The Washington times., 1918-12-31
When a Girl
Marries
Neal Confesses He
Left Home to Escape
Being Drafted
By Ann Lisle.
CHATTER LxV.
Copyright 1918 BY Kings FsAtnrsl
Syndicate. Ine.l

~ n
M Virginia and ] parted With
out word Ieongratuiate1
myself on the eaet that
every one probably thought Ne had
said an aRsetionate fArswsIi whsn
We wsrS alone IN the bedroom
Raefnlly I rsFIsetsd on the real
situation. YIrgtnia's last words =
me had been:
Your husband happens to bs NJ
brothor-kindiy remember that.
cid what I thought best for hlEn.
But that didn't ineluds lying =
him.
After calling on Betty ana Tsrfy
to ind work for my jim. YlfginIa
had turned on me with aetnal fufy
for the way I helped carry cut their
plans. And she had snnbbsd Neal
and called him an outsider. An out-
sider! Hadn't she always treated
me as II I were onsY A I turnsd
these things over IN my mind thsrs
was somsthing very like hats for
Virginia in my. heart. And her
actions had not indicated much love
for me-
was % prsoccupIod with thfs
ugly situation that began maxi
Ing preparations for dinner IN eon-
plets sIlenee. Bat Jim dldn'e A.
pear TO notice this. He had hrought
cut his books on accounting and
vas working away with eslnpleta
singIe-heaFtedness Of purposs-fo
master that difficult study at ons
sitting.
Nov and thea. a. I cane into -
uVing room with somsthlng fer IL
dinner tabls. heard him fling =
question af Veal vho vas stnn1lkE
idly AZ one of thu Win6ows playinE
Win ths apr1cot aIk OuFtalnA NoW
this hurt my ho1seWifely toollnD,
but realized that Ngaf wag gtt1
sore from tho rsbGR virginia ha1
given him and nat he would -
frightfnlly hurt By even IA sllght'
est correction.
Prsssasiy Neal soll1~sa Ne i.ss
the l1tchen.
sAaythlnE I can e, BAbbsg' he
asked. with an euffr0 iAck % an
rnatfon that vas no oddar than bic
question 6ensrAlly be plungod IN
and hslped without any dlroctlon
from me-
) @Doa't bother Il you'rs tirsa. dsars
I've nothing moeh - est-I esyed :
few SANDWICHES tor yoa. ana the rel
Of the dinners yost chops and ear-
rots and bAksd potatoe1S
A wSra Eksa FssAsE.
'si'd IKE souShlng 70 Do. III
don't want 10 thfnh. BAbAs.- perzist-
"a Neai-theu. 111dsnly. Say. Bab14
havs you heard from fAkhar lately 2
'-IhAt'a funny. Hena-I va goln9
b ask yoa about that I've vTittnn
twice . week - uS1d sssr sac
you cAna. but I've hAd only = copple
Of postals from Fakhar AndreW-
thought II was becanSe hs was writ
Ing 70 yol"
@rse had szaotiy oas lSttsr froa
fashsr Gtnce I came" Neal rspiieds
in q voice that ,was alr3oSt huslSy.
''One letter? And yOu've been hero
over three Weeks-ahnost . monA-
What does Il mean. Nealr cried
In amusement. slaxaming ehe door q
tho hroiling oven On my chop9 an
turning to face htm
There was q fAsA q dsaancs IN
his eyes a. he respondod:
Il Euess he's ben Wishing he Va
your father-instsad q mfne. Ned
I vent over ana iasa NJ had =.
Meals thsre sonsARng 20 vAR
to tell Babbsisr'
.TTi keep my Affairs to a.yyeR
replied Neal. shaking o6 my hHlo
and nnuttering with . boyiSh gruh-
ness I might have known mASkeq
actual emOtI0n- I'll only get
hurt when talk about what rea1lJ
matters. No one believes IN me-
And maybe they're right not g.
But might be Different tf ehey ID,
You think I'm a. deklo - Ae
deuce, and that Dalton voman
thinks I'm not to be trusted ae an
and jim
Truth mast out
He stopped abruptly. his VotsA
had risen high and tsASe-st brsks
on q high note.
@Yes. NealF' asked Jim's VoteA
He had hobbled across the lfving-
room and stood IN the doorwoy of
the kitchenette- His taee Was starr
and set. His voice had . ring of
You were saying that No one
trusted you. No. Neal, you needa.t
look so indignant want caves
dropping. When heard you shout
that no one believed in you. ] hur-
ried out here a. fast - my-ankio
would permit So you think donat
trust your
How can you trust me-knew-
ing what you dos" Neal tried to
hold his voice steady, but In splee
Of him, a broken note crept int
Il. you've stood by-snd tried 70
help me. But what must you think
OF me-you with that smashed foot
you got In the hght I--I4-
Then he turned to me and lung
his young head high a. he choked
out the confession II must have
tortured him TO make And,
strangely enouEh-instead Of We
vering avay-NeAi'S eyes held mine
as he muttered. huskily:
I'm a Stacker. Babosie- 4 draft
dodger. / ran away from home 70
get out OF being Z soldier-to get
away from the draft"