The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-05-20
SHINING PALACE


| perhaps we'd better 60 right
| back" gasped Nora. "The wind is
certainly getting worse. 1t wouldn't
surprise me if it stormed again."
"Me, either; but you're complete
ly out of breath, dear. Let's get
inside and rest for a few minutes.
It'll be easier going home with the
wind at our backs, you know. We
can sit in the last row, Nora, and
slip out any time we're bored. You
need to rest after that fight with
the elements"
This was sane logic, so they went
inside.
Looks as if all the Riddles of the
neighborhood had come in out of the
Storm" Don whispered as their
eyes grew accustomed to the dim
ness. why didn't we think to bring
the boys?"
Nora smiled. Don always regret
ted his sons absence when other
children we're in evidence. She said,
softly: They're better off where
they are. There's such a crowd,
and the air is terrible. Why!-Why
what"
Her voice rose little. Her head
lifted. Later Nora was to remem-
Der that she had thought herself ill
because the whole building seemed
to tremble and the roof looked as
if it were crumbling up, slowly.
The most curious sensation, a sort
of chill, ran over her-all in a Sec
ond, of course, for Don was already
on his feet, holding her wrist in a
grip that tortured. Just as they
reached the lobby the crash came.
And then a cry went up behind
them-a cry that was to ring in
Nora's ears for months. 1t sound
ed, she thought, like an awful and
terrifying wave of protest from a
single throat
They were in the street AL
ready a throng of morbid onlookers
had gathered People (Oh,
fortunate peopleN were pouring out
of the doomed theater Po-
licemen, dozens of them, it seemed
to Nora, sprang up like magic
Firemen were there, trying to rope
off space. pushing them back.
It was then that Don, who had
been stunned into a Mortified ST.
lence, reused himself with convul-
sive shudder. He turned to Nora
looked down into her upturned face
stared into it so curiously that
she grasped his arm, crying:
"Oh, thank God we are safe, Don!"
And still he looked at her
An ambulance gong sounded
Somewhere beyond the rope wom-
an screamed A man pushed
by them, wild-eyed, dishevelled :.
Above the tumult child's terrified
voice cried out: Mother! Where's
my mother?" :.
Don said, still staring down with
that extraordinary gravity: "But !
must 60 back, Nora. Those children
They might be ours I've
got to help a. You must 60 home
now, darling. Go home to the little
boys. They need you Don't you
see that-that have got to help?"
Before she could say one word,
he stooped-kissed her-was gone,
eluding the quick grasp OF fire.
Mountaineering the shout of protest
from another. Those feet, those
buoyant feet which had borne Don
so joyously on his adventures, were
bearing him now on still another,
bearing him swiftly, swiftly, lest
they falter
Nora was standing there three
hours later when they brought him
out. Three hours of horror-three
hours of numbing cold-three hours
of torment. He was the last to
come, his broken body carried ten
derby by two firemen. Nora, close
to the ropes, cried out at sight of
him: "Don! Dearestl I'm waiting
for you. II am here, Don!"
ITO BE CONTINUED