New Britain herald., 1927-01-13

mans heart and mind. In her efforts 1 to show the loveliness of Prof and | Mollie she inadvertently has pro- l duced a perfect picture of her own
 lovable character and her unselfish- ness should like to know her better"
 "Mollie said that Nellie Downing
 was twenty-four and very pretty" was Rusty's hurried contribution. Her uncle smiled.
 Beauty and youth, coupled to a | fine character, certainly make for a very lovable woman" he said, but
 this woman, if she were as ugly in | face and form as the Witch of En- dor and as old, would still be beau tiful and lovable. I know something of the way she has nursed Jim and I been his constant servant" It was, he added softly and i thoughtfully, a very beautiful thing. , T must see to it We don't forget her in our happiness over this good /. news"
 i Rusty. from her perch on the arm of her uncle's chair, declared that she could love Nellie Downing , whether she was pretty or homely. | Because she's been so good to Mol l lie and Prof and Jim.
 But just the same" she continued | with refreshing disingenuousness, 'I'll bet she's got faults as we'll as certain charming young ladies who i have been living in a rarefied at- mosphere of late.'"
 [ This naive remark got rise from
 Uncle John, whom it had hit, and
 Betty seemed to find something &C., tually funny about it.
 What are you talking about, Margaret?" Martha Dalton asked.
 'She was getting back at me"
 John Clayton told her. T shouldn't wonder a bit my dear"-turning 10 l Rusty-''if the young lady is blessed , with little flavoring temper of her
 own. That would make her just | o. K.-lend to her just that happy | balance you know"
 Unqualified goodness wrapped up
 in one package. he added. even | though it was labeled "lovely wo-
 man." would cloy soon if it didn't
 carry little pepper sauce with 1t.
 Martha Daltons eyes were twink | ling. Had the twins been watching
 her a little more attentively they | would have guessed that she was up l to some mischief. She waited for
 while and then spoke musingly. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this
 Nellie Downing who nursed Jim in France and then found and restored
 his name to him should enable him
 finally to regain his memory and
 then marry him? I just couldn't l imagine anything more romantic than for Jim to fall in love with her
 and marry her. It reads like a story
 in book, doesn't it, MT. Clayton 2" It did, he agreed. gravely. He was
 glancing sidewise rather sharply at the girls.
 ''It certainly would be grand."
 added Martha Dalton and settled | back in her chair as if to let her | mind revolve around this new pos
 sibility.
 There was nothing that even re-
 motely resembled motive in her sen- i tences. But Martha Dalton had a 1 motive just the same and few things
 escaped her sharp old eyes. On this 1 occasion all her alert faculties were | being used, for she wanted to find ! out something.
 And the result of her query was
 not wholly disappointing to her nor
 vet was it just what she had tried | to spear.
 It consisted of nothing more than
 a swift, startled look that passed
 between the girl sitting on the arm ] of John Clayton's chair and the one 1 leaning carelessly against the table 1 and facing him. But in that fleeting l look which lived for just an. instant | in the faces of the two girls Nurse Dalton had read the question: Have
 you told?'
 She sighed inwarGy, partly satis- ! fled. She had at las. she told her
 self, confirmed hey kalief that there
 was an understanding between these 1 girls regarding Jim Elwell. Mollie
 had dropped the remark in one of
 their confidential talks just before
 the armistice that Jim's return | home from the war might mark the announcement of an engagement to | one of his girl pals.
 Which pal 1t was Mollie evidently l hadn't known. Nor did Martha Dal-