Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-30
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
By MARY Douglass.
part the gltl who jan 90, ONE
COURAGE RETURNS.
4ti...t,t y


The da, dragged usclt to a lraden close.
When ~ last had succeeded IN giving
i lttr of the broth 90 Mrs kimball. II
WAS almost evening The nurse camc back
aud told me that my dinner WAS waiting
for mo downstairs
n Will So with Mira klmhall 10
night, she sald "shc MAY want YOU later,
and vou must hp rested and ready
IN the dining room, ! saw that the
table had been set for one. What
mockorl the flowers were aud the silver
and shining glass | swallowed little
soup and pushed thr fish from me ~
dl=tastc Then j glanced ur Go sco the
waitress with rcd owes, AMI q small emile
about bcr lips
Someone has got to hc brave, | toid
my4el amt pnt the food that seemed 50
'astlcss 10 my ilps
went INTO ihr library for few minutes
before should srcnd the long night with
Mrs kfmhali Fot tho first time, was
alone with mv own soul There were no
ewes rurion>. Interested or apathctlc
"a watch mc | could GIVE way q tho awful
anguish that caught me IN ITS grip
,'lam5c /. dead" / said the words aloud
They seemed ta echo 10 the empty room
thcv seemed ID hurl themselves back INTO
my numh BRAIN No tears camc a. relieve
me With thgr emotional outlet ! could
pply slt thrvc with the Worts burning
INTO mo ae though they werc knives
heated hot, 10 pierce my stricken body.
Thcn knew | confessed 10 myself
What | had hidden before had always
expected hat at Some tune ho would como
hack and toll nae that he had loved me
The hope had been within me Even the
fact that lie had not written me. had not
entirely cxtinFu~hcd this desperate
wish hat never said to myself, vt
family ! must have believed that jamie
did care fir me And nov
Now he WAS living there u qWrt
grave iii France. with p small white cross
tn mark hr resting place ! should never
scc him agaln thosr serious brown eyes
THAT face cut il grave, inc lines tic
STRENGTH of that hun, should never
lcel again the hard clasp ol his fingers
II cannot bear It sad "'This is too
much to ask 81 mc | cannot live th rough
tins
If hc Ind loved me, YES, then | should
have had That memory to carry with me
always. ba, now had nothing, nothing
moro than his most casual friend had.
fl ! had ouly written before not let
my elIS pride hold me back Now i was
tcn late too late for me to hold = letter
ii my hand that he had written io me.
Miss Richards
.,Ncsa"
Mrs kinball Is rousing a little
wandrr i Nou would 80 70 Ter
climbed the stairs on (cet that seemed
~ drag. for ] feared myself. my strength.
; Slpposa should lei - oi that remnant
al myself that | could now restrain and
Should become hyster,cas2
fRc door gave to my touch and en-
tered shc room that held 2 faint light,
now in the farthcst corner
Dear Mrs k,mhal Sald and
knclt beside the bed.
,lIazcl she touched my face with
har fingers. bat did not open her eyes.
IIsr voice was FAINT. light as i breath of
air. and scarcely 10 be heard even IN that
ciJsc-Saut room
II wish to die ~ho breathcd.
Were these my words ] do 10: know
where the Strength came fron but now
felt that [ could cudurt, must endure.
for both If US
we both loved him. SAID.
Her fingers tiVhtened on mine
Gle was b hero | continued, on are
his mother, So YOU must i've as hc would
have you -and ! / too SHALL live a he
would have me
Tor the irst tune Jamie's mother
opeued her ewes She stared at me a
moment and then lifted hcrsefon her elbow
You're brave Hazel She said, i
must do Is you are dong
rose and went to the windows. |
pulled op.n the heavy blinds and threw
,lp The dark shades The soft spring air
blew into the room | saw Jamle's mother
stay with me, Hazel you are like
strength % me.
went over to her again and sat be-
side her
"Iic loved Us both. She said
With the soft air stirring he curtains,
and the woman living there ID that mortal
agony oF mind. | felt | cold not tell her
the truth-the truth that was the hardest
for inc d bear -that he had moi loved me,
Get 50 broth, dear, vii eat
went into tho hall and gave the order
a hen ] came again into the room /
-av that Mrs. kimball had propped her
~alf against the pillows. Her face
MI. drawn and haggard, like that Of
one who has lately come back from the
gate. III death
The broth was brought. And little
by littlr She ate. forcing it down with
the desire plainly expressed that she
must live. Not that she wished to, but
fhat she must live as thenother Of
soldier WHO had died, hero, in France.
Tomorrow Peggy Comes to Luncb.