The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-03-09


brown eyes wide with amaze.
ment.
the girl asked mournfully but the
dog only wagged her stumpy tail
and pushed her head against the
girls arm.
The sun was warm against Do
rinda's fair hair. She leaned back
against the pillows, one hand on
Trixie's rough coat, surrendering
to the peaceful quiet of the morn
ing. 1t was there Edward found her
when he came up the porch steps.
She sat up suddenly, blinking at
him, half asleep. Cleve and Poole
were gone. Trixie, curled up beside
her, barked protestingly as she
moved.
Edward looked at her anxiously.
You're all right" He pushed the
dog out of his way and sat down
beside Dorinda in the swing. His
glance swept to the open door, to
the closed windows overlooking the
! porch. 1T seems private enough
here Where is everyCne?"
Mrs. Adams has gone to market.
don't know where Cleve is l
think he's gone away with the
sheriff. They were here a little
while ago. l must have gone to
sleep"
He nodded, satisfied. mo Won
der you're tired, poor child, after
last night His face looked pale
and tired beneath his smooth black
hair. i've had hellish morning,
Dorinda. Lana seems to have run
away, the little fool, and Harriet
has been having Mysteries all over
the place I'm not worried about the
girl particularly. l think she has a
peculiar ability to look after her
own interests, but It's the incon.
siderateness of her going off just
at this time Naturally, it can't
help but make Poole more susp'
cious of US all"
His dark eyes met hers and 81
away. Il don't demand a gree
deal of life. Dorinda Just rca
and what / consider a reasonaE
amount of comfort Sometimes 4
seems to me that everyone aroun'
me is in a conspiracy to desro.
the things 1 value" His lips were
set in morose lines Of self pity
But that isn't what l came for. >
He cleared his throat uneasily
1.-THE time has come when I've so!
to tell you few things, my dear
Tits not exactly pleasant for ms
but 1 can't evade it any longer
What l have to say is partly an ex
PLANTATION, partly confession.
He sat upright, one plump hanc
on either knee. She looked down a
his round white fingers, seeing
without knowing she saw, the wei
manicured nails, the fine blacl
hairs along the third finger joints
Il loved my mother. Dorinda
But in her way she was hare
woman. Perhaps not hard, but in
flexible She didn't believe in syco
plants, she didn't want her children
ever to think they must cater t,
her, yield to her whims for the SAX,
of favors received. She wanted u
to be free to live our own lives
Underneath this may have been tn,
feeling that she didn't want any
one to look forward to her death o
be placed in the position of waiting
for her to die.
When / finished college, sh
made over to me my half of tn
! money my father had left. Sh
would have done the same for m,
sister except that Laura made a
early marriage to a wealthy mar
Mother had a little money Of he
? own which came from her ow
family. She would have made
suffice if necessary even though
meant simpler mode Of living. /
her win that money was designe
for charity.
i ''At any rate, it was understoo
/ that the other half of my father
( fortune was to 60 to Laura or an
: children she might have. had ha