Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-09-23
THE SILVER LINING.
A Short Story.
BY A. MARIA CRAWFORD.
Copyright. 1922. by Mcclure NowArape
Syndicnts.A

with the words of the pretty musical |
comedy song,
1t was not easy advice to follow,
though Bill Barton, limping along in
the spring sunshine, watching the lads
sturdy legs that once in while skipped
n little through sheer exuberance Of
youthful energy and Joy. Bill envicd
him. Once he had two good legs like
that and now-Awell--it might have
been worse But the surgeons had fixed
him up. He wouldn't have gwen
dollar and half for his leg when he
came off the battlefield and first saw it..
There was one thing certain. He could
never lose his soul for toddling too much
now--did pretty fair just TO limp along
|, He squared his shoulders--didnt
want one Of them to say. He had
always been proud Of those broad
shoulders.
"Heigh-ho, Captain Bill What a
, jolly little place this old world is,
after alp cried big strapping fellow,
nin,bly jumping the gutter to rush IN
to him.
"Stan, old boy, this is luckl You
live here?" Bill smiled at him, pump
ing his arm up and down in genuine
pleasure to sec him. Stanley Field had
been his first lieutenant end on that red
day when he had got his, Stan had stop
ped long enough TO order Bill carried
,, out of range of the big guns.
They went into Stanley's club and
had n long talk about everything. Bill
? told him how interminable the time
had seemed there in the government
hospital in Washington. Years out OF
his life Think Of that He grinned
when be said il, but his heart was
lead, thinking Of the WEAKNESS OF that
long wait. Leg pretty good now. OF
course he limped, but he was jolly
well glad he was going on his own
leg, reinforced instead of one some
carpenter had made. He'd never cut
n pigeon wing againl Remember. in
: camp? Gosh, he could whirl so fast
he looked like one Of those twirling
dervishes from Arabia in circus
= stunt.
I Stan remembered all that and more.
r "Say, Bill ever see that little blonde
j. any more? Looked like . Madonna
the one At our last billet? She used
d to dance with you all the time. Never
e seemed TO see the rest Of ne. Alice
e somebody. Lord, there was regular
. girlw
n Alice Mobry," answered Bill, all
Is the light dying out of his deep brown
is ewes. II wrote to her until--until
= was sure ! was going to be rea
Grip. Then just quit"
you're no cripple" said Stan VIII
frown II don't even notice thai
, little limp of yours. I'll bet that CIR
lie lost lot of sheep wondering grievlni
about YOU Funny I've often though
about YOU and her. That was one 70
nance of the war. told myself" Thel
seeing the strained look in his old pal
f. face he quietly changed the subject
"Meet me here tonight at Z and hav
dinner with me. Later III go dow
- to the boat with you if you are deter
H. mined to sail for home~in the morning
as Nice trip back by way Of Charleston
Il Home! Gee, I'll bet those sonther
a parents OF yours have killed the fatte
s" calf, all right
m They've had long time to fatte
es it, Haven't they?" laughed Bill Thank
as old man Sec YOU at l.
on Dear old Stanl Bill looked afte
him affectionately. No use telling hlT
o. that he had already been home thre
3" different times, only to have to trave
> back to Walter Reed Hospital for
little more work on that game les
~, But this trip was the last. He Wa
oE going home to stay. That morning B
had caught a train from Washington
TO attend a little business IN New Ior
before he took the boat for Charleston
He looked up and down the stree
N humming with the busy life ofshe ms
~ tropolis. He had the afternoon betol
re him.
=, He would walk over to the avenu
~. and get up O.. top of bus and watc
a. the human tide ebb and flow; It
p ways interested him. Then, he migl
d catch a glimpse OF her again. 81
ne lived in New York. He had wante
en- to telephone to her the first thing thi
in morning but, after four years, she W.
at probably married. Anyway, she wou
never forgive him for not telling. h
why he had failed to answer oil tho
letters she had sent. Those letters AZ
his damnable pride His mind nlu
at have been sick along with his bod
90. otherwise he would have sent her son
a. word Too late now!
tn He squared his broad shoulders, II
~. ing as always to keep one from So
ns ging when he limped. There was J
.'.o traffic cop at that corner, but he d
~. termined TO move on and take /
IA chance with the other pedestrians.
~, 4 blue limousine was purring nois
i ', lessly down crowded Broadway. Pref
els thing. Brand-new model, too. TIL
cry arrested his attention. 'Sto
It's Bill o Billr'
He looked after the car dazed
bit. The chauffeur had jammed
e. the brakes. The door of the car W
emf opening. Alice Mobry was runni
~ back to him.
,,ss He lmped back to the car, help
'i,u her in. got in beside her. But to ha
ll saved his life he could not think of
no word to say He just looked at h
lew He had forgotten that girl could
so pretty. Then his devouring ey
rested suddenly on her hands, lit
hands. gloved in gray. They We
trembling. She was clutching the
IRIS. together. His subsconious mind mi
nan have forced him to make the mo,
mn mcnt.. He certainly did not thi
Ion about it, But he put his own oN
nad hers and held them close. Right The
on Broadway, with all the world
see.
"Alice, dear. it almost killed
II. not to write to you, but when fou
out that II WAS going to be Ia
pts for life-limping along painfully
dice you--care that mueh?'
55c She had presence of mind then
oSe order the chauffeur to drive homo a
ear, the run to Park avenne was ms
and silently.
S Ss Was she married? He didn't ca
ers, He was going TO tell her, tell her OF
cher moro .s he had yhisnarad his I,
ais, - al :Il. -
Ill ~ L