Show n he Pi j In r D my o PEGGY GY FRI N I U RELEASE t LASe TUB TilE STORY THUS FAR PAR Pleasant Grove accepted without any surprise Megs legs engagement to Larry Lurry Martin Marlin People generally supposed Meg would lell leU the old farm larm and go to the county tent sent where she and end Larry would live Jim rIm continued to take walks each evening and Meg M eg sue sus suspected he be was Will going eo to lee see Alicia the widow Atop the ridge she sat and thought bought It II over a long lone Ume She loved I the old farm every rock and every tree Finally she ho knew she could not nit marry Larry and leave the farm larm She must mot tell him As At she walked back to the tho house bouse the she glanced toward the Fallon home borne In the backyard was wan figure a 1 In white dancing weirdly CHAPTER VI tl She knew ehe She could not sell the farm arm She drew a long hard breath But Laurence could not drive to and from the farm to Where his own destiny lay Per Perhaps haps when the war was over and andears cars ears and tires and gasoline were once unco more everyday matters it could be bEl done but not now It all boiled down she decided at rest last to the fact that she could not must not marry Laurence not now Suddenly she ehe felt very tired but buthe she he had reached her decision She could not marry Laurence and sell the farm tarm and go to live In a small bungalow with a garden backyard and end one cat and one dog Her life was wal here Somehow she must make Laurence tee lee that It wasn't going to be easy but her mind was made up LIp And as though the achieving of Dt a decision had relieved her of at lome ome great burden she threw bacK bacic her ber shoulders and stood up sudden sudden- suddenly ly spilling a startled and indignant Susie to the ground Feeling sud sud- suddenly suddenly denly light and free free free- A movement in the backyard be behind hind bind the Westbrook place caught her startled attention At first she I thought It was merely something white hanging on the clothesline Guttering fluttering in the soft sott mild wind And then she realized that it was a hu human hu- hu human man figure a woman in white moving movIng moving ing oddly bending as though to pick something up straightening to fling her ber arms wide her head back At this distance she could tell teU nothing more than that And then suddenly with a II little creeping feeling of dis- dis discomfort comfort she realized what the women wom wom- woman woman an en was doing she doing she was dancing Megan stood stock still her heart pounding as she watched the dane dane- dancing dancing ing woman down below In the back back- backyard backI backyard backyard I yard of the Westbrook place A queer oddly rhythmic dance grotesque in Its lack Inck of grace clum- clum clumsy sy IY y and awkward The sun glinted on the womans woman's golden hair as she ahe bent and postured and straightened and whirled her arms out flung I Suddenly a shorter darker figure hurried out of at the trie house to that weirdly dancing figure The dark figure a II short rather stout woman In a dark dress put her arm about the dancing figure and managed to draw it Into the house Megan shuddered and put her hands over her face tace for tor a moment as though to shut out the remembered remembered remembered figure swaying and posturing posturing posturIng ing and turning Tom Fallons Fallon's poor wife of course Mentally ill he had said Her own period of troubled inde Inde- indecision Indecision indecision seemed absurd and childish compared to the horror that must live with Tom Fallon all the days of his life Ufe She went back down the RIdge Hidge and across the meadow to the th house bouse Annie was getting the midday din din- dinner dinner dinner ner on the table as she came in and by the t was ready Jim came down a little bloodshot and drawn about the mouth but freshly shaven and neatly dressed Well my dear said Jim hap hap- happily happily happily I think were we're going to be able I Ito to get an excellent price for the place I was talking to Matthews yesterday and he tells me that we i ir should r get seven thousand at the very least I confess contess I would have I been delighted at six thousand but I Matthews says the farm land is at ata ata ata I a high peak peak peak- Were not going to sell seU the farm Dad Megan told him quietly Arent you being a little ridiculous ii- ii lous bus Megan He seemed to bite te tere the words off air After Atter all youve you've re rele had bad a pretty hard time of it these ree e last few tew years and especially since e Annies Annie's two sons lions and the rest of the le lear available farm tarm labor in the section len n was drafted or went into war ar arin plants How do you propose to run in the place without help I dont don't quite know Dad she IB admitted humbly I 1 just know that at rm Im not going to sell Jim said furiously Well youve you've ire I certainly put me in a tough spot it You might at least have given me me meie some lame inkling of at the the- way you felt tell be be- before before ie- ie fore tore I gave Matthews the listing on the place In swift alarm Megan said hur hur- hurriedly hurriedly ir- ir Oh Dad you didn't didn't- I most certainly did her father er told her curtly I happened to run un unon into taut him up at the service station on onor and he was looking for a place for or orv some come people who want to move v down In here though here though Lord knows ws why I A more forlorn and ghostly Uy place to live I cant can't Imagine But it t you listed the place and nd he be made you a bona fide offer and nd you JOU accepted it it- it she protested what I 1 did 1 Which U Li exactly her father tather told her with obvious sat sat- satisfaction at- at atZ In his bis voice And hes he's he go going Z o oIn lag ing to bring the people down here to oce ee the place the drat of If the week ek Im I'm afraid well have to sell whether you want to or not Megan drew a long breath and said quietly I 1 dont don't think so Dad The place was left to us jointly neither can con sell seU without the consent of the other I am certain that I cant can't be forced to accept a deal that you and Matthews have hav cooked up without even consulting me I Well perhaps not he admitted reluctantly But of course we will have to pay him his commission even though the sale doesn't go through since it was our fault fault- yours rather rather and and not his that It did fall fail And his commission is ten per percent percent C cent said Megan quietly seven hundred dollars She stared at her father In de despair de- de despair but he merely extended his I cup for tor more coffee and said pleas pleas- pleasantly pleasantly antly So I think It would be much I better RJ if it we Just let the sale s ale go through through through-don't don't dont you Im I'm afraid seven sev sev- seven sevI I en ei hundred dollars is rather a lot of at money In the present state of at our fl finances Isn't Isn't it I Quite a s lot lot she agreed pushing back her plate She had no longer iI I I s l l i I II I f U 1 Larry this Is Megan Megan Megan-I'm Im I'm In a Jam Jim any appetite for the dinner Annie had prepared while she sat on the Ridge JUdge and reached the decision not notto notto to sell the old farm Maybe Lau Lau- Laurence Laurence Laurence I rence can figure a way out The only way out if you are stubborn enough not to sell is to pay Matthews seven hundred dol dol- dollars dollars dollars lars her father tather assured her grim grim- grimly ly looking at her with angry sus sus- And if it youve you've got seven hundred dollars available to be thrown away like that it will sur sur- surprise surprise prise me u a lot lot utter after Ive I've been kept practically penniless for longer than I care to remember I 1 haven't exactly found it difficult difficult cult to spend what little money Ive I've had either she answered him with spirit And as for having seven hundred dollars on hand to pay Matthews Matthews that's that's a little bit funny tunny Is it I hope its it's a Joke you'll enjoy said her father as he thrust back his chair and leaving hU hia breakfast half eaten went out She heard the outer door close hard be- be him Megan sat on for a little at the table though her appetite for food toad I had lad long since vanished and then I with sudden decision she got up and went to the telephone and called Laurence In His voice sounded warm and cheerful and eager as though he was delighted to hear her say Larry this is Megan Megan Megan-I'm Im I'm in a aam Jam am Not you darling he countered gaily I dont don't believe it youre you're youre you're covering for somebody else Well perhaps perhaps perhaps-in in a way she le leif I admitted reluctantly Then as brief briet briefly if- if ifa ly as she could she related her fa fathers father's fa fa- fathers fathers father's a- a ther's conversation with Matthews s. s When she had finished she asked d anxiously Do I have to pay Mat Mat- Matthews Matthews' Matthews Matthews' Matthews Matthews' it- it itle commission even if U the sale lale le leer does not go through Not unless you and your tether father er erin erm both signed the papers with him m authorizing him to make the sale Laurence assured her promptly Thank goodness I said Megan in youthfully The night was superb A full fullmoon fullmoon fullmoon all allue moon white silver in a pale blue bluesky bluesky bluesky ue sky rode high and beneath the thicK c dark of at the shrubbery on the lawn and the ancient live oaks the shad shad- shadows shadI shadows id- id idIe I were like soft black plush Me Me- Megan's Megans Megan Megans Megan's Ie- Ie gans gan's room was WIlS flooded with the he white silver-white light when she awoke Ee puzzled to know why she had awak awak- ik- ik ened And then the sound lound came ne neen again a knocking at the kitchen en door dour downstairs a 8 knocking soft lott ft urgent repeated Insistent With her heart beart hammering with sudden ludden uneasiness she slid out of ot bed thrust her tier feet teet into her slip slip- pers caught up her cotton cotlon crepe kimono hanging across the foot toot ot of the bed and went swiftly to the win window dow that overlooked the backyard down there she called quickly and remembered to wonder why neither Bessie nor Dixie had barked burked a warning of the strangers stranger's approach The man who had been knocking stepped back bark from the door and full into the white moonlight lifting his face to her and she recognized Fallon Im terribly sorry sony to awaken you he said swiftly and his voice was taut with uneasiness But I 1 have to use the telephone telephone there there has hoe been an accident accIdent we we want a doctor Megan said Instantly Ill be down In a moment There wasn't time to do anything but tie her kimono about her and to shake back the brown leaf brown bur bur- burnished burnished curls from her face She went swiftly down the stairs and unlocked the kitchen door Your wife asked Megan Tom shook his head and she saw that his face was white and set His Jaw looked rigid and his eyes were I bleak I i Its Martha my wife's sister I he said curtly She She tell fell and hurt herself What's the doctors doctor's ring j I have to hurry hurry they're they're there alone both both of 01 them completely help- help less Megan said quickly You go goback goback I back and Ill I'll call the doctor If hes he's not at home and out on a call calli I somewhere It may take toke a little time timeto to get him So let me do it it- it it j Tom said huskily Thanks Youre You're Youre You're-you're youre you're more than kind He turned and went swiftly out Into the washed moon-washed darkness and Megan went to the telephone The doctor was out and it took some little time for her to locate him and then it was with the assurance that It would be an hour at least before he could make the call at the West West- Westbrook brook place Megan put down the telephone and arid hesitated for tor a moment Then sh she sheran sheran ran upstairs got swiftly Into out out- outdoor outdoor outdoor door shoes and stockings a skirt and anda a light warm sweater because the night was chilly She tied a scarf about her head caught up the little First Aid kit that she had acquired as part of at her civilian First Aid work and let herself hersell out of the house She was answering the call of ot a neighbors neighbor's need as Instinctively as a. thoughtlessly as had always been Pleasant Groves Grove's custom People who had hod been enemies for years yearn who never spoke when they met laid aside all aU personal animosities when the enemy wasill was or in trou trou- trouble trouble ble ble and pitched in to help I Iwas It was unthinkable in Pleasant Groves Grove's creed that one should do anything else She went quickly down the moon- moon silvered road crossed the little wooden bridge and went on up the thelow thelow thelow low hill turning In n at the weed- weed grown gateless drive dr ve and through the shrubbery that had run riot anc and that tonight gave the house an air of ot mystery and furtiveness that was almost unpleasant There was a light in the kitchen and another in a corner room at atthe atthe atthe the front But the kitchen door was closed and It was there that Megan knocked She heard the murmur of at voices before she knocked then an Instant silence and the movement of feet feel coming towards the door The door swung open and Tom stood there his coat discarded his sleeves rolled up behind him she saw sow a kitchen that was spotlessly tidy though de- de depressingly depressingly pressingly drab and a short stout woman huddled in a chair her face tace turned over her shoulder to look at atthe atthe atthe the door Megan said to Tom Dr Alden will be here as soon as he can make makeI It I thought perhaps I might be of at some help before he gets here Ive I've I had First Aid training training- The woman said harshly sharply Dont let her in Tom Tom Tom-don't don't dont you let her int In n Tom flushed darkly I am always glad to do anything I possibly can for a II neighbor Me Me- Megan Megan Megan gan assured him She crossed the threshold to face the woman whose dark angry face and blazing eyes watched her angrily Theres nothing you can do and and we can wait walt perfectly well for Dr Alden she stated grimly So I I back home I ITom you'd better go on Tom turned on her and said through clenched teeth Martha be quiet she quiet she she- she knows and his head towards the closed door dont at atthe atthe atthe the left that would Megan knew open Into that corner bedroom Martha looked startled Incredulous incredulous incredulous lous and then anger lit up her face and she turned away her teeth set hard bard above what must have been a furiously savage anger Megan hesitated looking down at atthe atthe atthe the woman and Tom bridged the tense unpleasant moment by say say- sayIng Ing tog quietly Martha Martha fen fell and hurt hurther hurther her ankle I dont don't think it is broken but it is la swelling fast and very pain pain- painful painful ful- ful Would you like me to make you youa a cup of at cotTee suggested Megan gently Or perhaps a cup of ot tea Martha wiped her hel forehead with the back of her hand and said husk husk- Uy lIy reluctantly Well I guess you might as al well well well-It it would taste tute good tea tea not coffee TO 10 BE DE CONTINUED |