Show n Ac c-a c io Love yeti t A IW IG A e e et t. t t i M PEGGY RELEASE E 1 TilE rue STORY STOR Sinn THUS rata PAR You 1011 are r lying ying l Martha Iloh Itoh told Mar Mar- tha Iha t You did nut not kill her tar your dater Isler did story tory was wan w button beaten down dawn and a nd she he admitted that thaI the mental patient a lie lit had done It II Its Iti It a 1 terrible dream Meg MeR told lold Larry Lat Lar Larry ry reminded her that Tom Valium ration was waG a afree afree free man and loved lo tier her She he was waa too tau upset apart to know riot Kut Rood loud i d came out of 01 it It for lor Jim now humbled dc de I elded cited to 10 do something for himself lie Ile announced that he wa was to become become- the I editor of n na a nearby newspaper while Its Ile It publisher was w In the armed forces Lar Larry LarrY ry asked for you her father lather stated i She S he had nut not urea teen him for several le days day j I ard and there was wai a Uncle Nagle sent through her bar I I CHAPTER X 11 j I i Suddenly he broke br ke oil oft and after j a moment he said sold Oh yes I knew I there was something I 1 had forgot forgot- j ten t en I saw law Laurence while I was wag wasi I i in i n town Megan was startled to discover I that hat t her needle had slipped and pricked her finger startled at the sudden Hidden tingle that tan ran through her herst herI 4 I at st the the- mention of Laurences Laurence's name I f She S he looked up feeling her fathers father eyes upon her and knew by the sud sud- sudden sudden t den d en warmth of her face taco that she 1 i i was blushing Which she told her her- 1 I i self lieU furiously furlou ly was pretty silly any anyway i way you looked at it t. t tHe I He asked about you said Jim when she did not speak He sent you i his love Once more the needle slipped and Megan winced but her voice was wasI I quite steady as ea she asked Are you lure sure he said eald his love I Jim took his pipe out of at his mouth and stared at her as though sur sur- Well of course Im I'm sure Bure- Bure he said Hows Megan Give her hermy hermy my love and tell her Ill I'll see lee ce her i soon loon And Megan a little warm something some some- something thing stirring In her heart bent her 1 head bead above her sewing and a tiny secret ecret smile touched hT her mouth for fora I 1 a ft moment I I The busy crowded days of early I i spring melted into the even busier buster 1 I i days of late spring Early sum sum- summer I i mer came and end the crops stood lush end green in the fields but Lau Lau- Laurence I rence had not come I Jim was finding the newspaper I business exciting though he quarreled Feted with Mrs Mra Morgan and end came home occasionally smarting with fury at some fancied slight or some contradiction she had given to one of his orders But Dut his editorials had been well received On a late June evening when the th e whole world seemed locked In a e golden haze of loveliness Megan Mega came up from the fields intent on n n nothing more exciting than a brisk k shower and fresh Flush clothes when she saw a car standing at the gate She came on into the kitchen and an d laid aid Have we got company An Annie nie ale Annies Annie's lower lip was thrust out an Indication that Annie was wae angry about something but her tone was as BS usual with Annie under euc n moods almost expressionless when she answered he he In de settin room Megan stripped the gaily figured d scarf from her head shook out her he r tumbled curls and walked Into lath the th e living room The man who stood at atthe a t the llie window turned to face her her and and d Megan was still rigid with shock Because the man who faced her was wa a I Tom Fa Fallon lion He had aged and end his face was set Bet ee 4 sad find grim his eyes those of the trag Crag tragIcally lost But as he looked at her hersome some lame of at the haggard look vanished d I from his face tace and he said In tn a tone ton e Just lust above a whisper Youre love lovelier Iller tier lier than ver aver Please sit alt down she said Ive been offered alTered the job of prin principal cipal at the school again this year he said Megan caught her breath But But but surely you surely you wouldn't want to come here beck back here she gasped II He studied her for tor a moment and end then he said quietly You cant can't pos Imagine my being willing ever everto everto to return here to Pleasant Grove can you Megan Well no Im I'm afraid 1 I cant can't Megan answered him quite honestly Because so much of tragedy hap hap- happened happened paned to me here he asked and before she could answer he added gently But I had a very small and very perfect glimpse of at Heaven too Megan Perhaps one could cancel cancel the other other other-or or could It ft Megan said huskily I I dont don't dont quite know what you are talking about Lets not beat about the bush and end tell polite lies Megan he said with witha a e forthrightness that was wal rather staggering I know that it will be bea beB a B long time before I can speak can speak to you of love Megan It t would be the worst possible taste ta te for me to do to ah now But there was an evening Megan when we spoke our hearts hearts- tor for the briefest possible possible- moment I haven't forgotten Have you Megan felt the color rush to her tace lace and she could not quite meet Ills his eyes So Its It's like fiat that he said very quietly his tone tired and heavy and old I should have known that I Iwas was just seeing something that didn't really exist You were emo- emo emotion emotionally tion ally upset and you were sorry tor for me me- was that It It Megan Megan sat set very still atilt Because that was Will it tt She knew It now She bad Imagined herself In love 10 with Tom because she had been caught by pity pit for f or his unhappy plight and she had let herself be deceived into thinking that her pity for him was a s stronger more vital emotion But Hut now she saw clearly in the light of the past I few months' months clarity of ot vision and aud peace of mind Tom stood up and in sold said Id quietly Well that's that I didn't have a a great deal of hope of course May May- Maybe Maybe be the reason why I even for a mo mo- moment moment ment considered coming back to Pleasant Grove was because I 1 did not want to face the facts I 1 wanted to go on believing that what we saw and ond felt that night was as us real for you us liS for me But of course I see now that I was a fool tool Im terribly sorry truly truly truly- she managed with tremulous lips her eyes misted by tears He turned towards the tile door Megan said swiftly Will you OU come back to Pleasant Grove Gran He shook his head There Is ts nothing to come back for vcr tor tor- tor ever now he told her in that same quiet almost toneless voice On Sunday morning a glorious June morning with a brilliant sun eon lying like a benediction on green greenfields greenfields greenfields fields and gardens burgeoning with roses and zinnias and marigolds Megan went again to the Ridge She had dreaded this return to the Ridge She had avoided it all these Uiese weeks pretending to herself that she was too busy that there were tasks tusks to be performed that made It Im Im- Impossible Impossible possible for her to make her favorite walk But now she knew that she he had lied she had been afraid The sudden barking of Dixie warned her of the approach of some stranger She turned sharply and looked across the meadow and her heart stood up on tiptoe She felt as liS though it too yelped with excite excite- ment For even at this distance she knew that figure It was wall Lau Lau- rence Fence She set sat very still and watched him while a new sweet warmth spread throughout her body Her heart shook a little and her hands closed themselves tightly In he her r lap The sunlight glinted on Lau Laurence's Laurences Laurence rence's renee's bare head as he walked with his hands in his pockets his g shoulders drooping a little And watching him as he plodded d up the meadow slope and across the fence she knew a contentment so 80 s o deep so warm worm so sweet that sh shwas she e was one with the June scene all aU a U about her And then he was close enough to t o see Megan and he said with a little e quick meaningless smile Hello Mind It U I Intrude intruder Youre not intruding she told him and smiled the and rock roc k beside her inviting him to sit down Looking down at Megan he said quietly Annie thought Id I'd find you yo u up here Why did you want to see se seme e me Megans Megan's eyes widened a little and an d she asked Why did I want to se see e your you That's a funny tunny question question- Laurence frowned Well after I all when Annie telephoned me me- me Megan gasped and the hot color color flowed into her face as aa she tam stam stammered meted Annie telephoned you Laurence nodded She said cald you wanted wonted to see me and that it was wa Important so ao I hitched a ride over Why What's the matter Megan was scarlet She could not no t quite meet his hill eyes Annie Annie Annie had no right to do d 0 anything of the sort She's really real Y getting beyond herself herself- she stem slant meted Laurences Laurence's tired face hardened a a. a little and his eyes were cool I 1 take tak r it then that you had nothing to do d a with the call That Annie was mis mistaken taken token in saying you wanted want to see sec me me- me I had nothing to do with the th the I call Megan cut In tn But nut of course cours I 1 always alwa's want to see you Larry Why wouldn't wouldn I IT You are my old oldest oldest est and best friend Thanks a 8 lot said Laurence dryly But that's not good enough Megan You know where I stand where Ive I've always stood so tar far as you ou are arc concerned But Dut I 1 made up my mind a good while ago that you von were not for me air and Im I'm not fond of torturing myself so Ive I've kept away I thought this morning when Annie Annl telephoned me that you were werpIn In some kind of well of-well well of a jam and that you jou OU needed me mI And of o course that would always alwa's be he the one thing that would bring me as us fast rast as I could travel But if Annie was wrong wrong- Look Lank Larry sold said Megan Me an husk husk- huskIly Ily fly Ive well ell well theres there's something 1 I have to toll tell you OU and its it's not very vry pretty Im I'm Im I'm but you'll have to know It- It Jt- Jt Theres Th re nothing I have to know about you OU Meggie that would be b hard for you to tell me mf he Inter Inter- Interrupted Interrupted her swiftly his hin eyes upon her tired somber steady Megan Me nn caught her breath on a II sob and burst burRt out swiftly Oh Larry dont don't be bl humble I I dont don't deserve it Ive I've been ben an Awful fool fool but but now that I can see se now clearly clearly now that I know what Its It's all aU about you make mf me so Laurence Laurene stared at her puzzled a B little resentful Why should 1 I make you ashamed Megan I think I resent that You'd better explain he said sharply Megan put out her hands in s R lit lit- little little tle tie gesture of pleading what Im I'm trying to do Larry she told him unsteadily Im trying to explain that I was fool enough to believe that I was I-was was in inlove inlove inlove love with Tom Fallon Fallen And now I know that I 1 wasn't that wasn't-that that I never was really really- really tt Laurence stared at her hr his brows drawn together Ills His hands made a little involuntary movement towards her but he stopped stopp himself Just sus before he could touch her The deep rich color poured Into her face but her eyes met his stead ily Because I know now that that its its it's always been you been you Larry she tot told him huskily He bent and swept her up Into his arms and held her so close and hard against him that she could scarcely scarce breathe His cheek was against hers as he hI said I lost you once Meggie and jt It well well It just about finished me I thought everything was fine tine be be- between tween us and that we were going to tobe tobe tobe be married and then you kicked me out of at my fools fool's paradise by saying it was Fallon I couldn't quite quits take it if you changed your mind again a aln Its It's got to be well be-well well final this time one way or the other There were tears tents in her eyes as 81 she stood on tiptoe and framed his hi face between her hands and set sether sether sether her mouth on his her warm soft mouth that was faintly tremulous and very sweet end and that flowered beneath his kiss Oh Larry Larry Gerry darling Larry Larry Larry-I 1 do d o love you your Ill I'll always love lave you For For- Forgive Forgive give me she whispered ily fly For answer his arms tightened d and end his lips tips found and claimed her he dr r own And Susie the cat was a wise eat cat ca and knew there were times limes when humans were interested only In each h other This of course was one of o hf f those times THE END |