"Spoil? Spoil!" he cried angrily.

"Yes. He's been sick and withdrawn since yesterday. I couldn't understand the reason why till you mentioned, 'He's expecting me,' and I knew then what you'd done, what you had no right to do."

But Kip insisted, "I must see him, Mrs. Swanson, to tell him that it doesn't matter, that I will be his friend forever and never leave him."

"You fool!" She was angry. "Don't you see your pity will destroy him."

"Pity?" Ah, damn, he thought. I'm not gonna say 'die' now. "I love him!" There now, it was out, but no matter, keep going. "Don't you see the son he used to be? I see the person he presented to me. He needs me and I need to be needed."

Her mouth was unyielding. "You can't see him and that's final."

When the car pulled up in front of the terminal, Kip flung open the door, grabbed his bag, and ran toward the parked cab in front of them. He gave the address to the driver with the remark of making it worth his while if he could get there as fast as possible. Backing up this remark, he left the taxi before the house, sighing with relief at not seeing the convertble on the scene yet. He raced up the stone steps and banged the knocker. When the maid opened the door, he shoved past her, for Mrs. Swanson's tires were already grinding gravel in the drive.

"Randy, RANDY!" he shouted, flinging open doors on both sides of him. The maid was yelling at him and trying to pull him back by his coat. The next door Kip shoved open led into the library and as he poked his head in to take a quick glance he saw an isolated figure on a window seat. The figure saw him too at about the same time, and with a groan, flung up his arms in an attempt to hide his face. Mrs. Swanson hurried to the library and saw Kip kneeling with Randy's legs in his embrace. His face was lifted earnestly and there was a soft hum of indistinct words. Her son saw her and said huskily but certainly, "Go now, Mom; since he's here I'll ask his forgiveness before he goes."

She shrugged and went out, waving her cigarette at the astonished maid. Randy looked down into the worshipping face. "I didn't have the courage not to deceive you. I didn't know what a deadly game my childishness was playing. "You knew this wouldn't make any difference," he said, stroking the imitation leg.

"Rubbing or kissing it isn't going to put life back into it," he answered bitterly. Kip lifted twinkling eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't say that, ole sport."

Randy suddenly hugged Kip to him, exclaiming, "I knew you would make me smile again, I knew it. But I wanted to have plastic surgery done before you came. I don't want your pity; and I'll always be a burden. We can't dance or swim together, or hike to the summits you spoke of, or "Sobs overtook the resolute

face. "Please, please go away and let me die. Why didn't I die? Being a homosexual almost took my lust for life from me. Maybe God punished me because I was finally glad I was one. And he punished me by letting me dream for a moment I could have you, too."

"Rubbish on such talk. I love you. YOU. 'Member Roxanne's words to Cyrano whom no one had ever loved because of his ugliness. She said, 'It was you! The letters, the dear, foolish words . . . and . . . the Soul... that was you . . .

die! I love you.

you shall Randy rallied and turned his scarred cheek to the light with the words. "That's not the story. You remember when Beauty said, 'I love you,' to the Beast that was the fairy prince, his ugliness changed and dissolved, like magic. But you see, I'm still the same.'

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