The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-22

-, VAC SOIIlc
She was marshalling her forces .
Presently she said, Il hadn't
realized you were unhappy.
Sherry. You could easily find a
JOB in New York if you liked"
I'm not going, Mother"
Fright grew in Leda. ..But
where will you 60 then? What will
you dog"
Sherry said, II don't know vet.
exactly. Some little town, where I
can work and have a chance to
sort of get my bearings. A place
about the size of Brundage, but
far away. Where you can walk
down Main Street a few blocks
and be out in the country"
Surely you realize how fan
tastlc such an idea isl"
why? Don't you think I could
support MYSELF"
But it's so unnecessary, SO
foolish"
us o necessary than you
Think Sherry told her, IF I'm
ever going to have any respect for
myself She got up then and laid
her hand briefly, affectionately on
her mothers shoulder. you'll be
all right. You'll have your work.
Try to get used to the idea, won't
you?"
Leda didn't believe she could
ever get used to the idea. On TOP
OF all her annoyances at the store.
1t was simply too much. How
could Sherry be so stubborn, 50
unreasonable?
Then Leda's new job became
definite. Nat Hawthorne was So
pleased to get her, he met her
every demand. A larger salary
than she received at Craven's, a
freer hand. So much for Roger
Bedloe and his petty resentment,
his efforts to make trouble for
her. Leda knew a sense of pure
triumph as she handed in her res
ignation. She would have been sit
ting on top of the world, if it
weren't for Sherry. But Sherry
persisted in her ridiculous inten-
ton to get a job in some little
town and Leda could not dissuade
her, She had even begun to buy
out-of-town papers and answer
ads. The Chenille Clarion. The
Oakridge Ledger. The Charleston
Bugle.
Finally, in desperation, Leda
phoned Steve and asked him to
come to see her. She chose an
evening when she knew Sherry
would be out. No sooner were they
settled in the living room, than
Leda began pouring out her pro-
blem to Steve. When she had told
him of her intention to move to
New York on the first of June
and had explained Sherry's alb
surd determination to strike o u t
for herself, Leda admitted, II
know it's strange for me to come
to you for help, Steve. I feel
you're largely to blame for these
ridiculous ideas of Sherry's. But
surely even you can see that she'd
be better off to stay with me, her
mother. l confess I've used every
argument 1 can think of. But she'd
listen to you. She values your O.
pinion, I know"
Steve sat there, deep in a COM
fortbale chair, his old pipe era
died in his hand. "But-if 1 don't
think she's being foolish. Leda,"
he asked, IF l believe she's show
ing wisdom beyond her years,
what would you have me do
then?'
Steve, you must help me-" Le-
da begged. II know you agree
with her theoretically. But can't
you see my side, too? I don't want
to lose Sherry. She's all I have
left. l scarcely ever see Val any
more. She's away so much, so
busy"
"Leda, I'm very fond of you"
Steve's voice was gentle. "We're
old friends and l don't like to hurt
you. But you should realize the
truth. You lost both Val and
Sherry years ago, when you de-
cided that the money you were
capable of earning would be more
important to them than your care
and close association. They would
never have gone hungry on the
farm. And you wouldn't have
broken Toms heart by taking him
away from the life he loved, in
which he felt justified and secure
OF course, the girls wouldn't have
gone to exclusive schools. Val
wouldn't have had the chance to
marry a wealthy rake like Car
rington. But l believe she'd have
had more character, more integ-
rity, growing up as Tom would
have let her. Sherry's stronger
than Val. That's why she's come
out all right" "A
Leda said, II think you're being
very unfair Steve. All these
things you're accusing me of -
they're IN the past. Nothing can
be done about them now"
"No," Steve agreed, 1.-The past
is finished. But the present grows
out of it. And now you're deter
mined to make the same mistakes
you made with Tom all over a
gain. Can't you accept the fact
that Sherry is Toms daughter,
with the same quiet wisdom he
had, the same appreciation Of
simple things? But Sherry has a
stronger determination to shape
her life according to her own de-
sires. Maybe she got that determ-
nation from you"
(To Be Continued