Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-02-27
&EMRR@&&6s ii
$!7AsEG
--


easier than if they all paid stiff calls
of coincidence. If you put off meet
ing them there will be talk"
WHY" Fay demanded.
We'll, they'll think it queer of
you! Nervous breakdown is such
an elastic term"
Laurel means, dear. that they
will think you are really ill. when
all you iced is a good rest" Mrs.
Tudor interrupted smoothly.
Fay passed her hand over her
eyes Il am a little tired. 1 think
1 shall rest a while if l am to meet
these people later"
Fay's tired nerves relaxed in the
dim quietude of the room which she
was to share with Laurel.
AS she picked up her hand mirror
for a glance at her hair, a key on
the dressing table caught her eye
| and she put the mirror aside. The
key 10 Nilbur's room!
Taking up the key she made her
way 10 the one closed door down the
hall and. unlocking it, paused upon
the threshold.
Her eyes strayed to the mantel,
and with a little exclamation of sur
prise, she drew nearer to 1t.
| A hand grenade, a "tin hat" and
a gas mask! Then all at once she re-
called what her aunt had said-that
Captain Warren had brought Will
bur's things home. She touched the
helmet with tender reverence, and
took up the gas mask, put the dark
stains upon its case made her re-
coil, and the full horror and desola-
ton of her loss swept owe her.
She returned to her own room to
remove the trace of her emotion in
| the det0rn1inatlOn m taxa I'm her
life again among those carelessly
happy people below as soon as she
could.
AS she came down the stairs a
few minutes later a man standing in
the hallway came quickly forward.
"Oh. there You are, Clara! I
hoSrd voices out on the lawn and
was just about to-"
He paused as the girl advanced
I'M held out her hand.
How do you do, Mr.. Clayton =?
Am l so very like my aunt? am
complimented."
Miss Tudor" The newcomer re-
covered from his surprise and shook
hands cordially. when did you re-
turn"
Just this morning. DO you know
I feel like a dancer who suddenly
finds herself out of step?" Fay
smiled. "Silly, isn't it,"
mo, / don't think it's silly" he
responded. you've been living
under such high pressure that this
seems unreal, as though you were
looking on at some pleasant-man-
rcred comedy on the stage"
Yes, that is it," Fay exclaimed.
Il want to talk TO you" Clayton
urged suddenly. do you know, [
hnyp't vol cot oyeY tho SbocE van
gave me just now? l can never
quite realize that you are actually
grown up, Ven when 1 read about
the citation from General Petain.'
1--WE heard about you, too, over
there" Fay seated herself. Our
unit was at the very last of its re-
sources when your train-loads Of
food camel
II am glad it was OF service
Claytpn paused.
"Well, upon my word!" Mrs.
Tudor's voice sounded from the
| doorway. when did you arrive,
Ken? I'm glad you found Fay, but
you've kept the whole crowd wait
ing for ages out on the lawn"
I'm sorry" Clayton rose.
The next hour was less of a trial
to Fay than she had feared, for
after the first furry of greetings, the
conversation returned to the cur
rent gossip and the girl was con-
tent to sit back and look on.
That evening after her aunt AMI
cousin had departed with Mr.. Clay
ton to a country club dance, Fay
strolled into the library. She ex-
tinguished the lights. seated herself
by the open window and looked out
over the sloping lawn to shadows
x,bicH y,,orLnd tho c1Irnon nf treas
surrounding the tea-house.
So it had been Captain Warren
who brought Wilbur's things home.
| He had come to see her in Paris on
his first furlough after her brother
was killed, and she recalled him as
a tall. self-contained man. with
kindly gray eyes,. She wished that
she had been at home here to re-
ceive him.
With a start her thoughts came
abruptly back to the present and
she leaned forward. Had somc-
thing moved there beneath that
clump of trees?
1t must be simply her nerves,
which peopled the shadows. With a
shrug she sank back among the
cushions, and her mind reverted to
the captain once more.
Suddenly she was aware of a
rustling in the shrubbery directly
beside the window and without
warning a face appeared within a
few inches of her own!
1t was a white, drawn face with
disheveled hair and eyes which
stared wildly into hers for a mo-
ment, while she held her breath in
surprise and terror.
The next instant 1t had disap-
peared, and there remained only the
night breeze rustling through the