Show The F Fiction ct on RA V CASHES IN Richard H. H N By r Wilkinson Corner ONE would have believed NO Ray Sharon capable of strata strata- gem One look at him and you would have catalogued him in the reserved conservative class of young men who adhered to the ac- ac and con con- He was wasa Minute a good looking Minute 6 3 Fiction boy with soft I patterns dictated by pro- pro brown eyes and a sensitive mouth He worked as a clerk in the South- South Southport Southport Southport port Trust Company There was a future there for him It occurred not even to Ray that the fine reputation he had could be used as an asset cashed in on Not that is until Phil Clairmont came cameto cameto cameto to town Clairmont had been born in Southport At 18 he had gone off to- to to college and not returned He had been a football hero an Amer All-Amer- ican quarterback After graduation he had sold bonds and coached football teams and written maga maga- magazine magazine zine articles on gridiron tactics and given a series of lectures over the radio He had made quite a success Two winters later Phil re re- returned returned re- re returned turned to his home town for the Christmas holidays The folks gave him quite a reception They held parties for him and asked him to talk at this function and that lIe He stayed through New Years Year's which was longer than he lie intended The reason that he stayed was Sheila Farnsworth who taught the seventh grade Sheila was a native of Southport She had wheat-colored wheat hair and blue eyes eyes' She had known Ray Sharon all her life She liked him When they grew up and Ray be be- began began began gan taking aking her around she was quite happy pHIL IL CLAIRMONT met her at atone atone atone one of the many parties that were held in his honor He remembered remembered remembered who she was and was quite surprised that she had grown up and blossomed into something that was easy to look at Sheila was after all only a nor nor- normal normal normal mal girl Phil Clairmont was famous When Phil took an interest in her she was flattered It gave her a recognition that most any girl would have delighted in No one blamed her No one condemned her for it If anyone felt about it at atall atall atall all it was a sensation of envy A Afew Afew Afew few wondered about Ray Sharon A smaller few felt sorry for him Occasionally she saw Ray and thus it happened that one wintry night Ray and ud Sheila Steila S leila set out in the formers former's coupe for the distant town of to attend a bankers banker's ball there It began to snow before they were a half hour on the road Wed better take the old road through the woods he said It uIt will shorten the journey by five miles Sheila thought this would be a good idea They left the main high high- highway highway highway way and cut through the woods But neither anticipated that the storm would reach such Two miles from the highway they got stuck Ray didn't mince matters He confronted the situation squarely The chances were even that both would perish At any rate he had something he wanted to ask Sheila in case he didn't get a chance later on He asked it Sheila thought of many things among them what a ninny shed she'd been Ray was the man she loved the only man she could ever love With death staring her in the face she realized this to be a fact She put her arms around Rays Ray's neck and told him exactly how she felt An hour later Sheila dropped off into a doze When she awoke she was lying on a couch before a blaz blaz- blazing blazing blazing ing fire Ray was feeding her hot soup No one could have believed Ray Sharon capable of stratagem He was too definitely catalogued catalogue Which is why not even Sheila sus sus- suspected suspected suspected that he had planned it all that he knew about the camp had stocked it with firewood and pro pro- provisions provisions provisions visions had stalled his car on pur purpose pur- pur purpose Purpose pose had removed most of the fuel It had required a courage which he he had never suspected he pos pos- possessed possessed possessed to cash in on his assets |