Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Lorna was enjoying herself, seated at the center of a group of calculating women, working on a soap carving ā it depicted the woman who had requested it in the passionate embrace of Gary Cooper ā when Herbās call came through. She and Herb decided that she should arrange to return home at once and that Herb should wake Ella and tell her the awful news.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Herb stood in Ellaās doorway for a while, just watching her sleep and listening to her deep, untroubled breathing. He sighed and stepped to the side of her bed. He sat on the edge and put his hand on her shoulder.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āElla,ā he whispered. āElla.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā She stirred, but she didnāt wake up.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āElla,ā he said, so softly that Ella would have had difficulty hearing him if sheād been awake, āsomething awful has happened, and I have to tell you about it.ā Ella stirred, stretched, and turned her head slightly, so that she almost seemed to be responding to him, but still she didnāt wake up. āBuster is dead, Ella,ā Herb said, so quietly that Ella didnāt stir at the sound of his voice. āItās terrible, terrible. I called your mother in Maryland. Sheāll come home right away. She should be here tomorrow night, so we only have to get through tonight and tomorrow without her. Then sheāll be here, and sheāll ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ella stirred again. She turned onto her back, and she rolled her head away from Herb toward the window. Herb held his breath. He could feel his heart pounding, and in the quiet of the room he seemed to be able to hear it. He waited. Ella didnāt open her eyes.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSheāll know what to say, what to tell you. Sheāll know what to do.ā He put his hand on Ellaās cheek. āYou canāt let this get the best of you, Ella,ā he said. āYou canāt let it ā destroy you. You have a way of taking everything too hard. This isnāt the end of the world. You still have Bert.ā He sighed. Oh, God, he thought. I hope I can come up with something better than that when sheās awake.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The telephone rang. It startled him. He stood suddenly. Ella cried out and sat up in her bed.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āItās all right. Itās all right,ā he assured her. He reached out to her, held her shoulders. āItās all right, Ella. Itās only me.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā āWhatās the matter, Daddy?ā she asked. āWhatās wrong?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āThe phoneās ringing.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYes. Itās ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āIs it our ring?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI donāt know. I ā I didnāt pay attention.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āIt is. Itās our ring. Youād better get it. It must be important.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āItās probably your mother, Ella. I have to ā Iāll be right back.ā Herb backed out of the room, and he dashed down the hall to get the phone.
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