Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-15
CHAPTER CCCXXV
Copyright 1919, Star Feature Syn
dictate, Inc.)

dictate. Inc)
This morning the shrilling sum-
mons of the phone reused me from
sound sleep. l woke and lay for a
minute reconstructing things and re-
membering how wonderfully close
Jim and 1 have come. L have at
last sloughed my old business train
ing habit of feeling 1 can think
things out for myself better than
any one else. l have come to COM
plete faith in my husband and to a
willingness, nay, yearning. to lean
on him. And he, in return, has
shown not only love and under
standing but beautiful respect for
me and great happiness in the fact
that life is bringing us closer and
closer to each other.
Suddenly I had to laugh at N.Y.
self. Here 1 was incoming away
and listening to the phone without
move to answer it.
1T must be early" I told myself
as l pattered across the floor"
Evidently even Hedwig isn't up
YETI
Then I took down the receiver
and said sleepy
"Hello!"
Bless my hearth that isn't our
Anne. You're up early in the morn
ing. It's your Uncle Ned" came the
unmistakable accents over the wire.
is Jim ready?"
Ready for what?" 1 asked.
Ready to start-child."
L didn't know he was going to
start-anywhere," I replied, feeling
the blood drain away from my face
and the heart sink fathoms deep in
my quivering body. "He isn't going
to start anywhere to-day, is he?"
asked, adding in a shaken, little
half-voice, "On my birthday
Didn't you get the message last
night, child?" asked Uncle Ned al
most impatiently. The train goes
in an hour. This is most important.
Will he be ready?"
THE message came that you'd
phone him early this morning and
he should be ready. I asked, Ready
for WHAT" and the man didn't
know. And I forgot to tell Jim.
Things came up. And he hadn't said
anything about going. 1 only knew
Pat and you-"
Hurry, child, hurry! Wake your
Jimmie and chuck a few things in
bag for him as my bride is doing
for the old uncle. This is impor-
tant. We mustn't waste time chat
ting much as I always enjoy it. I'll
call for your boy in n taxi in just
forty-five minutes"
Then a quick good-by and the
conversation ended.
In daZe I called Jim. He never
wakes easily and a romantic kiss
wouldn't have done-even if I
hadn't been shaken, somehow, out
of the. mood for kissing. When Jim
was reused at last and reached
sleepy arms to me, I blurted out
Uncle Ned's message and forced
hack the jealous accusation that was
trying to fight it's way up into
words.
In a great rush Jim leaped from
he'd and began firing orders at me.
Whereupon in q jiffy I ran Jim's
bath, got out his shaving things.
packed his bag and hurried out to
the kitchen between whiles to see
how the coffee 7 had started was
doing. There wasn't time for much
to be said between us. Jim was
munching a piece of toast when the
taxi was announced. All there had
been time for was an occasional:
will three shirts be enough? Do
YOU want yonr gra suit? How
many collars?''
Now as I stood waiting for the
elevator, ventured:
How long will you be gone?"
mot more than three days at the
most" replied Jim. "I hate to leave
YOU, dear. But when Uncle Ned
descends on me like this, you can
see it's rather important. Never
could have made it but for you.
Well. here's the car. I must run
for it. I'll send you wire as soon
as we land. So long, dear"
Then a quick clasp of his strong
arms-a kiss or two and Jim was
gone.
Back in the apartment I sank
on the couch, staring unseeing
ahead. This was my birthday morn
ing. And Jim had gone off without
a thought that it was my day. I
would be alone again as had been
last evening.
Two or three tears forced them
selves between my eyelids and
rolled down my face. I brushed
them away. 1t was silly to cry.
Beside my pain was too deep for
tears. That Jim had forgotten my
birthday wasn't what really mat
tered. 1t wasn't being left alone
that hurt. The thing went deeper
than that. 1t was bigger than any
petty personal grief over a day and
date nn