Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

of Uncle Palaver's socks, And then. I found a shoe

box with clippings and pictures of the real Destiny.

There was a great deal of illusion in this motor home.

I thought. after I had gathered all the tricks and

paraphernalia that were part of Uncle Palaver's act,

but there were many fine memories of real and

happier times stored here as well. What I would do

with all this,. I did not know, but I spent hours going

through everything, separating what was obviously no

longer important from what was.

Trevor stopped in to help me carry it all out. He

found a place for me to store it in his winery until I had decided what I would do with it all. Mrs. Westington told me to put the linens, towels, dishes, and silverware, as well as any insignificant household items in cartons that Trevor would bring to the Salvation Army. Echo decided to help me do all that. We worked until dinnertime and afterward, we loaded everything into Trevor's truck. He would take it away

in the morning.

The auctioneer's man arrived just as we were

getting ready to have breakfast the next day. I had

spent a night tossing and turning over it all. Once the

motor home was gone and Uncle Palaver's things

given away or stored, that part of my past was over. I

thought. I felt as if I was cutting some umbilical cord

and leaving myself totally alone, floating in the space

of indecision and uncertainty.

I had to sign some papers and then the man

climbed into the motor home and started the engine.

Echo came out to stand beside me and watch him

drive it off. I didn't cry, but the ache in my heart was

so painful. I had trouble breathing.

"It's the past," Mrs. Westing-ton insisted.

"Think only about the future."

I nodded. but I didn't say anything and I didn't

eat much breakfast. Afterward. I helped clear the table, get the dishes and silverware washed and put away, and then went out by myself and walked down to the lake. Echo was up in her room looking over all her new things. She was as excited now as any young girl about to begin in a new school, whether it was a school for disabled children or not. I didn't need anyone to tell me that soon I would be less important to her. There was nothing wrong with that. She desperately needed to be with her peers, have friends who had things in common with her. Her life in so