The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-28
When A Girl Murries
by King Featur syndi
(Continued)
BY Ann Idsse.

till we find a little place of our own.
Look. here, little girl, I may have to
bring you back to the city, after
only a week of honeymoon vaca-
tioning, but therel1 be no boarding
houses in yours, Mrs Harrison
T. turned to study my husbands
face. 1t was drawn, haunted - 1t
wore again the strange expression
that had stolen across it last night.
1 wanted to protest against the
extravaganza of the yellow marble,
violet velvet, cfrcassian walnut ho-
tel to which he was planning to
take me, but I felt that another
word would only add to Jim's suf-
fering.
The lobby of the walgrave was
flied with women who wear rajah
silks at Palm Beach in February
and sable in New York in June
with them the men who can
pay for such luxuries. And my Jim
in his uniform passed among them
like a king, though he limped and
leaned heavily on his cane if he
were tired. =.
Our room was all rose and gold
and creamy-tan wood. 1t had one
narrow window high above the
street, and a little white enamel
bath that was windowless. The boy
who escorted US there, opened it's
wi ndow. put it down again a little
way, lowered the shade, ran it up
again, moved the thermos bottle of
ice water around from one side of
it's tray to another-and then elab-
orately bowed himself out with
Jims extravagant tip in his hand.
My husband looked around the
room. There was a bitter tone in
his voice when he spoke.
"Dicky Royce takes two rooms
and bath on the Fifth avenue side
| when he brings Sally here"
1 pretended not to hear and swept
myself a curtsey in the long mir
ror embedded in the closet door.
Welcome to town, Anne Har-
rison," I cried. welcome to the
hotel you used to be frightened
even to pass. Now you're living
for q. day Or two. but you're a sim
pie soul, Anne Harrison, and you
long-for a wee apartment out in the
| suburbs, and a kitchenette where
you can make goodies for your
man.
You daring!"
Jim caught me in his arms. He
was all gent1eness now - not aflame
with the feeling that sometime s
my very soul. He put his hands
against my cheeks and cupped my
face in their firm strength. I felt
suddenly like a child. / wanted to
lean against him and : sob out by
joy in belonging to him = in being
his little Princess Anne" And
then, Jim laid his head against m :
hair, and my hero's voice sounded
broken and unsteady
IT want you to have everything
in the world - clothes and a bea uti-
full home and servants to wait on
you, little Anne = not a flat and a
stuffy kitchenette. 1 want to give
you all the things Sheldon and
Dicky buy the women they love -
and last night I couldn't even buy
you that rag doll. Ny little Princess
Anne, I want you to have every
thing!"
I reached UP and laid my hand
against Jim's hair. 1 wasn't the
ing her boy.
l. Dear dear lad, I have you." /
whispered
Jim was silent a moment while !
caressed his face and snuggled
closer, he laughed harshly:
II have twenty one hundred and
few more hundreds for. rent a
year, and Dicky Royce spends more
| than that on Sally in a week. ---
| perhaps he has everything tc
give Sally but what she wants =
love like ours, dear Jim, darling
my Jim-don't you see how. rich ]
am, just saying that? You didn't
| laugh at my terror over - bee
| You weren't angry when I was rude
! to Mrs. Royce-we have so much
happiness and understanding! Nc
one has everything, but. we have
fmore than any others I know. Oh
lad, don't you see that you're Civ
| ing me what I want?''
You wonderful little girl: My
! sweetheart dearr' Jim drew me
! closer and closer to him - his
strength hurt me, but it made me
happy.
A moment later he loosed his
arms from about me and look &c
deep into my eyes as he said:
You want me. You say you have
what you want - you think you're
rich - Oh, Anne, little Anne, perhaps
I never had the right to marry
you"
I pushed myself away. wildly
staring into his face as ], gasped:
What do you mean? No right
Is there some other" -
couldn't bring myself even to
! speak the word, but 1 was thinking
/ of - Betty Bryce.
jim stared at me in sheer amaze
/ ment.
| Another woman? Little, Anne
| little Anne, you are my woman, -
/ the one woman for me = now and
| forever. You must understand that
/ And I can't - even protect you from
| poverty
wanted to shout with relief =
$50 that was all, money! I tried for
| a lights note:
"A first lieutenant's pay isn't ex-
actly starvation wages"
Jim's eyes hardened, his mouth
set:
Whatever happens, you shall
have that much anyway"
knew that in his heart he was
| making a sacred promise = dimly
sensed also that there was some
| thing more than money troubling