The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-30
When 4 Girl Murries
by Ing atrress yndi-


have been pretty beast1y to most of
his friends to make Jim worry
about my attitude toward this
handsome blond giant.
Mrs. Jimmie! Well, - if this
isn't bit of all right! To come
over here and to find my pal with
a little wife. I didn't think Jimmie
was a lady's man-but that's the
kind that always has the real luck
in the end
His words, his strong hand clasp,
his steady blue eyes, put me at
| ease. 1 knew that in Captain Terry
Winston 1 had found a friend. Pres
emily it was arranged that Jim
should run over to the Army and
Navy club with him to say hello to
AZ few of 1.-The boys" and that at
seven my husband and I were to be
Captain Winston's guests at the
Carlton Roof.
! hurried upstairs to make my
self fine. Under our door there was
a long, official looking white en-
velope. I picked it up curiously.
1t was addressed to Lieutenant J.
| H. Harrison.
| A wife must not open her hus-
| bands 1etters-but she may study
their postmarks. In the left hand
corner OIL the envelope lnere was
printed:
.eWar Department - Office of the
Adjutant-
| What could it mean? Why should
the Acknowledgement be writing to
| Suddenly conviction swept over
me. Jim was no longer fit for duty.
He could never fly again. This was
his dismissal from the army! I
tried to picture. my boy in civilians
| o11 ~ H.
uniform - it seemed unthinka BILE!
| The white envelope I held in my
hand meant the end of the world 90
| Jim.
1 came to a fixed determination.
Nothing must mar the dinner with
Captain Winston. I would hide the
i letter and give it to Jim when we
| came home that night.
Later L applauded my own de-
cision. For when Captain Winston
| talked about going back to the
front after three months recruiting
| work over here and fairly included
7 Jim in his plans L could see how
joyously how hopefully my hus-
| band responded. Only one incident
marred the delightful dinner. Cap
| tain Winston asked about ''Mrs.
\ err err Bryce - land then looked
I at me in evident embarrassing
But I managed to seem unconscious
| of that
Home at eleven - happy, pleased
with each other and the world. The
incident of the keys forgotten. For
| a while I had even forgotten the
| letter and the pain it must cause
Jim. But now the time had come
! when 1 must give that letter to him.
I tried to find words to help him.
Jimmie lad. I've a letter for
you - from the War Department.
Whatever it says, dear, remember
that I love you. I'm going to stand
| by jim, and be a real wife - the
kind of a wife a soldier needs
| Jim took the envelope with fingers
| that trembled. He tore open the
envelope, brought out single typed
sheet and ran his eyes over it.
Then he looked up, triumphant
! flash lighting his face.
ITS from the Adjutant Generals
office. I'm ordered to Washington.
They've convened a board to ex-
| anime me-
| ITO examine you?'' 1 cried.
| Eyes; to pass on my fitness for
active service" Jims voice was
undersigned I thought.
THAT would mean you must go
across again. 1t wouldn't be fair
I'm sure they'll see that. You've
done your bit. They haven't any
right to take you again. The
words rasped their way past my dry
lips.
I'm not sure that they'll take
me. / think I'm fit - began Jim
interrupted - L wanted to scream
wild protests-but Jim looked so
CALM and steady that 1 felt 1 must
at leAst pretend to be.
"Why, they won't take you, dear;
| they couldn't! Any one can see that
you aren't fit to serve. My Jimmie
has done enough"
"They can't take you it would
be too cruel! You'll be able to get
out of it-won't you?"
l. Anne" he cried and again,
Anne! You said you would help
me like a soldiers wife,
| Then 1 understood. My arms fell
helplessly at my side. They We're
! powerless to hold Jim - but they
must be strong enough to support
me, as I swayed back against the
bureau and felt a sharp corner
pressing against me.
1 cried aloud in frightened pro
test:
Then you want to go? You want
to leave me? Perhaps - perhaps
they aren't forcing you at all. Per-
thaps you-asking them to take you!'
CHAPTER XIII.
/ s'Patriotism" is word I have al
ways been able to speak quite glibly.
| In fact I've always thought that I
meant something when l said it
Love of country - waving flags -
| cheering parades = applauding noble
speeches - saving two dollars a week
to pay for Liberty Bond - giving
up candy so the Red Cross might
have my money and the soldiers
| might share 1T also.
1 think this is about the way the
war had come home to me up to the
moment when 1 discovered that my
husband, the man to whom I had
been married less than a fortnight,