I heard her end OF
|it!" protested Cam. "She didn't
know I was coming into the
house, and I heard her telling
YOU how she despised you for
intending to get Deans Award
through making love to me. AND
later, after I'd corneded her.
when she had to admit to me
that you'd told her-Joel! Why,
she wasn't talking on the tele-
phone at ALL"
"Not to me, certainly. But
why ,"
"Because I was wrong about
her not knowing I was on the
steps. She must have watched
me coming up the hill. Of course
she knew"
GLOW the dickens did she
even know I'd applied for a
Deans Award?" Jol demanded.
ed. "Your father suggested it
weeks ago. But I never really
intended to use the application
he gave me, not until Beefy
beat it into me that you'd
want" His shoulders stiffened
SLOWLY. "I think you and had
better have a little talk with
Maurine"
"The very minute we get
back to Gainesville"
'We don't have to wait for
Cartersville," he cut in. "She's
here in Acadia. She's at the inr
| in the village, right this minute
waiting for me to close up the
house, We came here on the
same train"
"Maurine came all this wa,
/, with you? But-but why?"
| 81 didn't know she wa
!. aboard. Not until after we,t
pulled out of Gainesville. She't
come to Mrs. Funk's and-Well
thought I'd persuaded ne
there that some ideas she ha
were lust the result of a lot c
overheated imagination. Any
how, didn't see her after Beef
and left the rooming house
not until the train was unde
wav. And after that--oh, sh
seemed so upset at the idea {
nv selling the old place that
hadn't the heart to cold-shouloe
her. Cam :.
He was blushing, now nm
self. The recital Of what ma
happened on the trip to Acad1;
that interlude between the CO..
1eoe station and a flag stop 81
odd miles away might hav
ruffled the composure OF a ma
about town. And Joel Conro
had never pretended to be SC
phisticate. His chivalry was ne
tive to him, bred in his oone
"Cam she-darn it, she aske
mo to marry her. She said she
comfort me. She said she dldn
expect me to love her rlgf
away and-and well, for Just
little while there, l almo:
weakened" <.1.
Her eyes were on his ID
YOU, Joel?"
"By the time we'd gotten O
the train snd I'd taken her owe
to the inn to wait I'd gotten m m
balance back. told her SO. b'
she went right on begging m
not to sell the farm. It SCENE
almost like a fixation with ne
bv then. Say, if Beezy's 0.
front with his car" he sal
awhat are we waiting for? She
onlv five minutes from here
R,1t % before he would let her g
his mouth came down over hel
and m possessed it. His kiss WI
swift, but it was thorough.
burned white fire along Cam
veins. ~,,,rn