Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-02-18
HIS
GIRL BACK
EAST
CcOpyT.sAt hy W. 0. cAapnaa.l
By n. NJ EGBERT

((TEELNG better. amt yov
r P ara s,,.,, ..,,., -,..,.
he was appreciatiye o. tht
boys Kindness in coming up to hii
shack TO see q sick man, but some
times be felt too III to show his feel
lngs- At such times he always said ht
was better. Although the boys tried
TO make him believe that he would
soon be about again. Jim cherished
no illusions on that score.
BILL" he said, turning suddenly &c
his friend. Il want you to promise me
something. Come and sit with me
when I'm going to cash In"
You amt going to cash in in fifty
years" said BIZ. unoonvinced Of his
own statement. nevertheless
When you see the white flag flying
from in front Of my door. you'll know
what II means" said Jim.
II was ten days later when BIZ. in
the valley, saw the summons. He hur-
ried up the mountainslde. Jim Syrett
was lying beside the flag; be had not
had strength to return TO his bed.
I'm all In" he said, as Bill carried
him within.
Nonsense" said Bill.
The other was steadily growing
weaker. Toward night he opened his
eyes BILL" he said, there's a girl
back East"
I'm write her. Jim; Just to ease
your mind" said his friend.
Jim shook his head and smiled
family. 'It's better not to-" he said
Nellie and I were engaged once. /
guess she's got better man. though
| always was a waster. But ! never
had a chance. Harvard. parents died
when was kid. and q capital Of two
million dollars, you know.
Bill nodded. because be had nothing
TO say.
"She said she'd wait for pe. But
was no good. You know what was
before this sickness started"
Never mind" said Bill. You'll be
better soon"
"rll be better OF SOON" replied the
other. But I wish I'd had a chance.
wish I'd been poor and decent.
wish I'd been brought up with Polly.
don't so much regret never being
able 10 marry her want a good
womsn's sympathy. I'd like TO be
oh, God, I'd like 10 be her son"
He groaned in anguish and remorse.
Presently his eyes closed. For a while
Bill thought that he was sleeping
presently a strange sound from the
bed aroused him. II had grown dark.
and BIZ was doing unconsciously. he
lii a lamp hastily and saw that his
friend lay dead On his face there
was the smile that happy child wears
az nightfall.
When Bill dressed his friend for
burial he saw q curious stain, a birth
mark. extending from the base Of the
neck an inch or two IN the direction
q the right shoulder.
II.
Polly Raymond Looked up from her
t'ters at the breakfast table with a
10y Of distress.
What is II. dearf~ asked her hus.
hand. coming round the table to her.
"lim's dead. Tom. Poor old jim.
Look at this letter from this man.
IT, roughly written, and the spelling
Isn't up TO much. but 1t shows some
hOdy did care fox Jim. doesn't itf"
you cared for him one. Polly"
said Tom Raymond. holding her and
letting her cry IN his arms
Not really. dear l thought / did
But know now that II was only pity
for him wanted TO mother him.
Tom. The poor boy wasn't bad, he
Just never had a chance. with all his
money. Poor old Jim, dying out there
all alone.~
Polly and her husband had been
back from their honeymoon two
weeks. and, as everybody knows the
first honeymoon is only the prelude
10 the real one. which lasts all life
long. The moment that she met Tom
she knew that her former love for
Jim Syrett had been the vainest Of
vain things
Yet she had never ceased to re
proach herself for what she called
her fckleneSs She had known Of the
boys wild attachment toward herself
and that II anyone could have kept
him straight II was she. And then
Tom. dear" she said. rubbing her
cheek against his own, Il remember
something now which I had totally
forgotten | had the strangest and
most dreadful dream the other nigh,
And Il must have been Just at the
tine when Jim lar dying. II comes
back to me now 50 wildly
Il seemed 10 be lying somewhere
In space. There was nothing around
me. and although I was fully con
scious Of my own existence. I seemed
10 have no body. And then Il came
TO me that this was that place. or con
dition, where dismemhered souls COL
lect. awaiting their summons either
to heaven or to-to some Of many other
possible destinations. Tom.
Then. as l stood there. seemed
to realize that Jim was with ne He
was very much ss;onished al finding
me there.
why. Polly. he said, don't YOU
know that you are not 10 pass over
for nearly year moreT
Il was 50 terrified did not know
what to do or how 10 answer him.
Yes Polly, he said. your time on
earth viii be up q year from next
Reek CnleSs=,