Show y h Telegram Fiction Fiction- Is' Is Is S It LOV love By Margaretta Brucker Bracker r CHAPTER 24 21 r 4 Johnny laughed then and they returned to the plans about i. i Belle Acres He had simplified his figures figures' so that she could understand them He said that r he would be over Sunday and they would drive out together to toS S look over the plantation Its my wedding gift to you f i he told her Well have the papers papers pa pa- pers drawn up and everything t- t in order so that If it I have to toy y leave suddenly therell there'll be no question about your possession t r I He drew out his wallet and handed landed her a folded bit of paper I Theres a a. check to deposit Take rake it to t She opened the check And spread it out in front of her vs t It was for a a. thousand dollars She read the name through a a. mist of tears Susan Eleanor Harris Harrs written in af a a. f strong vigorous handI hand V. V I shouldn't take it she mur murr r Inured i Sue Ellen Ellen Ellen- She looked up This time both his hands caught her two hands and held them He said Im staking more than a a. piece of property and a a. thousand dollar check on you In one way I wish I did riot not have to help you materially I dont don't want a a. hint of gratitude to color your feeling feel feel- Ing for me I want something much more difficult to obtain obtain- and some day I shall ask you i I for it it and if you cannot give it to me be honest with me dear Ill I'll understand Now Now Now-I'm Im I'm satisfied satisfied sat sat- that you you should adjust yourself and your emotions to this arrangement A bargain f as you once put it it itA A sided one-sided margain whispered whist whis whis- t Sue Ellen He shook his head Im conservative conservative con con- but Im I'm gambling everything on this marriage I dont don't want to take my happiness happiness happiness happi happi- ness because its it's offered out of oft t gratitude I want to have you forget all that for a a. month or two There may be some difficult difficult cult or embarrassing situations which may arise as a result of our understanding and I shall never take advantage of it for a moment We are friends good friends good friends Agreed She nodded They arrived in Tyler Springs and found Uncle Freeman at the station Miss Sue Ellen Ellen Ellen- Harris He removed his hat and bobbed his grey woolly head repeatedly his mouth spread d in a a. wide significant grin Miss Caolina get y i with iah Miss Sue Ellen She say sayto sayto sayto to come right along the bof of you She got a hot ready Lieutenant Harris has to be beIn ben ber r In n Camp Shelby before six in inthe inthe the morning explained Sue SueEllen dancing Ellen aware of Johnnys Johnny's dancing ing eyes and more than proud l of the way she maneuvered Uncle Freeman out of hearing y by telling him to collect her bags Goodbye Thanks for everything Good night This is Tuesday Ill I'll Ill I'll see you Sunday morning Aunt Jennie will have a wonderful dinner for you Aunt Aurit Car will be delighted to see you you you- ou And youl you you you- l I Ill be glad He stooped and kissed her gently Just Just a friendly kiss he said Besides kissing has grown to be quite a a. commonplace commonplace common common- place gesture She caught his sleeve as he started to turn away In that c case case case- se- se She drew his face down downto to meet her own and kissed him himon himon himon on the mouth That was for Uncle Freeman she said hasti hasti- ly He was watching us and would have been so disappoint disappoint- ed cd if I had shown no affection for a a. new husband Are you sure hes he's quite convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced you love me Even in inthe inthe inthe the di dim glow of the tho little station lights she could catch the gleam of his grey eyes Quite He picked up his bags and prepared to leave I shall have to convince Aunt Car and Aunt Picas Pleas Picas he hinted She shook her head I shall explain to them that this is just a a. business arrangement She watched him stalk away his back straight and unbending He never looked back once Why had she reminded him that this was a bar bargain g a. a in Wh Why be ashamed of the impulse which made her kiss him goodbye She knew The old Fairhope pride again influencing her to hide behind it to deny her love Gossip Circles Will WillBe WillBe WillBe Be Busy for Awhile In the one taxi Tyler Springs boasted Uncle Freeman sat in front with the driver his black face puzzled and disturbed Uncle Freeman though this an odd homecoming for a a. bride and groom The taxi drew up at Magnolia House the door flew open The aunts stood on the veranda Aunt Pleas stout and smiling Aunt Aunt Car running down the steps to meet Sue Ellen and take take- her in her arms Aunt Car was tearful tearful tearful-no no one spoke Then Aunt Pleas said briskly Your husband Sue SueEllen SueEllen SueEllen Ellen Johnnys a soldier she explained explained explained ex ex- easily He had to re report report re re- port at Camp Shelby at once She found herself hersel saying quite of matter-of-factly Hell be over that Sunday Sunday that was his plan when he left me me The Colonel and Riv are in Tyler Springs said Aunt Car breathlessly They flew to Memphis and I saw the Colonel yesterday and he told me that Belle Acres was out of his hands entirely o right Together they walked into the house and the street door closed behind them From the kitchen beyond they could hear Aunt Jennie talking excitedly and Uncle Freemans Freeman's important tones as he answered Belle Acres belongs to us again announced Sue Ellen and smiled at the two astonished astonished aston aston- faces At least it will belong to me as soon as the proper papers can be signed 1 Johnny gave it to me as a wedding wedding wed wed- ding present Belle Acres belongs to you Aunt Car sank down on a chair in the hall while Aunt Pleas bustled off toward the kitchen Did Aunt Pleas know asked Sue Ellen She Sh didn't seem surprised Pleas is never surprised at anything Youre You're tired Well We'll talk over everything in the morning A few minutes later Sue Ellen sat alone by the library fire while Aunt Car went off to join Aunt Pleas Together they would talk things over thought Sue Ellen They would compare compare com com- pare ideas about her surprising marriage She wondered why the Colonel had come and wished that Riv had remained in Washington until the news of her marriage had spread through th the gossip circles of Tyler Springs There would be much talk about her Sue Ellen Gets Congratulation Early Next Morning She thought of Johnny back in camp and wondered if he was thinking about her She re remembered remembered re re- his kiss as he left and she looked deep into intI the heart of the fire and saw Johnnys Johnny's face smiling at her The aunts re returned returned re re- turned with tea and a lunch and she sat and told them about her wedding and the trip back to Memphis Aunt Pleas sighed I never expected to see the day when a Fairhope would marry a Yankee But Aunt Pleas you do like Johnny He isn't one bit like a northerner north north- erner w was S Aunt Pleas Pleas' re re re- And if he makes you happy that's all I could wish for you Youre You're happy Sue SueEllen SueEllen SueEllen Ellen Why do you ask Because you dont don't act like a bride declared Aunt Pleas Sue Ellen blushed Why You might have been off to Memphis on a shopping trip In Instead Instead instead In- In stead of a a. honeymoon Aunt Pleas eyed her sharply Are yo you sure youve you've pi picked ked the right one Susan Eleanor Quite sure Sue Ellen arose and kissed her aunt And Im I'm tired and tomorrow well we'll have time to talk over everything Right now Im I'm going to bed Good night The murmur of their soft voices followed her as she mounted the stairs to her room They had known her so long and so well they could sense her every feeling re read d every passing passing pass pass- ing hig emotion in her face It would be difficult to deceive them if this marriage proved a arash arash arash rash mistake The following morning Ginny called Congratulations she bubbled over the telephone I didn't think you had the nerve to throw Riv Moore Moor over Th res re's a lot of g gossip about it Plenty of folks say that you gave him the toss and went right out and married that swell Yankee soldier just to show you didn't care Right I married Johnny Harris Of course said Ginny the Colonels Colonel's friends say he broke up your marriage to Riv I sI think Riv will tell you that he was already married Sue Ellen Is Ashamed Of Her Outburst After she hung up the re receiver receiver receiver re- re Sue Ellen was ashamed of her outburst Time enough for Ginny to find out for herself the details of her break with Riv Before she had finished her breakfast a dozen people called to offer congratulations and satisfy their curiosity that the rumor which had swept Tyler Springs about her marriage marriage marriage mar mar- to a northerner was cor cor- cor recto But Sue Ellen honey youve you've always hated northerners I didn't know them Besides Besides Besides Be Be- sides arent aren't there exceptions I understand hes he's mighty well to I dont don't know anything about that that said Sue Ellen Briefly Aunt Car Car Car- She forced her aunt to drop the tapestry on which she was working and listen as she protested about the part gossip played in ones one's private private private vate affairs It might easily destroy ones one's faith in anyone she said slowly Make you doubt your own judgment Theres There's something so destructive and subtle about town small-town gossip Aunt Car put down the skein of green wool she was carefully considering Gossip helped ruin my life she said and gossip will try to ruin yours But my dear dear it it cant can't if youre you're sure of Johnny To be continued |