New Britain herald., 1927-01-18

ooh, Jinl-dear old Jim Again they heard the ringing of | the bell, sounding clear on the cool night air. A moment later the whistle shrieked. The train had stopped and was moving on again. Another minute. perhaps two, and | then
 l Footsteps sounded outside. Martha Dalton looked swiftly at the girls | and caught a last glimpse of blanch- ed faces and trembling hands, and stepped to the door,
 AS she swung it open she could hear feet sounding on the porch steps. Then Prof Elwell stepped in side, dropped a suitcase on the floor and grabbed the old nurses hands. The girls had not moved from their place in the room.
 How are you, Martha?" Prof greeted cheerily. This" indicating the tall figure beside him, lis Mike Hennegan. Where's the girls? Oh, there you are" He strode over to- ward them, caught them In his arms and kissed them.
 Mike Hennegan saluted. Glad to know you," he said to Martha.
 Prof said, "Step inside. Mike, and meet the girls. Jim," he added to Rusty and Betty, lis coming right behind with Mollie. Thought I'd come in a little ahead of them to sort of pave the way"
 The twins thought they detected a false note in his cheerful tone. They acknowledged the introduc- ton to Hennegan, who stood em- barrassedly with his suitcase still clutched in one hand
 Mollie Elwell, Holding her son tightly by the hand, was standing in the doorway now. They saw, even in that first brief glimpse before running to greet her. that she was a changed Mollie. She looked ten years older; looked tired and drawn; her hair, they noted, was almost white.
 She stepped inside, followed by Jim. who still held tightly to her hand
 "Mollie and Jim are tired, girls cautioned Prof. You'll excuse them. won't you, if they want to lie down presently and rest?"
 Both girls nodded, dumbly. They moved toward Mollie, who said, "We've brought Jim, you see"
 She uttered the words in dull, ufeless tone. The girls kissed her. Rusty twinine her arms around her neck and laying her head on Mollie's shoulder.
 Betty, trembling, helped Jim re- move the light topcoat he was wear ing. She dared not look into his eyes.
 When she stepped back, Rusty had caught her hand and they stood before Jim Elwell, together.
 Timidly, both girls stepped up to him and kissed him. Then they tried to look at him as he stood quietly beneath the lights of the chandelier. He still had on his hat.
 Molie took it off. Jim's eyes fol- lowed her lifelessly.
 Rusty tried 10 keep looking at him as he stood bathed in the artificial light but her eyes had become blinded by salt tears, Betty was fumbling for Jim's hand, she noticed as through a mist.
 Wont you let me-let me-help you sit down. Jim?" Betty was saving, and Martha Dalton suddenly turned her head to shut out the pitifu sight of Betty's face. Cheer fully, she told herself, would Sahe have laid down her life if these girls could have been spared this tragic thing.
 The air in the room, it seemed to her, suddenly had become stifling. Why didn't someone else speak?'
 Why didn't somebody cry, scream, faint-do anything to break the awful spell that had gripped them all?
 Rusty was wiping here eyes with her fingers. Timidly she laid hand on Jim's coat sleeve.
 "Oh, Jim-doar old Jim-don't you know me? Can't you remember me, Jim-your little pal, Rusty? Don't you know Rusty, Jim ?'
 She heard herself murmuring the words in a flat. toneless voice, voice that seemed to be like her eyes-weighed down by an ocean of tears.
 After a moment she heard Retty's voice and noted that she, too, was fitting her tone to the somher ten sity of the room. She was still hold ing on to Jim's hand.
 Jim was looking at Rusty, his eyes devoid of expression, his lips moving 8 little. His face was as pale as the white waist worn by Martha Dalton; on the back of his head was big scar livid and ugly around which the hair had not yet grown.
 His hand hung on Betty's like