New Britain herald., 1927-06-22

seemed perfectly unaware that whe
 she crossed her legs. which she di
 when Mrs. Tracy motioned her to
 chair. she showed an inch or two 0 exquisitely lovely flesh and a dimpl or two in her knees above her roll ed-down stockings.
 "Dear Mrs. Tracy. may I take of my hat?" she asked. Tt Is rathe close-fitting and hot to keep on i, the atmosphere of an invalid room."
 "Oh. Natlee. you have bobbet your beautiful hair" exclaimed Anne in distress. II am afraid Phi will be heart broken. for he alway. loved your hair almost as much a. he loved you"
 Even while she was saying it Phil's mother could not help but note how charming her shorn locks had made Natlee Jones' well-shaped head. When her hair was long, she had always vcrn 1t in distinctively plain bands.
 Now, however, the soft gold curls which framed her face. and her short. tight skirt. made her look like child of about 14. She was more beautiful than ever. 1 She had contrived to lose all the seriousness and grown-up airs tha { had always made her seem much | elder than fun-loving. irresponsible Phillip. Today she could be called one of those regular "flappers" of which the papers were writing so much.
 Almost the first words she said to Anne Tracy were They tell me that this trip of yours to find Wynne is 10 bring you great happi- ness"
 Anne froze. and then she thought Natlee could not possibly be re- ferring to her friendship with Major falkland.
 You know, Natlee." she explain cd. that will depend upon how ] find him since l received letter written at the hospital. just as he was going up to his outfit in the Argonne. When I think of how many things might have happened to him before that time and the hour the guns ceased firing-my heart stops"
 Even if you do find tragedy. when you hope to find joy, my dear al {, very sensible to go as Major Aux lands wife. He would help you bear sorrow as we'll as make your happt- ness complete in either circum- stance"
 Anne Huntington Tracy sat mp very straight on her chaise tongue. No one had ever dared to pry into her affairs in this way.
 What shall l tell Phillip. Nat lee?" she asked. abruptly. changing the subject
 What ever you please" answered Natlee, in a way that made Phils mother understand that she. too. considered her personal affairs in- violate.
 However. Mrs. Tracy would not be satisfied with that. She deter mined to take some message from Natlee to her boy. She asked bluntly: Do you love Phil. Natlee?'
 II thought I did once," answered the girl honestly. but now l do not know and I will not know until see him again.
 "This war, Mrs. Tracy. has made such changes not only in my life but in my outlook on life. I've got to see Wynne before ] can plan for the future. You can tell him that, if you like"
 Thus Phillip Wynne Tracy's mother and lis sweetheart. Natlee Jones. sat close and looked into each others eyes, but they were as far apart and as blind to each others thoughts as trough there were miles between them,
 Jerome Kenyon came later to take Natlee to the train, and Mrs. Tracy could not help seeing with what possessive care he helped her on with her coat and now he held her hand a second or two longer than was necessary.
 He had only eyes for her. He loved her and was already planning on making her his wife. Of Natlee's emotions Phil's mother was not so sure.
 All the way across the ocean Anne Tracy had the feeling that she was pushing the boat. So acute was this impression that her arms grew very fame with the tension in which she held them.
 "Mrs. Tracy" remarked the cap tain. who stopped beside her chair one morning so early that there was no one on deck but themselves, you must have someone on the other side that you are very impatient to see. You give me the impression that you are trying always to will the ship to go faster than can make it go under steam"
 "I think perhaps that's true, Cap tain" she answered. "I'm going over to find my boy, from whom I have not heard since week before the armistice
 "Well. you'll be in Paris tomor- row night. and 1t will be but com paratively few hours when you see him." prophesied the captain com fortably.
 Perhaps" rnurmured Anne Tracy. just above her breath. and then she hated herself that she had allowed a doubt of his safety for a moment to creep in by using that fateful word, perhaps"
 The intermirable hours at last passed and she was met in Paris by Major Aukland. who had already Ar- ranged for her rooms at the Ritz. where. after the usual delay. her baggage was sent.
 T want to go to the war office and get my passes for Coblenz im-