The Washington times., 1931-02-23
NOlU Go On With the StOry

ously. "I thought you'd be
happier served up here in my
special room than anywhere
else"
II was happy" said Mary
Lou, shyly, "and everything was
lovely. But 1 do feel I am i'm
posing"
mo" said Mrs. Lorrimer,
quickly, "it is we who are i'm
posing on you. I must tell
you. She stopped, looked down,
and picked up the picture Of
her son. Mary Lou flushed.
took it down from the
bookcase" she stammered.
That's Travers," said his
mother, gravely, "aS he used to
be. You have seen him now.
AS I told you, he is organically
sound; he has simply lost all
interest in life since his return
from the war. He enlisted in
1915. at II, and stayed on in
the Royal Flying Corps service
all the way through. The sum-
mer before the Armistice he
went to London on leave and
met a girl there. Her name
was Delight Hartford, and she
was an American girl living in
London. He fell inSanely in
love with her, and, apparently,
she with him. And before he
returned to the front he mar
ried her-or so he says"
cor so he Says?" repeated
Mary Lou, amazed.
Eyes. We have been unable
to find any record of the mar
riage or any trace of the girl,
despite the work of our agents
in London. You see, shortly
after his return to France,
Travers was shot down and
taken prisoner. After the
ArmiStice, he returned home.
He had not had an actual lapse
of memory-or rather
it is difficult to explain, he did
have for a time, for he re-
membered very little while he
was. first, in the German hos
pital and later in the prison
camp. His memory seemed to
stop that last day Of his leave.
His wedding day. He was mar
ried, he told us, in the after
noon and left directly after the
ceremony to go back to the
front. Since his return home
he has recalled his journey to
the front, his few days Of SER
vice. his last flight, and his ex-
periences as a prisoner. But
he has-a fixed idea. The idea
concerns itself with the girl
we have not been able to trace.
Nothing else interests him:
nothing touches him. I have
moved heaven and earth to
find her for him. But all to
no avail"
No Records Available
"And you don't think they
were married." asked Mary
Lou, although he says SOP"
Mrs. Lorrimer made a weary
little gesture.
What am I to think?" she
asked, almost hopeleSsly. HE
says So-but there are no rec
ords."
How dreadful for him and
for you!" said Mary Lou, pre-
occupied with the thought of
this unknown girl, Lorrimer's
beloved, perhaps his wife, per-
haps thinking herself his widow.
Where was she? Had she died?
In an air raid? OF some swift
illness? Or had she forgotten
him? How could she forget?
Not, Of course, the man he was
now, a man that girl had never
seen, but the boy she had
loved, the laughing boy she had
married.
Mrs. Lorrimer turned sud-
denly. Mary Lou shrank back
against the couch cushions in
sudden anxiety. there was
something so devastating, so
nakedly imploring in the older
woman's face and tense clasp
OF her hands on Mary LOUIS
own.
Mary Lou" said Mrs. Lori
mer without ceremony. che
thinks you are that girl. He
doesn't realize. anything. so
he thinks you are she. He
doesn't seem to understand the
lapse Of time. the age she
would be now. she must have
been your age or i little
younger when he knew her.