South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-26
Then and Now
BY Raene Auguetil

Felicia Morton had known John
Grayson in the long ago. He had
loved her and she-weil she had
never been able 10 decide.
Then she was the daughter Of a
rich and adoring but very proud and
ambitious father. and John Gray
son was poor That in truth had
been the stumbling block in her ro-
nance; for romance il had been
since the schoolgirl period, when
John Grayson had rescued her from
| a furiously mad dos.
At the flush OF Felicia's beautiful
young womanhood. The Mortons had
progressed from the manufacturing
city of the middle west, where the
Morton fortune first began TO gather
momentum. 20 the land Of lavish
living. as New York was called in
those happy care-free days OF peace
and plenty before the war, and in
the gay whirl which engulfed Fell
cia, John Grayson was forgotten,
but the little seed Of love which
cupid had planted deep within her
heart for him, did not die as she
later discovered.
Now while sitting in the rest
room of an oasis inn behind the
lines Somewhere in France"-one
of many such Inns which her money
had erected, she learned that the
little seed of love lived and thrived.
| She also learned. and this know
ledge was by far the sweeter that
/ through the long stretch OF time
| that interviewed between then and
| now. she had been loved by John
| GraysOn, and the memory of her was
| still cherished in his heart, or why
/ had he kept her picture? For in
her hand she held a golden locket
4 Oeather encased) badly scratched
and dented. but which at a glance,
/ she had recognized as the one she
| had given 10 John GraysOn on that
| day long ago when he had lifted
her bodily and ran with her from
that mad dog And she remember
| ed with a slight blush. conscious of
her present dignity, how she had
| taken the chain and locket contain
| ing her picture from about her
neck and clasped it around his
| for remembrance-imp hug
| ging him tisht and kissing him again
and again, out of sheer gratitude for
saving her from harm.
And this was the locket which an
! hour ago an English Tommy had
brought into the inn and handed
to her.
Hi kicked this up out of the roaG
with the toe O. me boot ne eX-
planned. You might be a-knowin'
the lady who lost ii"
Felicia took the Iocket mechan-
ically.
You are very kind" she said.
we will post the finding of the
I locket upon the bulletin board.
/ Would you like to leave your
name2" she asked. but Tommy de
clined to do so.
While talking Felicia had pried
open the leather case and immedi-
ately recognized the locket.
oh. just a minute please" she
/ called after the departing Tommy.
/ tain ] know 10 whom the locket
! belongs. and won't YOU take this
/ please. just for tobacco pressing
/ into Tommy's hand a sum of money
which sent him staggering off with
! astonishment.
/ Then Felicia had taken the locket
! TO a secluded corner of the room to
sit and think.
At first the thoughts that welled
! up from her heart were all happy
| ones and secure in the knowledge
/ that she loved John Grayson and
was loved by him. her thoughts for
| some time continued to whirl mer-
/ rily-Weaving rOmances of their re-
/ union, and of their future. perhaps
/ this, perhaps that-and then came
a twinge of anguish--Where might
/ John Grayson be?
The little locket may have been
/ lain i'm the dus' Of the road for
months and there was a gruesome
probability that perhaps he-but
no! Fate could not be so unkind.
I Was she not named for happiness
Felicia-and happy she would be.
/ She would search for him every
where. That he was alive she felt
certain. and she would ind him.
/ Nothing else would matter
Suddenly her romancing was in
terrupted by the sound of a wom-
ans voice pronouncing his name.
Two American nurses had come
into the room. and were now sit
I ting quite near. talking intimately
over some hospital gossip.
For the first time in her life
Felicia deliberately eaves-dropped
so eager was she 10 learn If the
Or. Grayson of whom they spoke,
could be her girlhood lover.
They were discussing some mar
velous operation DR.. Grayson, a
visiting physician. had performed,
and were commenting on finding
such wonderful surgical skill in so
young a man.
is he from New York? ." the
younger of the nurses asked.
NO. he comes from the middle
west. have forgotten the exact
state. and his fiancee is a Califor-
Man" answered her companion.
Isn't she much older then he?"
queried the younger one.
"Oh very much indeed, She is a
widow-fabulOusly wealthy, but he