lower class."
71 ''It's approved," North agreed. As the Officer turned to leave,
North stopped him. "Wait a minute," he insisted, "before we return to
my old apartment, I want you to tell me what it was you gave Morn on
The Temple steps."
72 The Guard Officer looked started for a moment, then relaxed. "You're
observant! " he remarked. "I suppose you ought to know. It was a homer
beacon. Apparently someone wanted to keep track of your movements. We
found it in your family flier. It hadn't been there long."
73 "I see," North nodded grimly. "We'd better get going.” So in three
days North and his mother were in their new apartment. In a month or
so, his mother would smile once and a while, and sometimes even laugh
at something funny on the viewer. But she was never again the joyous,
happy woman she had been.
74 The family Doctor, a widower himself, began to keep company with
her. He took her places and often stayed at their apartment long into
the night. North often excused himself and went early to his own room
so they could be alone.
75 One day his mother sat beside him. "Do you think I do anything
shameful," she asked, "that I do not respect your father's memory?"
76 North took her hand and smiled at her. "Mother,"
he said, "Dr. Cloud was one of father's best friends. You are both
lonely. That you keep each-other company brings no shame either to father's memory or, to the wonderful lady HE still
loves. What you two do together is nobody else's business, even mine.
All that I care about is that you are happy! "
77 North's mother kissed him, then rose. "We wouldn't mind once and a
while," she suggested, "if you got one of those pretty little admirers
of yours and came along with us! You spend too much time here, alone.
It's been six months and now that the Guards are gone, we worry about
you.
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