Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-23
By ELIZABETH
JORDAN

taking ia with seHss of shock her pailoF and
the strained sEpTessloh OF her eyes,
II knew yau eeFs rot sleeping well" he
went en. With q sikh, That's all I knew
,heugh ! suspected that you were siiPping on
the trolley asan"
She eaught al the words as IL they had been
q lifeline.
That's exactly lt.a she cried, That's jusl
the Way ! feel As ~ had held on as long
as | could, and Ihsn-samslhlng began 90 slip-
! never felt anyihhg like IL before Hut then"
che added fsnsclIssly. ''lys never been away
from home before sau know, I had never
been away from my mother single nshl until
I married you'"
Biiis drew a long breath and slraishtsRei
his young shoulders as II 10 adius. them 10 -
burden.
Perhaps you'd better get that : o'clocl
train tonight" he suggested. you can, you
know
"And leave yeu - hours soonerT'
This Was her first reaction, Then her man,
Rer changed,
"wouIdn't You mindg" she ended faintb
1T would be great 10 be home at In the
morning Fort haven't told you. but tomor-
row IL mothers birthday. I suppose that's one
reason why have felt so bad, We've always
had special celebration for her"
Then II surely must be the o'clock train
tonight I'll reserve your berth Billy started
for the telephone.
ing. Ruth eiung 10 him despairinsly.
BILLY. what are you going 10 dog" she
walled. Its like a nightmare When I'm away
from you I'm unhappy. and yet l can't be happy
away from home
Billy WINGED. Home was still Boyden-
vile to Ruth, But her words had given him
certain dreary comfort.
Forget me-" he laughed. "and have a good
time"
You will write every day?" She was still
eiinsng TO button OF his coat. though the con-
ductor's warning announcement flied the air.
"of course Don't ! always write every
day?'
lie kissed her again. then hurried down the
aisle and jumped on the now moving train. on
the platform all sense of haste left him. and ne
walked slowly toward the passenger exit. won
dering how he could kill the two hours that
lay between now and bedtime The prospect
OF returning TO the deserted nat was unbear-
able. Horrible. too. was the thought OF the
empty weeks that stretched before him. Even
as he contemplated them they seemed TO stretch
into months. Into years.
Deep in his mind n coiled suspicion raised It's
head and hissed. II. in the nrs, six months
OF their married life. he could not successfully
compete In his wife's favor with the charms
OF her old home. what would the future bring?
Longer visits "home" and shorter intervals with
him between them? 1t looked that way. He
had been married half a year. and this was
his wfes third visit to Boydenville
An overwhelming depression seized him. In
the bitterness Of the moment he almost cursed
himself for not having made in his bachelor
hood more women friends who might have
helped him now to send the roots OF his wife's
peing down into the soil of her new environ
ment As it was-O. as it was
Billy was at home by this time. He let him.
self into the deserted fiat his lips twisting sar-
donically as he listened to the echo of his foot.
IN ho ho1l 1l'o pnl;r rhoJ ur-
troubling to turn on the lights he went to his
bedroom, undressed in the dark, and crawled
into bed to turn his back alike on the hour a,,8,
OH his troubles .
The two months that followed were long
months to young Blake. Ruth wrote every day.
but no letter contained the slightest hint of hel
homecoming. OF course. Billy told himself she
would come back for Christmas They had
been married in May. and 1t was now Decem.
Der. That Ruth should let him pass alone the
nrst Yuletide of their married life was un-
thinkable. He wrote cheerfully, initiating her
reserve as to her return. asking no questions
making no suggestions. but letting his love for
her burn in every line and every word of his
letters.
Ruth needs a long LEASH" he grimly told
h'HseH. Inc only way to hold her. IL there's
any way, is to let her feel that she is free.'
Her decision to return, when It came early
IN December, took the form of one line tele-
gram. which her husband received at $50 one
stormy evening.
Reaching home tonight" it tersely stated.
Billy started at the typewriter words. His
heart leaped, but his amazement was at least
as great as his rapture. This was Wednesday.
In two days, Friday, he could have left for Boy.
denville on the usual o'clock train spent the
week -end and brought his wife back home Sun
day night Only two days-yet she obviously
preferred to travel alone rather than to wait
those two days. And, yes, she really had used
the word "home" in speaking Of her return. She
had never done that before He re-read the
telegram. It had been sent from point only
an hour away. She must be entering the city
now! Before he could be at the station to
meet her she would have taken cab for home
He rushed around the apartment, turning on
the lights, pushing the furniture into place. fll-
ing the interval by getting ready for her. Then,
at last he heard a sound-the familiar click
of a latch key turning in the lock of the hall
door. Dazedly he leaped into the hall and /
threw open the door. He caught her in his
arms, and, as he kissed her, speechlessy he
heard her broken words
Billy, I simply couldn't wait another min
ute. was SO horribly homesick!"
Young Mr.. Blake blinked. He knew now
that 1t was all a dream, but he was determined
not to wake up. 1t was a dream to cling to.
Still wordless. he stopped, picked up the small
handbag she had dropped, and taking her arm,
led her into the living room, and to the big
chair by the fireplace Then, almost apprehen-
sively. he turned to look at her Perhaps after
eli, she wouldn't be there! But she was there
and again, for long moment, they cluns to-
gether.
II can't take it in" Billy muttered ar last