Middletown transcript., 1917-11-10

uniform, "but / walked farther than
1 thought"
you'll have to change my night
gown before the doctor comes" began
Carrie complainingly. "Ard want my
hair brushed, and"
"You won't mind if I rush off," broke
in Helen. II think I can still make
that train"
I'D cut across the commons" sug-
gested the nurse. "It's nearer"
! Throwing on her things, with hur'
ried goodby, Helen ran down the stairs
and out into the quiet dusk Of the
suburban streets.
The unpaved crossings were still
muddy from last nights rain. She had
forgotten her rubbers, but, regardless
of her thin shoes, she plunged reck-
lessly ahead through the soft, marshy
ground of vacant lot.
A distant whistle heralded the ap,
preaching train. Another block and
| she saw 1t was too late. Already the
| engine, with changing bell, was slowing
up. Though she ran on with painting,
hopeless speed, she was still half q
block away when the train drew out.
An hours wait in that dingy, cheer.
less station! She did not even con>
slider going back to Carries. In the
fyspecked window of drug and
candy store hung the familiar blue
telephone sign. She would have to
| phone Dora that she could not get
home for dinner.
The freckle-faced youth behinds the
counter directed her to the telephone
in the back. Local calls, five cents
New York city calls, twenty-five cents"
read the card above the instrument.
Helen had not thought that Warren
would be home so early, and her heart
bounded at his deep-voiced Hello"
"Oh, I've missed the six-ffteen, and
the next is seventeen. Carrie
let the nurse off and 1 had to stay. :. :.
You 60 ahead and have your dinner
Dear, I wonder If you could
meet me? Would you mind?
No, I won't take taxi-it was a doll
lar and a half last time. I can take
the subway"
Laying the quarter on the counter
cluttered with pyramlded patent medi'
cines, soaps and chewing gum, Helen
crossed the street to the station, where
the yellow lights now cleaned faintly
through the dusty windows.
Warren had not expressed the slight-
est concern over her long dinnerless
wait. Even her "I'm sorry you have
to eat alone" had brought only a care
less "Oh, that's all right" instead OF
the sympathetic response for which
she had angled And he had refused
pointblank to meet her.
The ill-smelling waiting room with
| it's rusty stove, tobaccO-Stained spit
toons and "eczemaed" walls was not
conducive to cheerfulness. The high
| f1ickering lights were too dim to read
by, and she spent an interrainable hour
| brooding over Warren's Indifference
and his sisters utter sei1shness.
Ten minutes late, tlS: snOrtingly i'm,
patient train stopped only long enough
for the conductor 20 swing her ur
the high step.
1t had begun to mist, cold wind
blown drizzle. Inside the soiled red
plush car HelEn gazed out the wet
blurred Window in lonely, morbid de-
lection. The dinner hour past with,
out food End her damp feet were phys.
ical disccmforts that contributed to
her mentfl despondency.
1t was filming hard when they finally
plunged irto the tunnels Of the Grand
Central station. ForlOrnly she made
her way Up the long platform through
the gates and toward the subway en-.
trance.
"Hello, Kitten!" A tall, overcoated
figure loosned beside her.
"Oh-ors" she caught his arm, her
heart learing with dizzy Joy.
mo-" Warren steered her past the
subway sseps, "we'll take a taxi over
to Jacks and square off to an extra
sirloin."
"Oh, ns-no. Dora's saved some
thing for hne. don't want much"
"Well, do" They were outside now
and he was beckoning for cab.
"Why, dear, didn't you have your
dinner?"
wasn't hungry then-had a late
lunch. Didn't feel like eating alone
anyway"
In the shadow Of the cab. HELEN
nestled against his damp coat, swept
to the thrilled heights that are only
reached from the very depths.
"Hold up there; somebody'll see
you"
II don't care If they do," with glee,
full defiance, as she kissed again his
unbending neck.