The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-11

IL VII oil e4lSoSCAilCit, or any
thing?"
oh, no, In fact, you're a lie
saver" she told him. My moth
er's out of town - New York
again on business. l faced a long
evening alone" She broke off,
struck by a sudden idea. Lex,
could you stay and have dinner
with me? Helga always fixes
something nice and there'd be
plenty"
He was shaking his head. mo
I'm sorry. I've got a dinner date
later. At seven"
OF course. He would have a
Gate. He had a date with Kay,
that al it. Why else would he
come in town, Sherry asked her
self. Certainly not just to see her.
She was merely a friend, a girl he
dropped in to see for an hour or
so when he had some time to kill
That was it. That was all of it.
And she had no right to feel hurt,
to know this sharp upWelling of
self-pity. Because Lex had never,
by word or act, led her to believe
ne looked on her as anything but
a friend. And, thank heaven. she
had had the sense never to let
him suspect she wanted more than
that.
Sherry forced a smile. She
reached out for a cigarette to hide
the fact that it wasn't a very
steady smile. Lex held a match
for her, then watched the little
flame burn FOR a moment before
putting it out. His glance was
troubled, coming back to rest on
her face.
SHERRY"
Eyes, Lex?"
Sherry, there's something I
want to tell you. That's why 1
came early, why I stopped by to
see you. It's - something that
happened after Kay and l left you
that night last week"
Sherry knew what it was. The
coldness in her heart told her,
even before Lex went Oh, before
ne explained, Kay and I - well,
we've got everything all straight
ened out at last Sherry"
He stopped speaking and Sherry
knew she had to say something.
You have, Lex? That's wonder
full"
Yes" he said, isn't it? Kay's
decided she'll do as I want. We're
going to be married and live in
the country. 1t's-what I've
dreamed of, Sherry, what Eve
wanted for such a long time I
still can't believe it's real"
Again she knew she must speak.
Again she forced words past her
unwilling lips. And they must
have been appropriate words, for
Lex went on talking, telling her
about Kay's giving in, her willing
ness to submerge her own prefer
ences to his.
makes me feel selfish in a
way" Lex admitted. And yet l
couldn't SO back to the old life,
even when it looked as though I'd
lose Kay if I didn't back down. A
man owes something to himself.
AM when everything in him cries
out against the cutthroat scramble
that getting ahead in the modern
business amounts to - we'll, he's
got to listen, that's all"
"Of course he must" Sherry
agreed. There's so much more to
life than just making more money
every year than you did the year
before, having your name on
the door OF a private office. Lots
of men are realizing that, Lex. I'll
isn't %laziness, or lack of ambition.
It's keeping faith with yourself.
getting the most you can out of
each day, having time for things
that are important to you"
Somehow, it was easier to talk
now. and she'd forced herself to
start. And one the first shock OF
Lexis announcement was past she
realized that nothing was really
changed between them. She had
exactly as much as she had al
ways had, Lexis friendship, MS
honest liking. And if, for a little
time while Kay remained obdur-
ate, she had let herself dream that
there might be more-well, thatl
was her own f~oolishness, that was
just hope springing eternal. Now
she had learned better. Now she
would remember.
Sherry asked Lex, when will
you be married? Is it all decid-
ed"
"In June-the twentieth" he re-
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