The times-news., 1938-05-20
TRIAL FLIGHT
BY ADELAIDE HUMPHRiEs COPYRIGHT 81 ssA sea"es INC

Ito match his wonderful courage
be worthy of him. For now, TINS
Jackie who had grown up, Khe"
that she would be content Just u
spend all the rest of her HE III
loving Roger, belonging TO NM
! She no longer wanted to do some,
thing big and important III itseii
her old cry and protest. just
loving Roger would be big enougn
to fiji all her days. That was ali
she wanted from life now.
The plane was beginning TO
nose down; the lovely clouds had
drifted away. The green earth
with its hiIts and valleys, its tiny
villages and rivers-and there IN
the distance, putting along IN aD-
s,ird miniature, a toy traln-waS
spread out. like symmetricat'
map ~ .,SS- ~;
: They were to land at kyler-
town. Jackie found that Mr.. Scott
had wired ahead for q car to De
on hand TO meet the nlanea ana 10
take her the rest of the way. IN
a short while now she would be at
Rogers side. Another wire had
made reservation for her at the
closest hotel; her baggage could
be taken there, but she would not
lose even that much time, but
would go direct to the hospital.
This last part of the journey
was the most tedious. 1t seemed
to Jackie now that she was SO
near her journeys end, it would
never really, come. The minutes
dragged by painful degrees, de-
laying progress. Anxiety rose in
her heart once more:s so that: she
was filled with a feverish impa-
tienee, her whole self actually
trembling perceptibly.
But all journeys must have an
ending. This one came at last.
Jackie went up the steps that led
to the hospital, opened the heavy
door. At the receptionist's desk
she gave her name, asked If she
might see Roger rs soon as pos
sible. : e..
"If you'll sit down and wait a
few minutes" the young woman
at the desk said, with a brisk,
efficient smile, "i,ll see." She led
the way into the waiting room.
Oh, didn't she know that each
added minute was an eternity!
This eternity, too, came to an
end, A stiffly starched.s nurse bore
down on Jackie, indicating with a
nod of her head, that Jackie was
to follow her. eve were expect
ing yoa," She said. ; 80. y.
Apparently Mr.. Scott had not
overlooked anything. Jackie won
dered how he had managed to ac-
eompfish so much within such"a
short while. ar,
The, hospital was shrouded' in
that muffled silence that somehow
always seems more STILL, more
ominous than any other silence,
the long narrow corridors were
empty and silent, too, save for
mutfled noises, lowered tones,
that same mysteriously, one knew
not how; near tragedy, from be-
hind the closed doors. The strong
sickly-sweet odor. of disinfectant
hung heavy on the air. :.
Before such a{door. the nurse
finally paused, She turned, before
opening it.. 81 must warn you,"
she cautioned in a low monotone,
mot to excite our patient. This
is the first day he has been him
self. You must be very, careful"
"0h, | promise. -. I'll be very
careful, indeedw Jackie returned.
But when the. door was opened
and she caught her first glimpse
of Roger, lying so quiet and white
in the high narrow bed, his head
swathed in, bandages, his eyes
closed, it was not so easy to keen
her word. She wanted. to cry out
his name, to run to him, throw
herself on her knees down by his
side. ...
1t took all the. self control she
could summon to walk quietly
across. that little room, to lean
down, to murmur his name.
Roger it's Jackie. ! I've
come to see you" -
She saw his. eyelids flutter open,
recognition dawn slowly in them,
his lips twist in an attempt Ito
smile. He looked so unlike the
Roger she once knew, gay, laugh
ing, strong and brown and vital.
that shocked despair seized her.
filling her with an enormous pity.
The taste of salt was strong on
her lips.
She turned away for moment
. :, she must get hold of herself
she must be brave ;. -:
1t was only then, that she saw
that another woman was IN the
room = Beryl Melrose, steppino
/ beside her, slipping an arm
around her waist. x
5, Ito Be Continued)