The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-23

wnlle: And I can't say I blame
ner. But-it'n seem odd not hav-
ing lei come out, not seeing her
at ALL"
IN certainly miss her." Steve
said.
Lex stood silent for a moment
Ihen ne glanced around somewhat
olankiy, as though he had forgot.
zen where he was, what he was
oolng. He started in pitching fod-
DER again. But Steve had taken
only a few steps toward the door
When Lexis voice arrested him.
ne asked, a little note Of diff
oence in his tone, She'll be
coming out before she leaves.
won't She? Well get to see her?''
Steve nodded. Both Leda and
Sherry are coming out Saturday.
That will be the last we'll see of
them for a while"
"Yes," Lex agreed. "But at
least, Wen have a chance to tell
Iiie11l goodby."
Steve went on out of the dim.
cool barn into the warm sunshine.
An unaccustomed feeling of unrest
rode him, spelling the spring
beauty of the day a little, dulling
the bright blue sky and the tender
green of new leaves. For no
logical reason, he walked along an
over = grown track that led away
from the house and the red barns,
around a corner of the wood lot
and away across the pasture. The
path was a short cut, seldom used
now, which led to the little knoll
where Tom Kent's house had once
stood. Today Steve's feet followed
it for the first time in months, or
maybe years. He did not trouble
to fathom the compulsion that was
upon him. It was as though he
went to a rendezvous.
Presently he stood beside the
broken red brick chimney that
marked the site Of Toms house.
Lex had told him that he meant,
in time, to build here. Well, 1t was
a fine location and the old Hem
ingway house did leave a lot to be
desired. Particularly for a city
girl like Kay. Steve wondered how
that marriage would turn out. He
had met Kay the previous week
end for the first time. She had
stayed at Ridge Farm and she
had been pleasant and charming,
both to Steve and Aunt Pen. And
she was certainly beautiful. 1t was
easy enough to understand how
Lex had fallen in love with her.
Steve hoped they would be happy.
He knew he was unjustified IN
suspecting a quality of ~insincerity
underneath Kay's apparent ac-
ceptance of Lexis determination
tn farm. She had gone with him
to see the Hemingway house, had
tramped across the fields and pas
tureland that were now his and
from which he intended to wrest
a living. She had come in, gay
and rosy, making little of the
snags in her sheer stockings, the
ruined heels of her impractical
pumps. She had listened and
agreed enthusiastically to all
Lexis plans for their future. But
Steve had felt, unreasonably per-
haps, that here was a clever, de-
termined girl, hiding her time,
giving lip service to Lexis dreams
and desires, but true in her heart
to a totally different plan for their
life together. Well time would
tell whether he was right in his
d5strust. He hoped the future
would prove him wrong, tor Lexis
sake. He had grown very fond
of the boy.
Steve's thoughts switched back
to Sherry then. He loved her as
though she were his own. Lonell-
ness welled up in him at the reali-
zation of how he was going to
miss her. But he was glad she had
broken free at last from Leda's
silken domination. Sherry might
! have pursued pleasure and for