New Britain herald., 1927-06-10
My Sons Sh|0f!kt 4 e! T.!
HlDA McClONt GIBSON

other answer than the bowling head
which told her yes. I'VE are both
going, Natlee."
With the unconscious cruelty OF
a woman who is passionately In
love with one man and knows that
the other is in love with her, she ex-
claimed: "Oh, l am SO glad"
For a moment the man beside her
grew white and leaned against the
tree.
Natlee hurried on: II was going
to ask you, Rod, dear, to go with
Phillip, but l was afraid that you
still might be angry with him. ]
might have known that like the good
friend You are. you would have
thought of nothing except TO be with
him when danger came.
You will take care Of him, will
you not? You know how thought
less and impulsive he is. He would
run into danger for the sheer thrill
OF it. But you will be with him,
be as safe as any one could be in
that awful hell.
Rod, you are so good to me-"
Rodney wondered grimly if she
realized what she was doing to him.
| For Il moment he was quite con-
temptuous Of his weakness, for he
had no illusions. Natlee Jones had
sacrificed him all his life for Wynne
and now she was sending him prob
ably to his death without a qualm
because she thought he might save
her lover from casual danger.
Then another thought struck her
why, it never occurred to me tina,
neither Phil nor you are old enough
to go. How did you get in. Rod?'
Natlee asked. a CLEAN OF new cour-
age coming into her eyes. Il hope
you did not lie about your ages"
"No-Wynne is going to get his
mothers consent"
She will not give it. Surely. Rod,
she cannot give it. Why, Phillip Is
her only child"
|
for she knows he Is the only one In
the family that can keep up that
tradition that whenever the Ameri-
can flag goes into battle there will
be Tracy following it,
u don't believe that will make
any difference with her" Then. as
an afterthought: "What about YOU
Rod? Why. you, yourself. are only
a little over II.
"Oh, / have no one to ask. You
know. Natlee. that in my house there
is no one but an old housekeeper
who will care whether l go or stay
and my guardian will give his con-
sent il l ask 1t. Yes. ] am slated for
France, for the only person in the
world who might have said stay
going"
For the first time in her life Nat
lee Jones heard a bitter note in Rod
ney MaXWell's voice.
Immediately her heart was filled
with self-rep roach. Rod. dear, you
know that l did not think of what l
was saying. You know in my selfish
ness ] was only thinking of Wynne
over there all alone and knowing
that ! would gladly go with him and
share his hardships and danger II l
could. thought Of you as myself,
dear, willing to do the same.
But ! am sure that all our wor-
rying Is needless. / am certain that
Mrs. Tracy will not give her consent
to Wynne's enlisting. / am going
over there to have her tell me that
and then III go down to your
guardians office and post him SO
that he will withhold his consent to
your going
Il would rather you would not do
that Natlee, for whether Wynne
goes or not. l am going"
Natlee threw her arms around
Rods neck and burst into a torrent
of tears. Dear. dear. Rod-have
hurt you beyond healing?"
For answer Rodney Maxwell's
cheek was laid caressingly on her
pale gold hair.
When he reached his home Phil
lip expected to see Lyra Immediate
ly. Instead. he was handed a note
which he knew was from her.
At the same time his mother
called. Come here to my room,
my SON."
He didn't know what to do. He
knew that Lyra had given that let
ter to the maid to be given to him
before he saw his mother and yet,
of course, his mother expected him
to go TO her Immediately.
Finally he hastily thrust the let
ter into his pocket and turned to his
mothers room.
Mother, l have joined the army"
He hurried forward to catch her,
for he was afraid she was going to
fall. But the feel of his arms about
her seemed to strengthen her. He
gently seated her in an easy chair
and knelt at her side, both arms still
around her waist.
"Oh, I can't let you 90. Phil
can't let you go. What made you
think that your mother could send
you away to die?"
DO you mean that you will not
give your consent. Mother?"
Il thought 1 could. Son, when ]
heard that war was declared this
morning, but now find l can't do
it. While you might not die but once
l would die a thousand times"
But, Mother, my father came back
from the Spanish war and my
grandfather came back from the
| war between the North and the