Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-02-24

forget IT,"
When the Hon. Mr.. Bralnard re-
turned to his Broad street offices late
in the afternoon, he was deeply vexed
and snappy in manner.
The directors meeting which he had
attended had shown thorough dislike
for several Of his pet projects, and II
had become necessary for his fellow
members TO curb his enthusiasm with a
number of singing rebukes.
AT his Office he found a request that
demanded his attention. For ten min
utes he puzzled over the yellow tele-
phone message, frowning and strongly
tempted to tear IL into bits and leave
for home.
The element OF curiosity crept into
his meditation. The call was a demand
for his services in a personal affair,
and IL was long time since Se had
dabbled I'm personalities.
"Who was this? he asked the Office
manager.
81 know nothing about II beyond
what you read think it's a separa-
ton case-something that somebody
wants done about her husband. Possibly
it's a non-support case"
"If you hear anything further, sim
ply say that can't bother with It,"
He tossed the slip upon his desk and
drew on his coat. Before leaving the
Office he stepped over curiously and
picked up the message. Without any
particular thought he dropped II into
an inside pocket.
The Brainard touring car could do
sixty miles an hour without touching
the last speed. and the diligent chauf-
feur was closely approaching that mark
on the uptown ride, when Brainard
learned forward and spoke TO him. The
car slowed down at once, and, instead
of taking the usual course up the
Drive it honked its way to the opposite
side of the city.
every odd" reflected the chauffeur
every odd, indeed"
Through unfamiliar streets, packed
with traffic and cluttered with children,
the big car threaded n cautious way,
and finally the driver brought IL TO
stop, with a rasp of brakes and a
growing Of cylinders.
This is the number. sir" he said,
and Mr.. Branard stepped out.
Before him were dirty stone steps,
railing that sagged in rusted dilapida-
ton, and a greasy door, with a still
greasler entrance hall beyond.
For an instant the lawyer paused.
He plucked the telephone memorandum
from his pocket and studied ii. Then
he walked slowly up the steps and be
gan TO scan the letter slips above the
push-buttons.
"This is IT," he muttered. 81 must
be losing my senses to do a thing like
this"
A faint clicking in the lock put an
end to his musings, and he pushed the
door open and started up the stair
way. At the top of the first flight he
knocked loudly at door that was
wholly hidden in the darkness of the
landing. and il opened at once.
A frightened, white-faced woman
stood directly before him, swaying
sllghtly-the woman whom he had
kissed good by at eight o'clock that
morning as he left for the office.
He stared at her in silence, closing
the door behind him. Her heavy brown
hair was parted smoothly over her
forehead, and she was clad in a faded
blue wrapper-a wrapper that had
once gloried in wealth of red half
moons.
It was the wrapper that shocked him
into the first realization of where he
stood-the wrapper and a leather ring
that hung from the ceiling and which
Aline suddenly lifted in the long-for-
gotten manner.
He stepped forward and kissed her.
A thousand times he had done that.
His first wave of feeing-astOnish-
ment. anger-dropped away from him.
He stood lingering the frayed table
cover.
Aline had sunk upon the couch, and
was crying. He knelt down beside her.
"Aline," he began, and there was
tone In his voice that she had not heard
in years, "for an instant / didn't UNI
derstand all this. Now l do"
He kissed her tear-stained cheek,
and went on.
81 didn't know where 1 was. Why,
it's the same old place. Not blessed
thing changed, not even the ring gone.
It's going to take some time for me to
comprehend everything, but this does
me good"
Aline sat up and placed her hands
on his shoulders.
do you love me, Jim?" she asked
quietly.
He nodded without speaking. There
was n tenderness in his gray eyes that
needed no words. For several mo-
ments he knelt there, holding her face
between his hands.
Finally he said:
CT believe the little old place has
done its duty fully and completely.
We'd better 90. Aline, hadn't we? The
car is outside"
She rose. and swiftly removed the