Radio romances (July-Dec 1945)

between the two back yards, watching us. "Why didn't you let me know you'd be home early, Charles?" she asked. "I'd have stayed in." Because it was her duty, she seemed to imply, because a good wife was always home to greet her husband. "Didn't know I could make it until the last minute," Charles said. "What do you think of our snow man, Myra?" Gaily, he struck a pose, his arm around the snow man's lumpy waist, one leg crossed over the other. Myra's eyes traveled over each of us — from Charles to me, and I was suddenly conscious of my disheveled hair and red nose; to Bob, who was molding a snowball in his two hands. "Very nice," she said, but both her voice and her smile came from far away. "Bob, you're not wearing your heavy gloves. You'll chap your hands." Bob, his head bent, let the snowball drop; it fell with a faint, muffled thud. And all the zest went out of Charles' face. "It's getting late," he said heavily. "Maybe we'd better go in." He turned away from the snow man — which, all at once, seemed childish, crude, silly. A sense of tragedy stole over me, and pity for them all — yes, for Myra too! Here in the familiar back yard, amid the lengthening violet shadows of the day, I began to see how completely empty Myra had made Bob's life, and Charles', and her own. The beauty that had first captivated Charles — it wasn't enough now, it needed love to make it glow and live. She did what she thought was right, no doubt; indeed, I was sure of it. But her guide was a dead love, dead and long buried. HP HEY were leaving me now — Bob, -* going through the gate, following his mother into the house, and Charles. But Charles turned back, lingering a moment. "I wanted to tell you, Frankie — " My heart leaped, it was so long since he'd given my name its foolish diminutive. "You've done a lot for Bob, you and — " he glanced down at Seamas, who sat in the snow, his head cocked quizzically, looking up at us — "you and the dog. But mostly you, I think." "I'm glad," I said softly. "I wanted to, very much. He's worth helping." And so are you, my eyes said. So are you, my darling. "I — " But he stopped and shook his head. There was nothing more • he could say, really, without criticizing Myra. I understood that, yet I almost cried out, begging him to speak. Anything, so long as it brought us close, so long as it tightened the spell of intimacy between us. Words came battering against my locked lips: "You don't love her! You've stopped loving her — I don't know when or why, but that doesn't matter. Tell me you don't love her — tell me you love me!" But not one of those words could be uttered. And after all, there was no need for either of us to speak. For suddenly it was all there — in the silence that lengthened between us, in the fury of his eyes, in the baffled gesture he made, stretching out his hand to me and then dropping it quickly to his side. All my life changed and shifted in that moment, however long it lasted. I no longer loved blindly, in the dark, because he had come to meet me with his love. We both knew. Wild joy seized me. There would be time later for hopelessness, for realization that it was as futile for' Charles to love me as it had always been futile for me to love him. Now there was ^dUiO*^ CoMPLETEi^^ REFERENCE BIBLE ned with a GORGEOUS 24K. GOLD-ILLUMINATED COVER and Sallman's World-Famous Multicolor CHRIST HEAD PORTRAIT including a Gallery of 24 Masterful Reproductions of Biblical Art in Full Color at a REMARKABLY LOW PRICE V5 ,1,1 OU must see this truly fine Bible to appreciate the resplendent beauty of its lavishly decorated cover, illuminated with genuine 24K. gold leaf. Covers of comparable radiance and gorgeous ornamentation are found only on precious Pulpit Bibles. You can't help but admire Sallman's masterly Christ Head Portrait, acclaimed by all as a truly inspiring representation of our Savior. 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