Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-18
THEIR MARRIED LIFE"

Copyright, 1917, International News
Service.
Helen heard sounds of weeping
on the other side of the door that
led into the Atwood apartment. She
stopped and considered gravely.
Ought she to go in? Was Frances
in any deep trouble, and if so, wasn't
it possible that she might not want
to be disturbed? Then on the other
hand was the fact that if Frances
were crying so desperately might not
she. Helen, help in some way 10
stop her tears? Helen felt that she
was a privileged friend of Frances
and Carp, and yet what could there
be in Frances happy life to make
her sob so terribly?
At last deciding that it would be
/ better to ring and discover whether
she was wanted, Helen pressed the
button. There was sudden cessa-
| ton of the weeping, and the stir of
1 someone moving on the other side
! of the door. Helen knew by the
sound that whoever was crying was
in the big studio, for the outer door
opened directly into it.
After waiting another minute or
two the door was swung open, not
by Frances, as Helen had thought
possible, but by Viva Nesbitt, her
, unusually sleek little head strangely
tumbled and her great dark eyes
heavy with tears.
MY dear child" Helen began,
hardly knowing what to say.
"Oh, it's you, Mrs. Curtis" Viva
said abruptly; did you want to see
FRANCES? She's not in this morn
ing"
Viva's remark was plainly dis
courteous and Helen felt that the
girl did not want to be bothered,
but with the new insight into her
character that had come with the
past few months, and the actual
friendship that Helen had hoped
had sprung up between them, she
could not bear to let Viva suffer all
alone.
Viva, dear" Helen said timidly,
afraid of being repulsed, please let
me help you.'
There was a moments silence as
WAS eyes met Helen's uncom-
promisingiy, and then. almost as if
she were too tired to argue, she
turned away, and Helen came in
and closed the door.
| She did not press the girl, but
ilnally, when Viva made no effort
to say anything, Helen advanced and
slipped her arm around the girls
shoulders. Instantly there was a
long drawn sigh and the girl drew
away.
please don't" she said, in muf-
fled tones, there's nothing at all
you can do"
''Is it about Mr.. Leonard ?" Helen
whispered, before Viva could freeze
her out entirely.
AS though the mention of the
name had recalled everything to her,
Viva wheeled suddenly.
Yes, they've taken him." she
stormed passionately; "of course you
can't know what that means to me,
but he's all 1 have, all have in this
world to care for"
Again came those long, racking
sobs that shook the girl all over
and made Helen wonder how so frail
a body could sustain such wild
grief.
You'd better go, Mrs. Curtis, be-
fore l say something l shall be sorry
for. / don't want anyone to tell me
to bear up and be proud of him and
all the time-worn sentiments that
people advance who don't know what
they're talking about. Other girls
have happy homes, people to love
them, everything in the world to
make them happy. have just him.
He's the first person 1 have ever
loved like this. 1 need him more
than his country needs him."
Helen was sorrier for Viva than
she had even been for anyone in her
life. What the girl said was true
in a way, and Hale Leonard welded
an influence over Viva's wild, impas-
stoned nature that had certainly rev.