The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-09

SQG StOOu WotNA'AAS
car had disappeared down the
street toward town before she
turned and went up the path to
the house.
Mark was in the porch swing,
resting from his labors and ne
watched her bemused progress
up the walk. Knowing her
thoughts were with the man
driving the blue convertlble'
Marks mouth twisted and his
eyes were unhappy. But as Ca
thy came up the steps ne was
lighting a cigaret and his eyes
were on the glowing matchtlp'
so she had no way of seeing his
expression.
"Well, well! Did you have
fun?" he asked her gaily cas-
ual. =.
"I'm not quite sure" admit
ted Cathy.
There was flash in Marks
ewes. but he waved to the seat
besid, him and said, "Parl- the
body child. Maggie, bless the
woman, barred me from the
kitchen while she whips up a
batch of supper. Better not go
in-she's liable to put you to
work."
Cathv laughed and dropped
down beside him in the swing,
and for a moment they sat IN
companionable silence.
Marks eyes on his cigarette,
were unhappy, and the line
about his mouth was grim. But
Cathy's thoughts were busy with
Bill and she was scarcely con-
cious of Marks presence.
Cypressville had country
club. 1t was small and un-
pretentious place, but the self
elected elite of Cypressville was
inordinately proud of the long,
low-storied white frame house
that had once been the farm
house of a. prosperous hum
dred-acre farm. That same elite
had bought the house and thirty
acres of land; a fairly good golf
course had been laid out, and
there were two tennis courts
and a swimming pool and
list over which the
board fought fiercely and con-
The fact that the dues
were, in the eyes Of the men,
bers, rather heavy, made it po-
lite for them to accept many
members not of tn e old order
in Cypressville, but whose gen
erosity in making up sizeable
annual deficit could be counted
on.
Friday night was Gala Night
at the club. A hard-working 10
cal orchestra that made up in
noise and vigor for its lack of
musical skill slaved from eight
until well after midnight provld-
ing music for dancing. The
kitchens were presided over by
a chef of more than local re-
nown and there was a large
room set aside for those who
wished t play bridge or gin
rummv. Sc on Friday night
there were many cars parked
in the lot beside the clubhouse
and the sound of revelry filled
the air.
Maggie and Cathy were not
members of the country club.
But Mark had been officially
welcomed to Cypressville by an
invitation to unch at the weekly
meeting of the Rotary Club and
had received as a high mark OF
honor a guest membership to
the club for the length of his
stay.
Anxious oreturn some meas
ure of the hospitality meted out
to him so generously by Cathy
and Maggie, Mark insisted that
he take them to dinner at the
club on Friday night. Maggie
was secretly excited, though
outwardly composed and a little
disdainful of edith Kendalps
gang" as she called the coun-
try club set.
And so on Friday night Mark
ushered his wo guests into the
club dining room, looking very
handsome and well groomed in
his dress uniform. Cathy love-
ly in daffodil yellow with
Marks gardenias in a little
shower at her shoulder, and
Maggie looking distinguished in
black lace and more gardenias,
made Mark very proud. He
beamed at them fondly as they
were settled at the table by a
suitably impressed headwait-
er, who greeted them with
warm cordiality.
Gus mighty glad to have yo'
Major, suh," he beamed. "And
Miss Cathy-sho' is good to see
yo' home again."