The Washington times., 1919-10-28
When o. Girl Marries
A ROMANCE OF EARLY Welded LIFE.

"Betty's arm comes out of cast
tomorrow. Doctor has told me.
Come at once. Know you won't
fail us.
TERRANCE THURSTON."
3 The first morning trains about
IL, isn't it?" asked.
There's a new train on at 10.
looked expressed Jim. "and then
to save you the bother, / tele-
graphed for you."
A Vain Plea.
Tonight" asked Jim, refusing
to meet my eye. "Why, you aren't
going till Friday, Anne. You can't.
l said SO in my message"
81 can't go--to Betty when she
needs me?" 1 grasped.
"Oh, come now-be reasonable,
Anne. That cast can come off
Betty's arm without your being
there to make a hullabaloo over It,
She's got Terry and doctor or two
and few nurses to do all the
cheering. You're giving party
Thursday night-tQ my biggest cli-
ents'
But you don't understand. I've
got to go.'
"Sure 1 understand. You always
think you've got to do pretty much
anything but what l want you to.
Now you listen to me, Anne. I'm
running this. You can chase down
there Friday, IL you want to be at
every ones beck and call. And
that's a whole lot more than most
husbands would stand for"
Jim, you don't understand" l
gasped. "It's-it's serioos. There
ont be any cheering when Bertys
arm comes out of the cast. She
isn't going to be able to use IT,"
"She isn't going to be able
Betty-lame? Crippied?" asked Jim
under his breath, almost of him
self. Does she know
His eyes challenged mine for
moment and then dropped away to
fix themselves appraisingly on his
stiff ankle-the ankle that always
dragged a bit when he walked.
NO." l whispered briefly.
Ny moment had come and
knew it,
How could Terry keep it from
her!" unused Jim.
why didn't that-fool doctor tell
me-"
He didn't know" confessed.
He didn't know" She didn't
know. What's all this mystery?
Sounds as if you know all right"
81 do. Miss Moss made the doctor
Terry?" demanded Jim.
He wanted to, but 1 stopped him
| said-l remember my exact words
that I'd tell whomever had a
right to know. And the doctor said
he'd count on me. And l decided
that Terry had a right not to
know"
How did you come to decide to
play-Fate?"
Jim's voice was ,cold-colorless
accusing almost T
They'd had such a good time
winning through the happiness
You said they were ghost hunting,
remembering Atherton Bryce. Well
that very morning Miss Moss told
me she'd been his nurse, and he
wasn't good enough to tie Betty's
shoestrings. They thought then
Betty was going to be all right. 1t
wasn't till after Terry had per-
suaded Betty to marry him next
day thst | heard about the unex-
pected complication and her having
only one chance in a hundred"
And did you think Terry wouldn't
marry her--if he knew?"
Il knew he would just the same,
Jim. But he'd be plying her then
instead of just loving her. And
thought she'd feel the difference"
Jim went on with his pitiless
Questioning:
"And suppose when the day came
and they found out-supopse then
they resented what you'd done,
didn't forgive you. Suppose they
judged you without waiting for you
to explain, how you dared-make
their declsions?"
81 had 20 risk that, jim" 7 cried.
Don't, torture me with any more
questions. can't tell you how /
love Betty and want her friendship
But / thought If I had to pay
that to make her happy, I'd bear 1t.
And / thought maybe you'd stand
by. maybe you'd make them see
that l meant to do the right thing"
(To be continued.)