The Virtuous Woman by Gilbert Morris Page B

burned away, and despite several operations, the eye was drawn down into a permanent squint and the left side of his mouth was twisted.
    Cara had grieved for years over her son, not only for his physical disfigurement but for what it had done to him emotionally. She would never forget what a happy, outgoing, joyous spirit Kevin had had before the accident. Always laughing, involved in everything, loving to be with people. He had worked hard and earned his rank of Eagle Scout at the earliest age of anyone in the history of scouting, was active in his Sunday school, and was popular with everyone he met.
    But that had changed with the terrible blinding explosion. She had hoped that after he recuperated and was strong enough, he would pick up his life—but he never had. He absolutely refused to go back to school and would not even attend church. For years now he had stayed on the estate, working expertly with the flowers and plants. His other interest was engines, and he kept all the vehicles running like fine watches. But the rest of the time he kept to his room and refused to see anyone other than his family.
    “Oh, hello, Mother, I didn’t see you.” He instinctively kept the scarred side of his face turned away, even from her.
    “We’re waiting for you, Kevin. Did you forget the meeting?”
    “I wanted to finish preparing this bed.”
    “You can finish that later. Come along now.”
    “I’m too dirty,” Kevin protested. He was wearing a pair of faded khaki trousers and a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His arms were lean and muscular, and he had strong hands from years of working in the soil and with engines.
    “It doesn’t matter.”
    He gave her a cautious look. “Will there be anybody else there?”
    “No,” she assured him at once. “It’s just the family. Come along now.”
    He drove the shovel into the ground and reluctantly joined her. She took his arm, thinking how much he looked like his father. The same cornflower blue eyes, wedge-shaped face, and thick auburn hair. So fine looking and yet so ruined!
    “What’s this all about, Mom?”
    “Let’s just wait until we get there, and your father will tell you all about it.”
    ****
    “I’ll tell you, Dad, you can’t afford to miss out on these stocks. I’ve looked into it from every angle, and it’s a sure thing.”
    Phil stood looking out the window, only half listening to Brian. “I don’t understand the stock market,” he said. “Wasn’t it amateurs dabbling in stock that brought this depression on?”
    “This is different, Dad,” Brian said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He was shorter than his father by two inches but well built and knit together like the athlete he had been. “It’s a sure thing! There’s no way to lose.”
    “I wonder how many people said that who lost their shirts in the crash. There are men selling apples now who gambled everything on some stock.”
    “Dad, you’ve got to listen to me—”
    “Brian, be quiet,” Paige interrupted. “You know Dad’s not going to get involved in any of your stocks!” She turned petulantly toward her father. “Daddy, you’ve got to promise me we’ll have the party we talked about.”
    “Another party?” Phil groaned and ran his hand through his hair. “The last one took just about all my savings.”
    “But it’s important, Dad. We have social obligations.”
    Phil sighed. He loved his beautiful daughter deeply, but some of her desires seemed a little extravagant to him. “It seems like such a waste to spend thousands of dollars just to have a bunch of people come eat and drink and talk and then go home.”
    “Oh, Daddy, it’s more than that, and you know it! John’s parents gave a party, and we owe them one in return.”
    John Asquith, Paige’s fiancé, was the son and heir of Helen and Roger Asquith. They were prominent in society, and like the founder of the Winslow family, their ancestors arrived onthe Mayflower. It delighted Phil to bring up