The Washington times., 1918-08-29
When a Girl Marries
A SERIAL OF YOUNG Welded LIFE
Jim, In Hurry to Get to Washington,
Has No Time to Dispel the
Doubts He Has Raised

not being taken" by a cruel War
Department. but might have volun-
teered to go back to France.
There was silence between uA
At last Jim ventured to break Il
He spoke very grayely, and ! felt
that in the crisis love would uoe
count in my favor.
II did ask to be reassgned % 90
tive duty. Why notI Making
speeches and doing recruiting work
isn't my job. I'm q trained aviator.
They need me-"
All Soldier Vow.
wanted to fling my arms around
him again. to crush him close
against my quivering body-to uss
every lure OF voice and charm to
hold him. But instfnctively J know
that II would do no good. Jim wa
all soldier now. The wiles that
might hold a man, = lover, would
only repel him.
you think you are At for active
service?" I Questioned
Il do. I'm practically sure of T.
This limp won't matter when I'm
flying" Jim spoke gravely. as II
he were discussing the matter with
another man. He seemed quite un-
aware that he was alone with his
wife-the woman he loved.
Its HIS. Will you call the
porter on the phone, Anne. and
have him get me a berth on the
train for Washington? There's one
in about an hour. I'll pack up
while you attend to that"
1 carried out his bidding me-
chanically-made reservations and
discussed plans with the porter
quite as II II was the editor OF
HaIdane's magazine for whom
was arranging-and / again Bar
bara Lee" efficient business wom-
an.
Then I turned to my husband.
WAS this before you met meF
I asked.
Jim looked up impatlently from
the bag he was packing:
"was what before met your?
"Your application-to the War
Department.
81 don't just remember-what
does II matter?"
i dared not tell nlH-DuI 70 nv
Il mattered beyond everything else
in the world. II Jim had made his
application before / came into his
life-had made 1t because he was
a soldier and felt the stir OF bat
tie in his blood would try to
accept pain and loneliness as
soldiers wife must. But II II was
after / had come into his life
then 1t seemed to me that our
love was a failure. had been
Jealous of Betty Bryce-that was
nothing compared to the hideous
bitterness 1 felt now.
Through my brain again and
again flashed these questions:
"wife or country? Wife or coun-
try? Does q man ten days mar
ried go back to war IL marriage
has brought him happiness? Has
Jim tired of me-already?
I remembered something he had
said to me on our very first morn
ing at walgrave. 1 had to put it
into words-to discuss 1t with him.
"Jim, do you remember-just
two days ago when you brought
me here-that you said perhaps
you'd never had any right to mar
ry me? Was this-why?"
ANNE, can't you see I'm trying
to make a tfAin? I'll never get
my things packed II you keep nag
EinE at me- How do 1 know what
I meant a couple OF days ago:
Give a fellow a hand here-there's
a good old girl"
And so-with the unanswered
question between us, I helped Jim
pack. He needed my help. and hand
ing him brushes and combs ana
NJ dnr-
uments gave me back the feeling
of belonging in his life. The world
might totter about me later. but for
the present must see that my hus-
band didn't start OF without the
proper quota OF paiamas-
When l could keep silence no
longer / ventured a question
"Jim-it's our first separation.
Will you-miss me?"
II sure will" replied my husband
heartily. Yet he'd used as deeply
emotional a tone in discussing the
lack of wheat bread in America
I'D like to go to the station with
you. 1t won't cost any more. III
walk back" l suggested.
~ should say not, 1 wouldn't
trust my girl to a strange taxi
driver at this hour of the night, and
walking is out of the question"
OF course, as a business woman.
I had Travelled the streets at ah
hours of the night, but Jim's pro-
testing attitude gave me a tiny
thrill OF joy. After he was gone
got cold comfort from wondering
IL he had been afraid 1 would make
a fuss at the station.
Jim's arms were strong as he held
me close-his lips throbbed against
mine.
"I'l be back to you in a day or
two, dear-Tll want you all the
more because I can't have even
kiss for a while"
But / knew he was eager to be
off for Washington. Ahead lay the
short separation-and then whatG
Ten days married and the war was
calling Jim. Even before he had
been my lover, he had loved his
country-he had been a soldieri
Could / give him back 20 his
country-to my country? Could I
be brave as were other women all
over our land? l made a nttle
prayer for strength-strengtb to
give him gladly, strength to for
get the ugly. storming fear that
after ten days of marriage my NuSs
band was glad to leave me-
Don't let me be jealous Of "
country. Don't let me fail Amerid "
I prayed.
To BE Continued.