The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1920-09-10
(ContInued)

bring me to the station in time.
A jewelers. clock hurtled by, it's
hands stood at five minutes past two.
I hoped against hope that it might be
fast.
CHAPTER XVII
My taxi whirled up to the station
and I flung three dollars at the
driver The meter registered ninety
cents-but Anne, the practical, had
no time for changed
1t was eight minutes past 2 by
the station clock. If 1 could reach
Jim in time, the driver had earned
his enormous tip. Across the great
waiting room L dashed, and out to-
ward the train-shed. The gate to
the 2:15 train was open. There
were still a few strangers going in.
The guard stopped me.
Ticket, Madame" he demanded
inexorably.
1 peered over his shoulder-and
for one triumphant second I almost
blessed Jims lameness. 1t had
slowed his progress and he wa
just leaving the last step and turn
ing the rail to go to his car.
Jim, JimH' cried, not caring a
tot for the angry protests of the
guard.
"Jimr' L wildly sh outed.
My husband stopped, turned in
puzzled wonder, looked up the
stairs and saw me standing there
half distraught.
1t was 2:1O. In five minutes his
train would go. Jim spoke to some
enc ahead of him and invisible to
me, then turned and came up the
stairs.
1 cried anxiously as he passed the
T1IEhPd hack through
! the sacred gate L had been threat
ening to enter.
Unable to answer, I stood gasping
for breath.
Jim's face hardened into a mask
+ of sternness which 1 realized was
covering anger
{ what does this mean?"
81 had to- come-Jim you can't
thave anything to do with Snedden
. & Company. You can't
Jim turned as if to brush me aside
and pass through the gate again.
/ Ibid you hear me, Jimmie-boy?
They aren't-straight."
Nonsense, Anne - they're a big
firm. What sort of moonshine is
! this? What do you know about it,
anyway I'll miss my train
please miss it, dear! I had
lunch with the Masons and Sheldon
you'd tarnish your reputation as a
war hero if you had any dealings
with those men,"
Jims eyes narrowed thoughtfu11y:
/ "I must look into this-the train
| will have to leave without me-" and
| then he said slowly, "How I'll ever
/ straighten it out don't know - and
! there's Snedden to face if you are
wrong"
cit hro oh hi nd
there in the station 1 repeated word
; for word what Tom Mason had said.
Jim listened quietly, almost as i'm
partially as if the whole thing ap-
I piled to some one else rather than
to him Then Jim went to a tele-
| phone When he came out. of the
booth his mouth was set in a firm
,, line.
, 'Dicky and Sheldon are too
i@blooming well bred! Guess they
/ have water in their veins instead
: OF blood. But they told me when I
asked them point blank Toms a
) real friend - eh, what, Amer he
said when 1 had finished.
will you accept his offer about
going into his Officer" L asked
Ibid he mention it again? ''
!. "No--how could he before Evelyn
! and Mr.. Blake?" L replied.
ne Z 1IOD-
1 ably well hear from him later on
today. Now. to phone and sever
! my connection-with my job
! Jim came out of the telephone
tbooth flushed and uncomfortable. I
rcould see that he had had bad
quarter of an hour. He didn't offer
to tell me what he had said, and L,
accepting again the remoteness and
reserve that were as much a part OF
him as his generosity and extrava-
I gance and boyish sweetness, asked
no questions.
He walked home slowly, each
Threading the moment of taking up
, the routine of the past week. Ahead
| was the old, weary round of looking
! for work-unless Tom Mason re-
! newed his offer to teach my boy the
! real estate business.
! When we got back to the apart
ment, there on the marble F1oren-
| tine bench in the entrance hall sat
, a familiar figure. 1t rose as 1 came
in and moment later 1 was caught
! in strong young arms.
meal! Neall This is wonderful!
oh, my blessed brother!'' I cried,
accepting the miracle in my rush
of joy at seeing Neal.
Although Jim and I had been
married a month, this was the first
glimpse of the network of family
ties which formed the background
of our dives. q
There was something warm and
honey and stable in the mere act
of Introducing my brother and my
husband I've always adored Neal
His high spirits, his boyish AFRO
gance. his quick temper, his impa-
tience with everything he doesn't
understand and his eagerness to be
loved and approved of are as much
part of him as his merry brown
dyes wavy red gold hair, honest
freckles and the soft young mouth
that proclairns him a boy even wher
he's trying his hardest to seem g
man.
This is surprise, Mr.. Hyland, >
said Jim with fornality and pc.
likeness that didn't combine very
well.