The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-16


 'eI peeked into the oven, Pr1ncess Anne and saw delicioUS lamo roast Shall light the burners again? The boys will be here d-
 Please I replied. And will you put on some water to boil? make | my coffee the old-fashioned way 1 with the yolk of egg
 Then I crept over to the window, i hid behind the curtains Or apricot silk and ran my little finger under ] the flap of the yellow envelope. or ! course, looked first at the sigma
 ture-''Th omas c. Mason" 1 At that I fell to tremb bling as It
 with cold But, as I stared out the tain winston coming down the street t-and I must read and digest the message before their arrival. It was
 a night letter:
 to Camp Torvald, Ruyter's Landing,
 as soon as convenient. Arranging pageant benefit Italian war suffer
 CTS Wednesday. Wish you were here robe instead to girl who will not
 be as good Venice as you. Greetings l to you and Jim"
 Mechanically I began to count the words-just fifty! I smiled at my self for that, and actually, laughed in relief. How matter of fact Mr. Mason was about the robe. His at I titude made me realize that he look ed on the whole episode casually as Jim did.
 | had the teelgram in my hand when I went to the door at the first
 click of Jirn's latch key. I could greet Captain Winston without any attempts at "finesse.'' I did so like the big, blonde Eng1ishman, and I
 was so sure of his honest friend
 ship for my boy and his kindly re- gard for that boys wife.
 Betty popped in from the kitchen
 and I felt Captain Winston's hand
 4,1~I.4 H,c
 came into the room. Red stained his bronZed face.
 love Betty .,o. you look loo "9 wonderful ig flu
 doing the domesticn E. he cried: cried Like Like , Olympus. As if she'd be a good wife
 for a poor man; doesn't she now,
 Mrs. Jimmie?''
 "Yes," I gasped miserably. He | and Jim were both lost in admira- } ton of Betty in my pink apron and my dull little gray silk dress and white "housemaid's apron now , seemed as dingy as a November sky. Jim, what did you do with the package?" I asked, seeking for ali 3 opening through which to introduce
 the subject of the telegram. "Oh, dropped it at his house." re- g piled my husband carlessly. Dinner . ready, girls %
 r .In a minute, dear-first I want
 to tell you" o I began gan aa9taa again: i. a,, r ing you. I'm starved and I know
 these masculine persons will get say
 age if we don't feed 'em, and l l. | don't trust my touch that lus- T cious roast,' interrupted Betty, tuck ? ing her arm through mine and inn @ polling me kitchenward.
 ] And as I reached the door I lifted n my hand and tucked Tom Mason s
 1 telegram into the bosom of my dress t Getting lunch with Betty started b out to be a jolly intimate affair. We d knew that Jim would want his first linn fo a ot in inc ef m fn ho 2 = great success, and when we got the Q currant jelly out of its glass unbrok-
 en in its rich red tranlucence. Betty = did a little jig. We fairly beamed - found the melons T had been saving q for next mornings breakfast and
 started zig-zagging them into an "ap- = petizer."
 Shall I peel the potatoes, Anne |. when I've done with the melons? Jim
 never liked them with their jackets Q on. you know" suggested Betty. l. continued, in chuckling reminis h cence, I began to lose my warm glow
 feeling "out-of- things"
 - Serving 'pertaties' in their jacket. t were the pet vice Of the squadron d cook. Once when we ate at an in IT fantry mess in the Vosges, Jim al
 most wept with emotion over tht l, little naked 'pertaties' There. tn. = melons are gorgeous. Anne, how art q Jims affairs coming on?"
 1T She threw it in casually. But IS Stiffened at her intrusion into ou1 e personal concerns. As well if sh' 2. had put it crudely. I knew Bett! n meant Has Jim a job?'' ,f "All right" I replied almot curt h Iy.
 r. "A1l right? You said that as i
 everything were-all wrong" It Betty came over to my side. Sh n took the bread from my hand an,  p she caught me in her arms and gay t me a little warm, friendly shake.
 Anne Anne, dear. tell me. I d er so want to help you.''
 Id perhaps it was the memory of he Id knowing how Jim liked his potatoe 1e but I couldn't respond to Betty. S My coffee." I cried. It really wa to boiling over. ii I shook off Betty's clinging hand e set the coffee back to keep hot an ne , then turned with a cold reply ed Jim is really quite all right. H do does article month for Ha on dane's-and he has just accepted CT position as inspector in factory" ng "Airplanes?" asked Betty eagerly ok The word came out with a lit nd explosion Betty repeated it in u ad ter astonishment.
 ht "Yes-a very good cap factory re cried, with air of fnality
 Betty stood staring at me in De, h. plexity. She was holding her rigl -e- hand against her lips in a way sE nd has-the fire of that red scar again Ln. her mouth. And queenIy Betty sut y's denly seemed childish and appealir he as she stood there with her finge if curled out toward me from her ope he palm. ti- "But, Anne, an inspector has ed walk miles. He has to -k lk all da
 Jin's ankle. It will torture him." ,m I hadn't thought of that. Bet.
 pressing her own scar to her lip . had realized how my boys lamene i'm handicapped him. I hated myse he for forgetting-I hated her more f, ,re reme embering!
 ne TearS were very close to my eye k- wonder what would have happel
 ed if I had let them come, if I hs in- cried out my thoughts: