UNION, S.C. (8/6/95) -- For the past nine months, Kerhulas Newsstand has acted as the barometer of Union's interest in the Susan Smith story.

When a juicy fact was reported or a new book was released, the narrow shop would fill with customers awaiting details. When little new was being told about the tragedy, visitors dwindled.

The slow times, however, were few and even then Kerhulas' was doing more business than it had in a long time. In fact, it may have been the only shop on Main Street to really prosper during Smith's congestion-causing trial.

"The people in Union just seem to want everything there is about Susan and David," said owner Juliaette Kerhulas, with her back to a stack of Newsweeks bearing Ms. Smith's photograph and a headline that asks, "Who Deserves to Die?"

Ms. Smith was sentenced to life in prison July 28 for the drowning of her two sons, Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months, in a Union County lake.

Despite its financial benefits, Kerhulas, like most citizens here, is happy to see the story end.

"We're immensely anxious to get back to normal," she said. "It's time to move on."

But that may not be easy for Kerhulas, her customers and the thousands of others who became engrossed in Smith's tragic tale. The unusual and compelling nature of the story likely will keep people interested in it for years.

"I actually believed her and I defended her to the end," Kerhulas said. "Being a mother myself, I couldn't have imagined anyone doing anything to their children."

And the detailed coverage of the aftermath delivered Smith and the city of Union itself into living rooms around the world. Even now, Kerhulas receives strangers looking for directions to John D. Long Lake or the Bogansville United Methodist Church cemetery, where the Smith children are buried.

"They feel like they know the town and the people," the store owner said. "They've seen so much of them."

Kerhulas said most of the people who own one of the books about the tragedy have them all.

She's sold at least 500 copies of each of the four titles pertaining to Smith, and she had about 80 more people waiting last week for their prepaid copy of David Smith's book, "Beyond All Reason: My Life with Susan Smith."

The store owner points out that women haven't been the only ones enthralled by the proceedings.

"You'd be surprised how many men come here," she said. "Sometimes a carload of men will pull up and ask for directions."

Kerhulas acknowledges her own interest in the case. She's kept four copies of everything she's seen published about the Smith story, one for each of her children.

She even sent a stack of newspapers to a granddaughter in California who was interested in the case. Andrea Kerhulas analyzed the clippings for her eighth-grade thesis on the Smith story and sent her grandmother the results: A+.

Still, the long-time newsstand operator believes the furor is on the verge of dying down.

She looks forward to serving her regular customers and their desires for the latest romance novel, crossword puzzle or best seller.

"It'll slack off," Kerhulas said. "But there will always be some interest."

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