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cide together what should be done. The least you can do i.s t~, give

Mike a say in the matter. He deserves that much consideranou- d

"I know him too well, Audie. He'd only start nasty rumors; an

he'd be ashamed of me anyhow. Please don't let this get out to any

of the kids. It would only embarass him if the whole campus knew

he'd been dating a girl whose mother was a Negro. Don't you vnd

Audie, I can't do that to him. It's not fair; I haven't any right. An

besides he'd never want me after he did find out."

"You don't give Mike much credit, do you? You know he ma~

just be enough in love with you to be able to help you overcome YOUI

problem. I'll listen to your pleading for the moment, but you must

promise me that you'll stop ignoring Mike and when and if he asks
for an exp I'a·nation again, you'll gi"ve 111mone. If. thiIS a Hair was meant

to last, you'll both find that you can't be happy unless you ,r e to-
gether."

Amazed already by the acceptance that Audie had shown. Cindy

was fortified enough to agree to Andie's suggestion. Unable to ~e-

lieve that Mike would ever accept her, she was surprisingly reaSSU1ed

by the way Audie had hastened to her side with understanding and
comfort.

TJae days stretched into weeks and evidences from al J Sl'd es s.eeOlI-
ed to prove that Mike was completely capable of living withoUL Cl~dl~~
On the surface he seemed to have recovered from any effects she r~lg
prevlO"usly have had upon hu'n.. And if the surface was sm.oot I1, Cindyd
naturally assumed that there was no inner turmoil. No one talke
about the Cindy Holiday-Mike Farrell affair. Cindy continued t;
date other boys as before, but she had lost some of her effervescen\i
and although she studied twice as diligently as before, her efforts di
not seem to be rewarded. She continued to talk with Audie about her
feelings, and "dear Audie" hadn't mentioned Cindy's background t~
anyo~:. For the first time in her eighteen years, Cindy had found
real fnend and true confidante.

One afternoon folIowinO' a tennis match in which she had overly
exert.ed herself (because Mikbe., happened to ,be watching), Ci.n d y was
completely thrown off her guard when Mike offered to carry he~
racquet back to the dorm for her. Her stomach was undergoing nel-
vous turnings and her Iezs were weak She rationalized that they were
merel y effects fTom her be.xhausting tennis game, but she wasn 't able

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