Arizona republican., 1912-01-29
BY q. {. DERMODY.

| uelns, ne spohe JeIhIiS.
There's somebody at the house
waiting for you" he announced. You'd
never guess who"
Neither manifested interest. both
opining that he was making much of a
little matter to distract their minds.
But Jennie, never wanting in filial re-
spect. dutifully inquired: Who is it,,
daddy?" y
"Patrick-he got home ahead Of
you"
Father" Jennie stopped her
hands on her fathers shoulder. staring
up into his covered eyes with wild in
credulity. Jimmie too blinked at him
dumbly.
Father" gasped the girl again. is
Patrick we'll? How-when did he get
here?"
only an hour or so ago. He seems
well enough, but-but there is some
| thing wrong | don't understand
about him. He pears TO have been
| having a hard time OF It. His clothes
| are torn and dirty. and-and his face
needs washing. And Jennie dear. he
| don't know where he is nor why he
came here. He don't recognize me nor
mother; don't even know who he is
/ himself We must take care Of him.
! Come on in the house"
Neither Jennie nor Jimmie spoke
! further then. But as they passed in
at the gate. Jennie ventured a remark.
and one might almost have suspected
that there was a note Of happiness in
! her voice.
Yes, we'll care for him. she said
softly.
Her father and brother had her by
| either arm as they entered the little
| cottage parlor Patrick. pale and
srimy of face, his blue serge uniform
shredded and caked with mud, stood
by a window looking out. hut turned
10 stare without intelligence at the in
truders. Jennie, after low. pitiful,
inarticulate CRY. returned his regard
of panied vacancy in silence. Now and
then the sailor passed a hand across
his forehead with tired. hopeless ges-
ture. Jimmie finally advanced with
outreaching hand. calling his old com
rade by name. Kehoe's glance was d.
verted to him. and instantly purpose
full fire filled the before empty orbs.
He leaped forward. grasped the
younger man by the collar of his Navy
blouse, ana jerked him violently for
ward.
Believing himself in the grip Of a
mailman. Jimmie. in all love but with
resolution. struck the man who. with a
mind holding nothing but memory.
was again dragging him in fancy from
the fame-bleeding entrails of the
Dat ,nI- 1aI koal
ward and crumpled down on sofa. his
head striking the scrolled headboard.
Blood oozed out through his mudmat-
ted dark hair and he lay Imply uncon-
scious.
With a scream. Jennie dropped to
her knees al his side. The others also
knelt there. The girls arms were
around his neck. supporting his head
while the others-including the moth
er. who had entered the room unob-
served-bathed and dressed the slight
scalp wound A little later Patrick's
eyes opened on Jennie's.
"Jennie." he exclaimed weakly; and
again, "Jennie?"
Patrick" Her lips pressed his.
though he had never told her that he
loved her.
He lay silent for a time. meditating.
looking sometimes al Jennie. some
times at the others. sometimes into the
Widowed vista OF viewless air. Final
ly his regard settled on the girl-sucE
4 look as set her brain seething. her
blood surging.
Now | know what il was I was
wanting to do" he was saying: where
IL was | was trying to go through all
That awful nightmare. | don't know
yet just what happened when | went
back TO the ship that time. | think
something hit me, and one of the boats
must have set me ashore. But | do
know that the last thought in my right
mind was of you. dear-that | must
90 to you. Afterward | only knew
there was something | must do, some
where | must go: and without know
ing the why or the how, just did it
| came to you. After all. dear Jennie.
that's what we've been taught to do.
Jimmie and /, out there on the ships
where-where they make men"
Gazing into the gray. glad-to-be-liv-
ing eyes OF Jennie Kehoe, as she con-
cluded her contribution to my-their
romance, it seemed to me that the sun
was shining on a pleasanter, purer
world than il had lighted in the morn
ing In the warm. still simmer OF
mid-afternoon. | could see, far off in
the lower valley. the hazy forms OF
Patrick Kehoe and hired man NOV
ing about, replacing the dead sapllngs
in a young orchard with trees of plant
like proportions.
did Jimmie re-enlist?" made
quately inquired.
NO. He's at the agricultural col
lege in Klatoka. Patrick wanted him
TO study for a profession-he's really
bright boy-but he wouldn't hear OF
any life that wasn't to be lived IN the
open"
(TR< Esh