Show ef ilk soldier coine holste my BY BETTY ZANE WATSON saving his grandm grandmother othor jennifer martin from her burning burnine home johnny davis Is astounded to learn that his cousin basil martin has assumed credit tor for the rescue in order to goan gain in the old wom ans eyes johnny loves kit willett willed a reporter on his lathers fathers newspaper but the she Is 19 engaged to basil and they announce their intention to wed soon jerry murphy town derelict has threatened several times to gain revenge from mrs martin for his fathers accidental death at martindale MartJn dale basil asks kit to per suade mrs martin to change her will cutting out johnny when she Is indig ant he threatens to transfer her old ancle to a laborers job unless she acquiesces ces CHAPTER XII they were driving toward her uncles house and johnny stopped the car in the middle of the road turned it to face the other direction and drove toward martindale when kit looked questioningly at him he be kept his eyes straight ahead and answered emphatically ive got something to say to you and were going to the park for you to hear bear it bowl now kit knew what johnny was going to say to her before they came to the clearing in the grove they called their own private property she knew and she want to hear it because she knew that now it could make no difference diff arence to her life she had become too deeply entangled with basil and the martin family to change her plans now even if she wanted to she had told basil that she would do as he asked but only after she had bad married him not before she did not know exactly why she had specified this condition only that tt it gave her a little more time she had talked basil into waiting until the east wing was finished before having the wedding and as near as they could tell it would be completed the middle of december it was nearly the end of november then johnny lifted her up on the rock and pulled himself up beside her kit do you remember that first day I 1 came in the office after I 1 got back he laid his hand over hers remember how handley tried to throw me out and you you came to my rescue right away he smiled at the thought of it 1 I remember johnny you acted like lost puppy I 1 got there just in time I 1 she smiled too at the picture they had drawn from memory when I 1 saw you that day I 1 well put it this way kit remember when you were a kid and you wanted something real bad a sled or a bike and you looked around every place for just the right one some were the right style but the color it and you looked and looked and finally there it was and you knew that was it that nothing else would do that had to belong to you remember kit she nodded her head smiling a little sadly well how it was with me that day kit I 1 looked at you and then I 1 knew that you were the one I 1 knew the girl id dreamed about in those foxholes and farther back than that even I 1 knew that she had hair that fell down over her shoulders like yours he touched her chin with his finger ard and held her face close to his 1 I knew that when I 1 kissed her it would be like like this he gathered her close against him and kissed her long and passionately and time stopped for them both breathless he let her go and saw her cheeks idere wet she held to him desperately as though she wanted never to let him go his hand caressed her long soft hair kit dont fight it any longer we love each other cant you feel it my darling never belong to anyone but me beloved she did not answer him nor look at him she kept her face buried against his shoulder you dont love basil do you tell me you dont tell me kit he pleaded softly she looked up then but not into his eyes she turned her face toward martindale and looked long at it then she spoke darling I 1 told you tonight that the girl you marry will be the luckiest I 1 girl in the whole world and she will be johnny but it can never be me believe me darling my plans are made and it if I 1 would change them I 1 would change the lives of too many people that are dear to me bif if you mean your uncle and aunt kit why we can find a way well he assured her quickly no johnny there would be too many to find a way for oh johnny dont tell me it would be easy because even though I 1 might want to believe you I 1 know differently and my uncle what would become of him johnny after taken me in their home I 1 do a thing like that to them maybe you could get him a place at the office but johnny hes old and cant learn something new at his age in a few years retire him and he and aunt anna can live happily for the rest of their lives and mrs martin oh I 1 suppose she has been mean an and fanatic darling but I 1 love her can you understand that ashes the grandmother I 1 never had and always wanted and she really loves me what would happen to her she drew a long breath and pressed his hand thomas hears another conversation darling johnny theres just one way to see it and the way it is our roads branch here I 1 go this way and you that way and we cant change them johnny they were made for us not by us perhaps but we must follow them she got down from the rock and turned to him smiling johnny looked at her and shook his head sadly he got down and stood beside her his hands on her arms some day darling I 1 hope you find out that what we have is bigger than anything that could stop it and when you do well ill be waiting I 1 you johnny find somebody else forget me soon there was deep concern in her voice there could never be anyone else kit ill never forget you you remember this but you should know it darling ia never forget you either johnny nor what youve meant to me she started walking towards the car and johnny fell in step beside her neither of them spoke again up in the house on the top of the hill three people were sitting in the large living room talking in quiet voices basil was seated on the couch across from his parents jennifer martin had retired earlier but each of them cast anxious glances toward the hall as though she might have come back to listen to their conversation but why does she keep putting it off why wait until youre married before she talks to her about changing it henry asked indignantly yes really son we decided it should have been discussed a long time ago we mrs martin added basil got up nervously and lit a cigarette im doing the best I 1 can she wont ask her before then you know her she does things just when she pleases but suppose the old suppose mother dies before then henry corrected himself dont kid me sheu shell live to be a hundred and ten basil predicted bitterly oh I 1 say that she may decide she want to stay around long after we get her to change over things our way henry smiled wisely the drapes of the archway moved 7 ea J CI 1 I knew that when I 1 kissed her it would be like like this silently no one saw thomas go up the stairs a moment later kits final day at the clarion was the last day of november johnnys birthday she had stayed a week longer then she had expected as miss finnicum the girl replacing her was in bed with a cold johnny thought she was secretly glad about staying but did not allow himself to hold any illusions about it she had never mentioned the evening at the park to him nor did she give him any reason to think she even remembered what had been said between them A new park site Is discussed when johnny returned from lunch he found kit in J D s office the two of them seriously discussing something johnny hesitated to interrupt them thinking perhaps it was something that did not concern him J D pulled a chair closer for him however and he soon found out ot they were talking about the park look johnny kit quickly included him in her plans you know the old johnson estate out at the end of high avenue she waited until johnny nodded and then continued well you remember the old man died last month and his wife is going to sell the place and go live with her sister johnny looked puzzled well what does that mean just this kits eyes shone with this new excitement it would be a grand place for the park we could I 1 mean you could have the old house torn down and there would be plenty of room for a pool and everything she noticed johnny estimating in his mind the room that would be available oh of course it be as large as the park site below martindale but its well its better than nothing johnny it sure I 1 guess it is ast 1st he looked at J D who had remained silent since he joined them but his expression was blank he could not tell how this new idea had struck him what do you think dad he asked well kits right about it being better than nothing son but the question is whether the kids will walk that far to play their football and games it might still be easier to keep on playing right in the middle of the streets like they do now about ten blocks from the settlement you know he p pursed cursed his lips studying the possibilities and the disadvantages of the new site well at least go there to the pool J D kit argued and it would be there for them it if they did want to use it johnny backed her up kit turned to him smiling 4 thin then you like the idea johnny she asked enthusiastically yes I 1 think im beginning to kit when did you think of it at lunch I 1 only wanted a coke and it was so nice out I 1 thought id take a little walk I 1 wandered out that way and she shrugged her shoulders but are you sure about them wanting to sell the house and all johnny asked eagerly aunt anna is a close friend of mrs johnson and ashes the one that told her this morning while I 1 was having breakfast only I 1 did not think anything about it then hey wait a minute honey J D stopped her how much will she want for it it would have to be cheap it if its to be torn down or the council would never stand for it you know oh I 1 dont know that would have to be all worked out when the time came she thought a minute 1 I could have my aunt find out though kit johnny looked at her directly maybe this is none of my business but you seem to want this park almost as badly as dad and I 1 do and P he and his hand went nervously to his chin since you and mrs martin are such good friends why have you never asked her to finish it the thought had been in hise his mind for some time and while he would never have suggested that she ask her why he wondered why she had not done so kit did not answer immediately when she did speak she looked out nut the window and kept her eyes away from johnny and J D 1 I I 1 did ask mrs martin once she knew they were both eager to know what she had said 1 I asked her but it was no use she stopped me before I 1 had time to ten tell her our side of it ashes so very bitter and the wall ashes built around her just cant be broken through where concerned johnny looked down aown at the floor well I 1 guess that we dont need to have aay any more fancy ideas about that it she listen to you the rest of us got a chance so what he asked discouraged cou raged so the johnson place kit reminded him cheerfully yeah I 1 guess it heu aided not too enthusiastically 1 J you could get those men to help help you again you johnny she asked sure the men from the settlement will help that would give us more money to buy the house and put in a pool I 1 mean with what the town appropriates we could save on labor he dug his hands into his pockets do you think therell be any trouble with the council dad no ill see to that it wont be an unlimited supply like lindas mother would have put up but it will be enough to build something we can call a park J D nodded his head ill find out about the price mrs M rs johnson might raise it it if she thought she could get more mor from f 0 the town kit guessed shrewd 4 theres a council meeting 1 night if I 1 knew a little more about the thing the price asking and about the labor J D looked from kit to johnny 1 I could get their reaction anyway wonderful J D kit cried ill go home and see it my aunt cant find out this afternoon and I 1 can run out to the settlement m ent and see if the men are still ready to back us up johnny ex claimed go to it you two be surprised if wed have a park yet J D watched them going out the door kit grabbed her coat and followed johnny from the office he offered to drop her at her aunts and she climbed in the old car beside him 1 I almost forgot to wish you a ha happy appy birthday johnny she reminded him as they were driving down main plans for the park move ahead the thirtieth of november he thought he had honestly forgotten it was his birthday until she had congratulated him they had never made an issue of it he and b father for johnny knew that it wa i also the anniversary of his mothers death and when J D had tried to make some sort of celebration for him during his childhood he had understood how hard it was for his father to try to be happy on that particular day and so he had discouraged cou raged any future celebrations the park was deserted twenty four years ago this day it was fitting then that plans for a new park should be started this day almost a quarter of a century later 1 johnny found that the men would go along with him on the new park plans they were not so enthusiastic thusia at first arguing that the site was too tar far away from most of their homes but bilt when johnny explained that it was either here or no place they agreed that it would be best to go ahead TO BE CONTINUED za AN V I 1 V U |