The Heart Remembers by Peggy Gaddis

a gal to live alone, even in a small place like Harbour Pines. I’m not a bit happy about your being there all by yourself. You should have someone with you. Aunt Hettie, preferably, only Aunt Hettie has her own place and her livestock to take care of and she’d be miserable living anywhere else.”
    â€œOf course she would. And I don’t want anybodyliving with me. I like living alone.”
    â€œI can’t quite feel it’s safe.”
    â€œWith
you
representing law and order? Why, Sheriff!”
    â€œDon’t you get smart with me, young woman!”
    She laughed, relieved that he was willing to break the fast growing tension.
    â€œAnd anyway, now that the
Journal
is launched and the worst of it is over, I needn’t get so worked up and tired out and nervous that I’m easily frightened,” she told him lightly.
    His face was grim once more in the feeble light from the instrument board.
    â€œI don’t seem to care much for the picture of you being frightened half to death in your own home. We’ll think of something,” he assured her, as the car turned in at the entrance gates to Pinelands. And crazily enough there was an oddly pleasant warmth about her heart at this evidence of his interest and his concern for her.
    The big old house was ablaze with lights and there were two other cars already parked in front of it. As Jim parked the convertible, the door opened and Sue-Ellen stood there, and Shelley’s heart fell a little. For Sue-Ellen, in frothy white, her pale gold hair done in an artfully simple, yet devastatingly sophisticated coiffure, was something to stir a man’s dreams.
    â€œHi, Shelley, what do you mean keeping my man out this long?” Sue-Ellen demanded with cheerful severity as Jim and Shelley came up the steps. “We were just about to send out a search-party complete with bloodhounds to find you.”
    She linked her arm with Shelley’s and drew her toward the group that stood in the living room. A group dominated by an unexpectedly regal and handsome Selena, in silvery-gray crepe, her hair done high and a narrow velvet ribbon held by a diamondbrooch about her throat.
    â€œGood evening, Miss Kimbrough.” Selena’s greeting was courteous but entirely without warmth. “I’m glad you could be with us tonight.”
    â€œThank you, it was good of you to ask me,” said Shelley politely.
    There were three young men and two other girls, all in evening attire and not too much at ease in the presence of Selena’s almost regal manner. Shelley had met them all. The girl who had come home from college at the death of her mother to take over the rearing of half a dozen younger brothers and sisters was Ann Stevens. The other was Marian Harper, teaching for the first year in one of the county schools.
    â€œHi, Shelley,” Ann greeted her gaily. “I’ve been hearing exciting things about your paper.”
    â€œKind words, Annie my love, but very kind words!”
    â€œDon’t try to be modest with me, gal,” ordered Marian. “She’s doing a swell job, Ann. Harbour Pines needed a good newspaper.”
    â€œAnd of course the mere fact that Marian is correspondent for the Locust Grove community has nothing to do with her enthusiasm for the
Journal
,” said Jim teasingly.
    â€œCertainly it has! I boast with pride I was the first person to place an advertisement in the Classified Columns of the
Journal
—‘room and board wanted’—and possibly the first that ever paid for an ad in cash!” said Marian cheerfully.
    â€œI do hope you’ve been overwhelmed with answers,” laughed Shelley.
    â€œWell, it’s not the
Journal’s
fault there isn’t so much as a vacant mouse-hole for miles around,” Marian defended the
Journal
.
    Jim looked at her, startled, and then at Shelley and said blandly, “Well, Marian, my pet, your troublesare over. I know