The Breaking Point - Page 31/275

Outside, in the corridor, David remembered to put on his hat. Happiness

and a normal occupation, yes. But no shock.

Nevertheless, he felt vaguely comforted, and as though it had helped to

bring the situation out into the open and discuss it. He had carried his

burden alone for ten years, or with only the additional weight of Lucy's

apprehensions. He wandered out into the city streets, and found himself,

some time later, at the railway station, without remembering how he got

there.

Across from the station was a large billboard, and on it the name of

Beverly Carlysle and her play, "The Valley." He stood for some time and

looked at it, before he went in to buy his ticket. Not until he was in

the train did he realize that he had forgotten to get his lunch.

He attended to his work that evening as usual, but he felt very tired,

and Lucy, going in at nine o'clock, found him dozing in his chair, his

collar half choking him and his face deeply suffused. She wakened him

and then, sitting down across from him, joined him in the vigil that was

to last until they heard the car outside.

She had brought in her sewing, and David pretended to read. Now and then

he looked at his watch.

At midnight they heard the car go in, and the slamming of the stable

door, followed by Dick's footsteps on the walk outside. Lucy was very

pale, and the hands that held her sewing twitched nervously. Suddenly

she stood up and put a hand on David's shoulder.

Dick was whistling on the kitchen porch.