The Washington times., 1918-11-02

gotten to hang up the receiver.
hurried to the phone, but got the
taptallzing old reply:
Where's no one on the line nov.
II they ring again III call you
Carefully I put the receiver in
its place. this time and turned
awsv, telling myself with feverish
insistenee that II had been jim
calling to assure me that he missed
his princess Anne"
Then I went to get supper"
Supper, indeed, since cold meat and
salad, cake and apple sauce and tea
and biscuits were as much Of q de-
/ light to Neal As q formal dinner
was TO lin set the table for two.
and while ala II. rssolutsly held
back the foolah tears that wanted
to come because the other Of those
two" was only Neal. eOnly Neal
indeed! Wasn't Neal my brother
the lad I had always adored?
When everything was ready
ran into my bedroom and began
pressing the glass stopper OF my
peffume bottle across eysiids that
were heavy and burning. Neal must
have come in without my hearing
his key in the lock or hfs step IA
the. hall. for suddenly heard his
voice from the kitchenette. ana
very hastily I put away the tell
tale cologne.
Table set for two, Babbsie. Who
told you was, going outT"
With sinking heart remembered
that he had spoken Of q party with
Evvy and Seldom! And determlnsd
that / wouldn't spoil his evening.
So I went out and kissed him cheer
lily.
last night?" I asked.
"Yeah-and that naughty beauty
sister of Jim's didn't think IT good
enough for little Phoebe. Didn't
think was good enough. either.
suppose" began Neal. angrily.
Then he must have noticed howl
was clinging to him, for he held me
OF at arms length and his eyes
searched my face I smiled at him
as best could. but his voice
changed to stern accusation:
Has Mrs. Dalton been with yoa
today7o
arNo, dear. I phoned. and she
was out And, stupidity enough I
didn't leave a message or phone
later or send flowers or do any Of
the delicate things Jim would havs
loved me to arrange. for his sis
ters."
you haven't seen them! Has
Jim?' went on Neal insxorably.
Yes, dear-hs's over there now
Neal drew out his'w8fch-father's
hunting case gold watch
'Tt's7 now. L. Jim coming home
to dinnerTs
I tried to lfe-but eouldn't
mo. Neaf-he isn't"
An Explanatlaa.-
IsxpIafnsd about the apartnentA
But Neal was wild with rags-hs
whIrled TO the telephone and can
celed his engagement foI the eve
ming, and then came to face me e
the table. where had seated NJ
self at the percolator.
Its q meAs1y shame%- he BE-
gan.
But I intercepted hfna. / wanted
him to realize some Of the things
had figured out in the hour that
had gone by since Jim's phone can
the hour had spent in thinking
thinking hard.
"Laddie, listen I'm going to
make a long speech. but want you
to get everything clear"
GO to It." said Neal gravely.
'FVirKinia and Phoebe are all Jim
has. They're the last of q once
rich and important family. And
Jim is wounded, lame, thrust out Of
the army he was so proud to be In
Can you think what this means to
him7S
Neal bowed his head and nut,
tered:
'T can see what his darn family
means-to your
I did not let him see me w4neS
as I went out
"Jim is-poor. Neal He hasn't
much to oRer his sisters. So he
gives them-himself. Virginia isn't
a very happy woman I can see that
back of her coldness. To her,
losing her husband Is lil<e-is like
Jim's lameness. It brings them
very close. This Is the ,frst time
she has seen him since the wa
changed Jim, and when she comes
back to him needing him most-hero
I am He has to make II easy for
her. They are his people, Neal
his own flesh and blood And I'm
new-Tve taken him from them in q
way. I couldn't begrudge Virginia
a little of the love she had long
before Jim knew WAS on earth.
Could I?'
Neal Ieaped to his feet, flung his
napkin to the floor. and. rushing
around the long table, knelt at my
feet and laid his strong young arms
about my waist.
Babbsie-Babbsie. darling-you
wonderi You have me-maybe I'm
mot much. but Fd-Td just die for
you And II Jim Harrison ever hurts
you, Tll-I'u kin him." he cried in
his ringing young voice.
CTO BE COntinued.)