The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-10-01
fContinued from page q


i3ir stood high in the councils OF
the capitol. Bio tn government
heads and newspapers were con
cerned over the accident.
Rv Tuesday evening the rea
strain was over. With patience
and careful nursing, the doctor:
saTeed, all three would pull
through nicely. 1t was then thai
John felt free to go home Il
he said. FLORENCE doesn't neec
me any longer, Mother. You'll sta!
Of course. I think I'll catch
night train out"
He was needed at the factory
but that was not his first con
Germ. He wanted desperately tc
see Ruth. Some foreboding, some
inner uneasiness was clutching a.
him now that he had not time t.
stop and thinf. His note to ex'
plain his departure had been 81
Short. Too frail a cord to holt
her, in case she should decide tc
leave. He could not remember
what he had written to Ruth
that concerned just himself and
her except, wait for mem He re,
membered writing that command
-os was it a plea?-with boy
ishly desperate intensity Sup
pose old Bertha Gibbs had forgot
ten to give her the note?
That thought drove him to send
a telegram Immediately:
FAMILY BETTER LEAVING
HERE TONIGHT. MUST SEE
YOU WEDNESDAY MORNING
DEVOTEDLY JOHN"
1t vas than that ne realized ne
did not know her name There
was only one thing to do about
that, and he did it. He sent the
message to Miss Elaine Chalmers
at the Silas Hunter address or
Garfield avenue.
After the tight-lipped girl II
the wrinkled blue suit had gone
through the door Elaine Chalmers
stopped and picked up the $40 bill
which lay rejected on the floor
She put it back into her purse
mechanically. Then she went up
stairs to the room which had been
hers as a child.
The room itself did not interest
her, except as it concerned the
girl who had just been in it. Elaine
saw that the bed was freshly made
with clean linen, that the rumpled
bedding was lying in a neat little
stack in the hall. Everything in
the room was immaculate; win
dow was partly opened, the empty
waste basket stood squarely and
neatly under the desk, dresser
drawers were lined with clenly
folded paper.
Elaine Chalmers thought, "She
must have gotten up early to do
all this" Her heart smote her,
she did not know why.
In all that orderly room there
was but one discordant note. A
heap of clothes lay in wild disor-
der on a chair where they had
been hastily thrown in the last 10
minutes of the rooms occupancy.
Elaine was thinking, 81 guess |
had no right to label her bad
egg. 1t made her wild And that
remark about her father having
been killed in the Argonne! |
thought she was stealing some
more of my stuff. If it's true, it's
queer. Both our fathers killed
there"
Bertha Gibbs was hurrying up
the stairs pantingly. She came in
to the room and looked around.
Where is she?" she asked in a
whisper.
Gone" Elaine told her. "Ten
minutes ago."
Bertha repeated, Gone! Did
you see her."
"Oh, yes" answered Elaine, re-
covered from her moment of soft
ness. Didn't you hear US ex-
changing farewells in the hall?'
Nom" said Bertha, 81 didn't. "
As a matter of fact she had been
occupying herself in the kitchen
while she tried to may out her
course of action. The noise of her
own dish-clattering had cut off
the sound of the girls quietly
tense voices. Bertha was both
amazed and relieved now to find
the crisis over. -.
I'm glad she's gone for sure"
she told Elaine. "Good radiance
Of bad rubbish! When l think of
her feelin' me like she did for days
and days and aybe laughin' up
aer sleeve at me" She paused
and corrected herself thoughtful
". mo, she wouldn't laugh up
aer sleeve at anybody. She had
4 kind heart, that girl. Always
xantin' to help"
Elaine shrugged. "Let's get my
bags upstairs, Penny. Then see
about getting another servant.
You won't find me helpful at all"
Penny protested. Another serv-
ant? Mercy, no Miss Elaine. I'm
strong as an OK. 1t would rattle
ne to have another servant under
,oot."
"Oh WELL" said Elaine Grossly,
IF you won't" They got the
>ags upstairs and then hung up
he dresses and put the lingerie
md shoes and hats and innumer-
tble toilet articles int osuitable
lrawers.
While Penny went about her
BUSINESS in the house (some of it
more secret than Elaine dream
ID, the girl busted herself in
characteristic way. She made