The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-23
CHAPTER I.

Over my blue satin couch lies a mass of white fluffiness-my we'd ding dress and veil. Tomorrow at 3 Barbara Anne Lee will palpitate and blush her way into this little white tent of girlhood-and at five Mrs. James Hunter Harrison will fly up to her room toDchange all that soft mai den whiteness for the staid blue serge of a honeymoon bride.
 Tonight I am all terror terror trembling on the verge of happiness. l want to go down on my. knees and beg God to let me be ppy--happy, always happy. And I also want to step out into the moonlight across the dewey grass and to run far, far away from the mystery of tomorrow.
 A month ago I did not know the man I am going to marry tomorrow. Even now, while l love him with every. racing drop of blood in my shaking body - even. now we are strangers! We have talked. Our lips have met, our souls have groped to- ward each other-but when we come closer, will we be one or still stran- gers?l
 F A month ago I went to recruit ing meeting with Carl Booth-nice staid old Carl, a big brother person and. the best a girl ever had. Every thing was peaceful and calm, like a Strawberry festival. And then some one introduced Lieutenant James Harrison-"Fear1ess Jim"-and out on the stage there came a man "my" man. I knew it suddenly and clearly, though I would have died of shame to acknowledge it even to my selfl
 He was tall anl slim. He stopped a bit under the sagging weight of his wide shoulders. He leaned on a cane and dragged his left ankle as if it were just a little tired. He was in the olive drab of the aviation, and on his breast were the spread wings of his wonderful calling-I suppose l must have seen all this at a glance.
 But what I really saw what caught and held my eyes were his eyes-gray and flashing like steel be- hind thick, curtaining black flashes. As he talked, they darkened to smoul dering black-or became remote and green like the far ocean.
 He told so simply about his two years in the British Flying Corps before we entered the war of his transfer to his own service = about his fall and the Hunnish bullet that shattered the bones of his ankle-of the broken ribs that sent him a wire less even now. 11e WdS SOOh-n and smiling. But he was as strong as a whole battery sent against Ger many. The boys fairly poured up to volunteer.
 Later I met him. Afterward I couldn't keep away from the meet ings where he talked.
 I think I fairly ran after him-but he didn't know nor try to run away. Net that I, Barbara Anne Lee, secre tary to the editor of Haldane's mag azine, ambitious young authoress, woman-bent- career, should run after a man was something brand new! I am twenty-six and for about one-third of my years have been re fusing emotion all admittance to the citadel of my heart and to my con- sciousness. A career was what I want ed. had so announced to myself and the world.
 And now my "career' is to be Jim s wife!
 After week of sneaking to meet ings where he was going to talk, a week of skulking-yes, skulking af- ter Lieutenant James Hunter Harri- son. he waled right into this office to see MT. Haldane about an article he was to do for us. And MT. Haldane turned him over to me-
 Miss Lee and I are old friends We met a week ago"
 When we got to the little cubby- hole office I gasped out my amaze ment.
 You meet so many hundreds of people, how could you remember me? ?''i
 He laughed.
 Your eyes-olive drab like our uniforms-more like amber perhaps -or sunlight through old sherry"
 You have a gift of words
 You will help me with the arti- cles?"
 I lunched with him that noon and every noon for the week it took to dc his article over in shape for Hull danes. And then my heart stood still suppose-but as I placed the last pc riod he ventured:
 Miss Lee-wouid you come out to dinner tonight to celebrate?"
 Two hours carried us further thar a week of lunches had done.
 He asked my given name.
 Barbara. They call me Babs.'
 Barbara It isn't you"
 Barbara is my name, though Barbara Anne Lee.'
 "Anne-Prfncess Anne! I'm almos afraid of you. The German big Ser thas never got me-trembling likt 
 like your lips, pale coral made for Oh. let's get out of here!"
 In the taxi he took me in hi arms-1nd taught me That my lip were made for. And so we were en gagged.
 Tomorrow we shall be married. Ou lives lie back of us in shadowland- unknown. And the future lies ahead uEkr1 own-bl sunshine. I pray, no shadow.
 Oh, Jim, Jim, be good to me.
 love you so. belong to you S completely. Barbara Lee was happy. placid. busy girl-and una wake. Yu have awakened her. dear Every fibre of her is awake-for you On her knees she vows to try to full fill your life in happiness.
 Sim. Jim, perhaps you are sleeping tonight while ::o awake througl all the long hours ..that shall brin tomorrow and give us e9 each other ir ,-or~ a,,S