The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-24
70. )! H::!:A!YENC1[0 KEEP
crmahA "A M~ W 17Zo1... 49,
rramdn King han smAs NY . NW OANE ARROfT
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

AJGfh
toss DANES step halted. If.
lon she and Bill had lost
The bright autumn morning
~ on the dark darkness OF
Ipo< days. Out OF it came Bills
a n0e and she was seeing it as she
a NOT seen it then for her stony
a ai;ndness. stunned, tight-lipped as
W. own in grief, fard as her own
La a bitter, terrible rebellion.
n m;tb a little moan she dropped
n on,n on the bank at the side of
w. road. covered her face with
w. wv hands. Oh, why hadn't she
a lsown that he was suffering the
NiUe bleak anguish that she did?
s 81 course. Of coursel Nellie was
", baby! In each others arms
as have found some comfort.
1asiead she had crie1: don
In,cb mel" Built a thick wall of
W. tragic circumstances. After
ss+ vas there anything she could
say TO Bill?
y was a long interval before
-. reused. When she did It was
s s+s a faint, detached surprise at
trrdinp herself on the bank Of the
Thread. as if her mind and heart
t.d been too far away FOR it to be
nossible. She looked around her.
place her whereabouts.
Through the trees she could sec
mo roof of the little house and
Nor eves followed its outline, fell
laupr to the lane which led to
+Se house. Then she sprang to her
,eet trembling. A car was stand
iro where Rufus usually left his
csT but it was not Rufus. With
little cry she began to run down
the hill. She spoke aloud as she
ran. in broken, breathlsss
matches of words. "It isn't. S
too wonderful to happen - ne
doesn't know-if it is he. he's only
ccme-he thinks-o;l, what will he
say"
She was painting when she
reached the lane; each breath
was a stab against her ribs. No
one was in sight, but IT was Bill
car and she called his name.
BILL"
He came out IT the door ard a
few steps toward her before he
halted to stiffen as she had seen
him stiffen so often, She remem-
bered and stopped. the Old chill
plunging icily through her warm
veins.
He said: you are doubtless
surprised to see mel"
How did you know I was
here?" Her voice as cold as his.
"I've known all week. Your IA
ther told me as soon as he knew"
HE promised"
"You were not frank with him.
so I don't think you can hold that
against him!"
did he send you here?"
mo. Though l think he'd agree
with me that it can't go on ike
this"
1T can't - like this!" Diane
cried with a sudden impatient
fury at herself as we'll as Bill.
standing like this! Talking like
tits! We're-a little absurd" She
lifted her chin, walked toward
him, her face pale with resolution,
her hands clenched to hold to her
courage. But close to him she saw
what she had not, at first, the
dark hurt in his eyes which his
lips were trying to deny, the deep
lines of it along his tight lips. She
could not bear that; with a little
sound Of remorse she put her face
into his shoulder. Against it she
felt the leap of his heart and she
whispered: Bill, Bill"
I've had an awful week, Di,"
Bill said a little later. They hac
gone into the parlo- ard were sit
ting on the settee, DANES hand ir
his.
DO you think il hasn't been aw-
tul for me?" But, aloud, she an
swered: maybe we needed some
think like this"
Bills laugh, cutting in to depre'
cate that, was expressive of re
buke. Couldn't you have devised