The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-17

! brought back with me had been fri
fiiled l should not have thought of GO
ing. But it would have been an in
ciination sacrificed for you. The point
want you to get is this-if I had
never known you / should be doing
exactly what am going to do tomor-
row."
l did not know whether he was lying
to me or not, but choise to believe
MIN. His words lifted the weight from
my heart that had settled there when
| first read his letter announcing his
intention to join the engineering corps
in France with his friend, Caillard.
You are so good to tell me that,
Jack" I said gratefully, "but I must
see you, somehow, before you CO."
There was long silence at the other
end of the wire. / know instinctiyely
what it meant. Jack was fighting
battle with himself He wanted to see
me before he left, but knew as well
as when he spoke that he would mega
tive the proposition.
mo. Margaret" I recognized the
inflexibility Of his tone. You must not
do that Frankly, could not bear to
see you with your husband, and you
must not come to see me off without
him."
@No Messages, Remember"
why not?" I holly rebeIled against
the decision, even though knew Jack
was right.
Don't make it hard for me, little
girl and tell me Goodbye and good
luck"
Il can't yet. Jack" faltered. Tell
me, am not going to hear from you
once in a whiIe?"
Tell me something" he countered.
"Can you tell me truthfully that your
husband would not object to my send
ing you letters ?"
mo, cannot" I admitted. But
Jack, he has no right to object to my
receiving a letter from you, the only
near relative I have in the world"
But he will object just the same,
and 1 would cut off my right hand
rather than to cause you any annoy
ance of that kind"
But, Jack" 1 protested, think how
cruel you are. How shall 1 know
whether you are living or dead, well,
or i'll, fighting or wounded?"
Another long silence. / wondered
what he was debating with himself.
81 am going to let you in on a little
secret" he said at last. Il have pro-
vided myself with the means of know
ing how yau are. and / suppose /
ought to let you have the same privi-
ledge. You know Mrs. Stewart, who
keeps the boarding house where you
and your mother lived SO many years?"
ooh, yes"
seWeIl, she and are going to corre- |
spond. Now, understand, Margaret, /
am going to send no messages to you. |
/ want none from you. Remember, |
you are married. Your husband OBJ |
jects to your friendship with me.
will do nothing underhand. But if any |
thing happens to you, l shall know it |
through Mrs. Stewart, and she will al |
ways know where / am and what l am |
doing"
"That is some comfort returned |
earnestly. What times does the Sa-
turn sail to morrow"
"At 10 o'clock. But, Madge, you
must not come"
81 know" 1 returned meekly enough, |
although daring plan was just be-
ginning to creep into my brain. And /
I will say goodbye now, Jack. Good
bye. dear boy and good luck"
My voice was trembling, and there
was tremor in the deep voice that an
swered. 4
Goodbye, dear little girl. God bless
and keep YOU"
The next moment I was stumbling
out of the booth with just one thought
to get home and battle my eyes and
pull myself together before the arrival
of my mother -in-law.
I hurried along the street, futIVely I
dabbing at my eyes with my hand
kerchief. AS / turned in at the en-
trance of our apartment building l re-
membered that in my haste and ex-
citement had left both cream and
flowers at the drug store.
IHurned back and almost ran along
thel street. Even if my mother-in- law
were already in the house, as ! feared,
I must not appear without the flow
ers. I had told Katie to tell Dicky l
had gone for them.
was Just at the entrance OF the
drug store whein / heard my name
called excitedly.
From the window of taxicab Rlcky
was gesturing wildly, while beside him
a stately woman sat with bored look
upon her face
NV mother in law had arrived!
N~y~~ \