The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-05

| u.
Knowing that Bill was back.
and that the Stovall girl was in
the house with him, with the ap-
proval and assistance of Mrs
Kendall, hurt Cathy deeply. She
knew she was jealous, and she
tried to scold herself for it. But
after all, She was Bills wife.
and wasn't Bill treating her
shamefully in not acknowledging
her and putting an end to his
aunt's matrimonial plans for
him? Cathy had known in her
heart from the very first that
She and Bill had been wrong in
keeping their marriage secret.
they should have faced Mrs
kendall, announced their mar
rlage, and dared her to do her
worst. But even now, when she
admitted that it had been a mis-
take, she tried to find excuses
for Bill. The money meant such
a lot to him: first, he felt that
, 1t was rightfully his; secono he
had known years of the most
grueling poverty, which had Civ.
en- him a false conception of the
Importance of money. At least,
to Cathy, his conception was
false; but humbly she admitted
that she had never known the
sort of poverty he had expert
enced during the formative
years of his boyhood. Perhaps
| if she had
Her thoughts went round and
round, and she was worn out
with them. She went for lorg
walk into the country one after
noon, with no other idea tnan to
walk until she was tired enough
to sleep, instead of lying awake
and thinking half the night as
she had been doing.
1t was dusk when s1e came
back, very tired and very un-
happy.
AS she opened the gate in the
white picket fence, she saw that
Maggie was not alone on the
porch, and suddenly her tired
heart leaped up-and the next
moment fell flat. For it wasn't
Bill who rose to greet her
lit was m n, t a IL lean
rangy, burned brown by tropic
suns, and in the well-tailored
uniform of an officer in the
United States Army Air Force.
For a moment she stood root
ed to keep top step, staring with
incredulous eyes as the man
laughed down at her and said
over his shoulder to Maggie,
"See? told you she'd be glad to
see me-but I didn't think she'd
be struck dumb!'
"Captain Graham!" she gasp
ed family, and put a shaking
hand in the one he extended.
Kindly stop demoting me,
madam. See them leaves?" he
said sternly, his eyes laughing
at her, warm, eager light in
their dark depths. "It's Major
Graham, if you please"
$50 they finally realized how
important you were and gave
you proper credit?' Cathy raj
lied herself to answer. ''But
what in the world are you doing
here in Cypressville?"
Looking for you, of course
what els e?" answered Mark
Graham promptly. "You sold
me on the charms of Cypress
vile remember that afternoon
at the Officers Club in Honolu-
lu when you could talk of moth
ing else? You gave me the i'm
preston that it was a sort of
combination paradise a d Tito
pia, all flowing with milk and
honey and with the streets
paved with gold. Well, natural
ly, when I found myself with a
thirty-day leave on my hands
and no place 1 cared much to
see, 1 remembered Cypressville
and it sounded like a right nice
little place to see. said to my
self, Darling will be bored stiff
by now, among a lot of civilians,
so I'll give her break-1'n go
see her. And here I am"
Maggie was looking a little
alarmed, and Mark grinned at
her and said explanatory, "You
see, Darling was her nickname.