The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-09-30

ever tells me anything, and have
to know what's going on" And she
cried desperately: ''Phil, won't
tell! They can't make me, can
they?"
He evaded answering. "Say,
you're doing a great job on grand
mother, Barb" he said. "You sure
ly take a load off mother and me.
OF course, we miss you at home, but
someone has to be with her. Is
she all right? Is there anything she
| wants?"
And the shot at random was sue
cessful. Eyes, there is" Barbara
remembered. ''She told me to tell
you, she wants to see Mr.. Falk-
ran!"
Phil seized oh this. 'sSure!" he
cried. 'I'll get in touch with him;
we'll take him in to see her this
afternoon. Right away"
And the enterprise at once en-
gagged them. Barbara went in town
to make her grandmother ready;
and when at half-past two Phil APP
peared with the lawyer, the old
woman received him in state, sit.
ting very erect in her great chair.
But at once she sent Phil and Bar
bara out of the room, and when
they were alone she asked Falkran
questions, watched him, studied
him.
He suggested at last, "You
haven't been to see Mr.. Sentry"
"No."
"He asks often for you," Falkran
told her. 81 shall be glad to tell
him I have seen you so hale and
we'll"
She eyed him shrewdly. "You
want me to 60 see him?"
II know it would-help him." he
admitted.
'Then / WILL" she promised, in a
curiously submissive tone. "The
first fine day."
"Splendid!" he said, beaming. "If
you do, Mrs. Sentry. I guarantee
everything else"
Old Mrs. Sentry tried to carry
out her promise to see her son.
"But shall want to be with Arthur
Alone" she said, then added: "Yet
I'd like for you-for all of you-to
ride down with me, wait for me
outside. My courage is good, but
I'm not as strong as used to be-"
They waited for a fair day, but
that winter in Boston was bitter
one. Not till the first week of Feb
ruary, on the eve of the approach
ing trial, did the season serve. Then
came a day when spring seemed
just around the corner, and the sun
shone warm. Old Eli brought the
ancient limousine. Barbara and the
nurse helped Mrs. Sentry dress;
Phil and Barbara steadied her to
the elevator and down and into the
car. She sat between Barbara and
Mrs. Sentry, Phil on the small tip
up seat in front of them. They
drove through scant mid-afternoon
traffic to the jail; and the old wom-
ans cheeks shone bright and bright
er, flushed and hot, and Barbara
saw pulse pound in her thin throat.
But she could not, when the time
came, go in. AS the car stopped,
she collapsed suddenly, not falling,
not even toppling sidewise, but just
shrinking down into herself so that
she was small. Even their unframed
eyes saw that she was ill; that this
was not faint-heartedness. In sud-
den terror, uncertain what to do,
Phil and Barbara stammered and
fumbled; but Mrs. Sentry said
steadily:
well have to take her home. 1t
was too much for her."
They all stayed in town that night
with her; for the doctor had fore
warned them. Once the old woman
spoke, in a surprisingly strong
voice. She said:
sTell Arthur / loved him." And
she added, with no irony in her
tones, Sand tell Mr.. Falkran I hope
he can use-this-just as well.''
Her death, toward dawn, made
headlines. ''Sentry's Mother Strick-
en- at JAIL" said the morning pa
per. ''Mrs. Sentry Dead on Eve of
Trial." said the afternoon editions.
Her funeral occurred on Saturday,
two days before the trial was to be-
gin. The brief and premature warm
spell had ended in a blizzard that
clogged traffic. They followed her
to the cemetery between banked
walls of snow.
(TO BE CONTINUED)