Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-23
Dick Returns

I'm THE night BasSett anu harrlsoh
OMiller we're to return from Chicago
Lucy sat downstairs in her sitting room
waiting for news.
At 10 o'clock. according to her Gus E
tom, she went up to see that David was
comfortable for the night and to read
him that prayer for the absent with
which he always closed his day of wait g.
ing. But before she went she stopped
before the old mirror in the hall to
see II she wore any visible sign Of ten
sion.
The door into Dicks Office was open.
and on his once neat desk there lay a
litter of papers and letters. She sighed
and went up the stairs.
David Law propped up in his walnut
bed. An incredibly wasted and old
David; the hands on the log cabin quilt
which their mother had made were old
hands and tired. Sometimes Lucy, with
frightened gasp. would fear that
David's waiting now was not all for
Dick that he was waiting for peace.
There had been something new in
David lately. She thought it was fear.
Always he had been so sure of himself {;
he had made his experiment in man s
soul. and whatever the result he had
been ready TO face his Creator with it,
But he had lost courage. lie had tam
pered with the things that were to be
and not he, but Dick, was paying for
that awful audacity.
Once, picking up his prayer book TO
read evening prayer. as was her custom
now, it had opened at a verse marked
with an uneven line:
II will arise and go TO my Father.
and will say unto Him, Father. | have
sinned against Heaven and before Thee.
and am no more worthy to be called Thy
SON.
That had frightened her.
David's eyes followed her about the
room.
I've got an idea your keeping
something from me. Lucy.
Il? Why should | do that
Then where's Harrison?' he de-
manded querulously.
She told him one of the few white lies
OF her life when she said: He hasn I
been well. He'll be over tomorrow. y
She sat down and picked up the prayer
book. only to find him lifting himself in
the bed and listening.
Somebody closed the hall door, Lucy.
If it's Reynolds want to see him.
She got up and went to the head OF
the stairs. The light was low in the
hall beneath. and she saw n man stand
ing there. But she still wore her read =
1nE SIaSSeS, ana sue saw 1T urSt HuIuiS
more than figure.
rs that you. DIR. Reynolds: she
asked in her high old voice.
Then she put her hand to her throat
and stood rigid. staring down. For the
man had whipped off his cap and stood
with his arms wide, looking up.
Holding the stair rail, her knees trem :
bling under her. Lucy went down. and
not until Dicks arms were around her
was she sure that it was Dick and not
his shabby. weary ghost. She clung to
him, tears streaming down her face,
still in that cautious silence which gov
erned them both: she held him off and
looked at him and then strained herself
TO him again, as though the sense Of
unreality were too strong. and only the
contact of his rough clothing made him
real to her.
1t was not until they were in her
sitting room with the door closed that
either of them dared to speak. Or per-
haps could speak. Even then she kept
hold of him.
! Dick" she said "Dck" ~
And that, over and over.
How is het' he was able to ask
finally.
"Hc has been very i'll. began to
think-Dick. I'm afraid TO tell him.
I'm afraid he'll die Of joy"
He WINGED at that. There could not
be much JOY in the farewell that was
coming WINGED and almost staggered
He had walked all the way from the
city, and he had had no food that day.
"We'll have to break it 10 him very
gently" he said. And he mustn 7
sec me like this. II you can find some
Of my clothes and Reynolds razor,
1ll--' He caught suddenly to the
back of chair and held on TO it. ~
haven't taken time to cat much today,
he said, smiling at her. II guess need
food, Aunt Lucy.
For the first time then she saw his
clothes. his shabbness and his palor
and perhaps she guessed the truth. She
got up, her face twitrhing, and pushed
him into a chair
you sit here, she said, "and lenvN
the door closed. The nurse IL OUT for
. walk, and she'll be in soon. I'll
bring some milk and cookies now. and
start the fire. I've got some chops in
the house"
When she came back almost imme
diately, with the familiar tray and the
familiar food, he was sitting where she