The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-09
The Story Of Julia Page Kathleen Norris

noticed in his manner that night
 certain awkward hint of reconciIia- ton. and with it a flood of tenderness
 and generosity rose in her own heart,
 and she knew that, deeply as he had
 hurt her, she was ready to forgive him and be friends again
 So a not unhappy week passed, and Julia, with more zest than she had shown in some months, began to plan
 a real family reunion for Thanksgiv-
 Ing, now only some ten days off. She
 wrote to the Doctor and Mrs. Poland,
 to the Carletons and Aunt Sanna, and | to Richie, who had established him
 self in a little cottage on Mount Tam | a1pais, and who was somewhat phil
 anthropically practising his profession
 there. She very carefully ordered l special favours for the occasion, and selected two eligible and homeless
 young men from her list of acquain- | tances to fl out the table and to amuse | Constance and Jane- Jim had to go
 to Sacramento on the Saturday before l Thanksgiving for an important opera ton, but would be home again on
 Tuesday or Wednesday to take the
 head of his own table on the holiday. Julia offered, when the Friday night | before his departure came, to help
 him with packing. They had dined
 very quietly with friends that night.
 and found themselves at home again
 not very long after ten o'clock. But
 Jim, sinking into chair beside the
 libary fire, with an assortment of new
 magazine at his elbow, politely de- | clined.
 "Oh, no, thank youi Plenty of time
 for that in the morning. don't go
 until nine.'
 Let Chadwick do it, anyway, Jim.
 Shall I tell Ellie to send him up at
 eight?''
 "If you will Thank you! Good
 night"
 "Good-night!'' And Julia trailed her
 satins and faces slowly upstairs, un- | fastening her jewels as she went. A
 little sense of Encouragement was
 fighting for possession; she fought it | consciously she had fought such
 waves of despondency a hundred
 times before. She propped herself comfortably in pillows, turned on a | light and began to read. Ellie fused about the room for a
 few minutes, and then was gone. The
 big house was very still Eleven | o'clock struck from the little nahog-
 any clock on her mantel. midnight
 struck, and still Jim's footstep did not
 come up the stairs. and there was no | welcome sound of occupancy in the
 room adjoining her own | Suddenly terror smote Julia; she | flung her book aside and sat up erect
 Tn bed. Her heart was laundering
 with fear; the silence of the house
 was like that that follows an explo-
 sion.
 | For a few dreadful seconds she sat
 motionless; then she thrust her bare feet in the slippers of warm white
 fox that Ellie had put out, and caught ur a Japanese robe of black crepe, in which her figure was quite | oa al wi | trembling fingers, she slipped out into
 the hall, dimIy lighted and very still.
 Then she ran quickly downstairs. | What sight of horror she expected to find in the library she did not l know, but the shock of revu1sion,
 when the opened door showed her nothing more terrible than Jim, mus
 ing in the firelight, was almost as bad
 as a fright could have been. l "Oh, Jim! she panted, coming in, one hand pressed against her heart, '1 thought something-I got fright I ened!"
 l Jim 1oked up with his old, tender, | whimsical smile, the smile for which
 she had hungered so long, and held out a reassuring hand. | ''why, no, you poor kidi' he said. | five been sitting right here" | "I thought-and it was so still
 and you didn't come up!" Julia said, 1 beginning to sob. And In a moment
 she was in his arms, c1inging to him l in an ecstasy of love and relief. For
 a long blissful time they remained so, | the soft curve of Ju1ia's cheek against l Jim's face her heart beating quick 1 above his own, her warm little figure, | in its loose, soft robe, gathered close 1 ly to him.
 | "Feeling better now, old 1ady?' l "Oh, fine!" But Ju1ia's face qutver- I iv, at | well, then, what's this for?" He | showed her drop on the back or his | hand.
 | .'Be-because I love you so, Jim!" | well, you needn't cry over it!' said Jim gently. "I'm the one that ought to do the crying, Judy" he adde with a significant glance at her | lovely flushed face and tear-bright | blue eyes
 Julia leaned against him with a
 long, happy sigh.
 l "Oh, I'm so glad I came down!"
 she breathed contentedly. | "'GIadr" Jim echoed sober1y. l "Godl You don't know what it meant l to me to look up and see my little Geisha coming in. I was going crazy,
 think!'
 1 "Ah, Jimmy, why do your" she | coaxed, one slender arm about his neck.
 l ''I don't know he said thought 1 fully. Made that way, I guess!'' | (Continued Tomorrow