Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-07-03
"THE
LONG
ARM"
g g
BY FANNIE HURST

THE long arm of coincidence
pokes its way into human des-
Il tinies and does strange things
There Is something always lit
tie unconvincing about story based
on the uncertain sands of coincidence,
yet life is filled on all sides with
striking examples of such circum-
stances.
Coincidence undoubtedly played a
major role in the lives and destlnies
OF old Colonel Harbor, his son Ray
mond and a lively young woman
named Shirley Lang.
When Shirley was twenty-five, mar
ried to young engineer named Rob-
ert Lang, and living with him in q
small city in Pennsylvania, she took a
short trip to a nearby resort known
as Browns Glen, there to recuperate
from stubborn attack of influenza
that had laid her low. It was only
fifty miles from her home, so her hus-
band ran down to spend the first week
end with her, and appeared there the
second weekend to take her home.
They were a quiet pair of weeks
and attuned to Shirley's mood which
was one of relaxation and a sense of
slowly gathering strength in the Pc
Rod Of her recuperation.
Even before her marriage Shirley
had shown a prediction for the COM
pany Of old people. She liked them.
She was an intelligent, level-headed
girl, and the wisdom and repose and
mellow experiences of older people in
terested her. At parties she could u.s.
ually be found talking to the mothers
and grandmothers Of her own genera
ton. This characteristic endeared
Shirley to people. Both young and
old admired her for 1t.
1t was therefore true to form that
on her visit to Browns Glen Shirley
Lang should meet and become interest
ed In the gentle and sagacious per-
sonality of old Colonel Harbor. He
was not really colonel. The title
had fallen on him because of the fine
white-hared dignity of his bearing.
He was Il retired business man from
Ithaca, and was also at Browns Glen
for the benign purpose Of regaining
his strength after an illness.
Like most old people, he took an
immediate fancy to Shirley Lang. She
did not treat him with the usual kind
of Difference that ground into his con-
seriousness the fact that age had shunt-
ed him to life's sldelines. Shirley
Lang met older people with Difference
and yet without the broad kind of rev.
erence that makes youth so often self
conscious In its treatment of old age.
TO Shirley, Colonel Harbor was a mel
low, interesting, witty old gentleman
with funds of experiences growing
out of full lifetime, and wisdom
that comes with intelligent maturity.
They became great friends. They
sat together on the sunny edge of the
veranda, walked through the quiet old
park surrounding the hotel, took mo.
tor excursions together and In the eve
ming played cribbage or gathered a
foursome for bridge. A real friend
ship sprang up between these two.
When Shirley's husband came down
we, X ends, she showed him off proud
ly to the old gentleman and he In turn
never tired of taking her into the con-
iidence of his own story. The story
Of the wife who had died serving him
was one that Shirley asked to hear
again and again. There was one son,
young business man of about thirty
two who had married a few months
before. His choice had been q bit
staggering to the old colonel at first.
The girl had been dancer in q mu-
steal revue. But he reconciled him.
self by now, and sometimes showed
Shirley the quaint, fullsome sagacious
letters he had written to his son and
daughterin-law.
1t was with real regret that the old
colonel and young Shirley saw the
placid weeks at Browns Glen come
to an end. With the true spirit of the
travellers Of all times and all places.
they exchanged VOWS to continue the
relationship, to keep alive the friend
ship. and to correspond.
Unfortunately. these well-meant In
tcntions were never to be carried out
beyond the two weeks following the
visit Of the new-made friends to
Browns Glen. True to their promise.
one letter was exchanged between
them Immediately after their return
to their respective homes. When no
reply came to her second, Shirley, aft
er wait Of considerable interval,
wrote timid postcard reminding the
old gentleman OF his promise. A reply
came In a short note from woman
who signed herself Deborah Harbor.
sister Of the colonel. The old gentle
man had died In his sleep, two weeks
after his return home from Browns
Glen.
SO much for the rather wistful little
incident Of this friendship between an
old gentleman and young girl which
had taken place during pair of weeks
in quiet old country spot among the
foothills Of Pennsylvania.
The long arm of coincidence, its
moving finger seeming to write, now
swings through time and space.
Ten years later. q trim, capable.
alert-eyed woman In her early thlrtIes
Is seated In restaurant in a busy
business section Of New York city.
with another alert young
GOlgrn q. he" me type They are
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