By DOROTHY KILIAN
HE music of the orchestra their
club had imported for the New
Year’s Eve dance floated out to
them. Gail pushed a little ahead
of her husband as they walked up
the creaky steps of the lodge hall.
“Don’t you like to look at the
shine on the back of my pants?”
Bill laughed. “What’s the rush
then? You said this morning that
the baby had made you so tired
you didn’t think you’d want to
come at all.”
“Yes, I know, but that was be
fore—” Gail bit her lip. "Guess I
just have my second wind,” she
finished hurriedly. “Come on, let’s
see if all the old gang has ar
rived.”
Now would have been the time
to tell Bill, very casually, that j
she had learned that afternoon
that Warren was back in town.
After all, they had all been friends
together in high school.
“See you,” Bill said briefly as
he went off to the men’s coat room.
Gail paused in the wide door
way, her eyes roaming over the
couples already on the dance floor.
“You’re .late, Gail,” Ginny
Brown said as she came past with
She had almost forgotten that
dancing could be like this.
an armload of confetti bags. “It
won’t be long ’til time to toss
this stuff into the air. Wonder if
Warren Hastings will make it be
fore midnight. You’ve heard he
blew in from New York just this ;
morning?’’
So they remembered. She re- !
membereu too, that was the trou
9 »-S,««tg>€!g»g!g£g*g!C!g!geg!ge
ble. The ghost of him still tiov
•red in her dreams, particularly
on those days when life seemed
full of nothing but baby washings
and house cleaning.
And then, all of a sudden, there
he was coming in the door, holding
out his arms to her as if time, Bill,
the baby, were nothing.
As in a dream Gail took his
hands in hers and looked up into
his face.
“I knew you’d be here waiting
for me,” Warren said softly.
“But I wasn’t, really,” Gail mur
mured. She fought down the vague
feeling that it had been rather
presumptious of him to imagine
that.
“Let’s dance,” Warren said
simply.
She had almost forgotten that
dancing could be like this, held
close to one’s partner, no talking
to break the spell of the dreamy
music—Bill was forever calling
out a greeting to a passing couple.
“Well, hi there, Warren, could
I borrow my wife for awhile?” Bill
was grinning at them both.
“Until later,” Warren said, and
turned away.
The rest of the evening was like
a dream. Dancing with Bill, with
other friends, even the horn blow
ing and whistle tooting at midnight
seemed only a vague background
for the presence of Warren in that
room. When he came up to her
much later and said, "Let’s talk
awhile,” she followed him, as if
hypnotized, to some chairs half
hidden by a large potted palm.
“Here we are in a little world
all our own,” Warren said. “Gail,
you’re just as beautiful as—”
“Some juggling act, eh?” Bill
boomed out, coming up to them
with three plates of refreshments.
“Grab ’em, kids.”
Warren took his silently. Bill
sat down on the other side of Gail
and bit into a thick turkey sand
wich. “Um, tasty,” he sighed hap
pily. “When I saw ’em being laid
out I couldn’t wait to begin.
“And besides,” he went on,
turning to Gail, “Since it’s my turn
to give the baby her 6 a. m. bottle
tomorrow, I’m not in favor of
hanging around here too much
longer.”
“You feed the baby?” Warren
leaned across Gail and laughed
incredulously. “Sleepy male in
bathrobe, pumping milk into a
squalling infant. I thought that
was strictly cartoon stuff.”
Gail gasped but Bill answered
calmly, “Why shouldn't I feed her?
She's half mine isn’t she?”
“She certainly is, dating And
you’re right, it’s time fr1- all com' j
oarents to be going home.” CV " !
■ a ’ cl sentlv. '
REMEMBER . . . Last year at this time our soldiers were fight
f log in Korea. Using discarded 105-mm shells, these three GI’s
spell out “Happy New Year” in the snow somewhere in Korea.
! co Ite) YecoJ !
And we hope it is filled
with good things for you.
PALMER FOUNTAIN & CAFE f
1
1954
May happiness be yours
all year long
KETCHIKAN SPRUCE MILLS
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| Each year we strive for a new way to say it,
! but we always come back to our simple, friendly
! "Happy New Year". 1
KOSLOSKY’S DEPARTMENT STORE, INC.
The Staff and Management
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MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
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May the New Year
be ''busting’' with good luck
for you and yours.
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