New Britain herald., 1927-01-08

"You arc going home tomorrow, vas decided. An unimportant deci- seemingly.
 Letters that Mollie had been re- i ceiving from the girls back in h. ! dianapolis had told Of their new ac- 1 tivities in the social set in Indiana's l capital. They also had described with enthHslasm the progress they were making in their artistic educa- 1 tion.
 Rusty-or Margaret, as she now signed her name-had entered q school of classical dancing and all ready saw herself as the successor to Pavlowa or something like that. And Elizabeth was taking vocal lessons and confided that she dared at times to dream of opera. AS an added attraction and as q reward for good work. their uncle had promised them a trip to Europe in October when they would visit France, Italy and all the wonder places of the old world. The twins were quite enthusiastic. Mollie read all these letters to Prof and Nellie Downing just as they were written. When she read them to herself she read between the lines and knew of the grief the girls were feeling, 9 grief that prom ises of careers and European jaunts could not eradicate. Nollie sighed.
 They are whistling to keep their courage up," she told Prof. Nonsense, dear" he assured her Young hearts like theirs quickly forget. You and l are getting old and it is a little hard for us to look forward"
 It might be good thing, Prof added. to write to the girls and tell them about their plans.
 On the day following Dr. Lawson's visit to the hospital she wrote to Margaret and Betty, telling them the result of the specialists diagnosis of ,Iim's case, their decision to return home with him the next week and the date on which they expected to arrive.
 She had told them in previous let ters as much as she considered ad- visable about his condition, so there was little to add on that subject. Nor did she offer any suggestions relative to the twins coming to Camdenville to meet Jim on his re- turn home.
 
 That, Mollie Elwell felt, was some thing that must be left entirely to them to arrange to suit themselves.
 Jim Elwell sat beside her on the grassy wind-swept slope as she wrote. He stared out at the water. Occasionally he picked up pebble and flung it, as he had seen others do before.
 A pretty nurse, slender and cool in her white cap and uniform. with red embroidered cross showing in vivid contrast against a spotless sleeve, stood looking at a man be- side rustic chair under a shady tree one summer afternoon in Ocean View Park.
 You are going home tomorrow Jim," she was saying, "and I'll never see you again.
 There was a little catch in the nurses voice. More, there was trouble in her heart.
 And probably" she went on slow ly, still looking fixedly at the young man, who now sat down and closed his eyes, you never will know, my soldier man. of the girl who nursed you in France and kissed you when they took you away: who nursed you here and watched over you and cried over you"
 Her voice broke. The Red Cross nurse stopped talking and made little Gabs at her eyes with handker- chief.
 The man on the rustic chair opened his eyes. They regarded her with a listless stare. A meaningless smile played about his mouth, but it vanished when he saw her tears.
 Presently his own eyes were wet. He reached forth hand, a strong, broad hand, raled a little by inac- tivity and confinement. and touched her dress.
 The nurse turned away suddenly toward the sea and a cool breeze famed the loose ends of haiG about her face. Her strong white teeth bit down cruelty on her lower lip, | and her hands doubled up into fists. 1,
 What am I going to do?" she cried softly. What am l going to do? Going away-and he'll never know who I was-never know that l existed"
 IL was cruel she was thinking. to take him away from her like this. 1 Cruel
 A sound escaped the young man | behind her and she turned quickly. | She saw the wetness in his eyes pitiful. unrecognizing eyes.
 "Oh, Jim,' she cried, her voice | half strangled with emotion, Twill | you ever"
 "Nellie!"
 The nurse started, little gas- her Slowly she turned i around. Mollic Elwell stood within an arms length of her.
 CHAPTER XXX
 Nellie Downing was quite speech less.