Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-02
and then broke into jerky laugh

and then broke into jerky laugh
ter.
well, I like that! What kind of
an old fossil do you take Jim for?
Say-he and l have more important
things to discuss than the silly
quarrels you women get into"
His words were cocky enough,
| but his independence drained out as
he uttered them, and he finished on
shaken, miserable note.
After that there was nothing more
| for me to say. | helped him turn
| the couch into a bed, kissed him
| good night and went into my room.
Presently l heard a murmur of
voices. jim had come back, and no
doubt he and Neal were discussing
the secret from which / was shut
out. l went on brushing my hair,
bringing the brush down with heavy
strokes to the end of the heavy
strand flung over my right shoul-
| der.
"Thirty-nine-for / heard my
self count-and then after time,
| ''Twenty-siX - twenty-seVen, twen-
! ty'-
Ruefully / laid my brush on the
night cover that lay across the
| dressing table, and with slow and
: fumbling fingers began braiding my
: hair into its two long plaits.
/ Suddenly the door opened and
! jim stumbled in. He swayed for
a moment on the threshold, then
! felt his way to the great chaise
! lounge that lay at the foot of the
beds, and flung himself into it-an
inert heap.
| l felt my fingers fly from their
plating to the ribbons of my coral
| Colored peignoir-and all, in the
/ same second, it seemed, they were
caressing my husbands face as /
knelt beside the chaise lounge and
| lifted my Jim's head to the warmth
of my heart.
| "Dearest-dearest! What is it?"
cried in terror Il guess-l'm
about-all in," muttered Jim. Then
he stirred uneasily and nestled his
head closer to me like a tired child
hiding all the world in its mothers
| bosom.
Frantically ] began to loosen his
clothing. lie did not resist. When
/ held little glass of brandy to his
lips he took one or two sips and
then pushed it away.
Poor little tired boy" I crooned
to him holding him close again.
"I1l put you right to bed. You will
be all right in a minute, Jim
| darling. You're so tired! Poor boy
| just a minute and Anne will have
him all warm and comfy"
And then, as if he were my tired
little son, l undressed him and
helped him into bed, Dazed, shak-
| ing as if with cold, blue of lip,
and yet muttering feverishly, my
| how LOT with him
| He was too weak, too ill to resist.
When at last he was resting
comfortably 1 lowered the lights
and flung myself on top of the COW
ers, holding him against the
warmth of my body. For q time
he lay jerking and starting ner-
vously. Then he grew still-so still
l thought he must be asleep. / was
stiff and chill, but / didn't dare stir
! lest | wake him. At last Jim spoke:
You wonderful girl! Don't lie
there in the cold-I'm all right
now"
His voice was steady-natural
Then knew how terrified l had
been, and a sob broke from my
heart before l could stifle it.
You're never going back to that
dreadful job-that inspectorship-
walking, walking all day long,
miles and miles" 1 cried. Oh,
darling, forgive me for letting you
take it. Well write your resigna-
tom
Actually Jim laughed, but there
was a little irritation in his laugh.
Write nothing! You're so cold
your teeth are chattering. Under
the covers with you, you little
brick-and no nonsense about me!
I'm no invalid"
L dared not protest. So switch
ing off the lights / crept into bed
and lay staring into the darkness,
and waiting for the even breath
ing that would tell me Jim was
asleep. But fear kept my eyes
open-staring into the darkness.
ITO BE COntinued)