Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-07-21


that premature baby would be prob
ably retarded in development in many
ways, at least up until 5 years old.
She had voiced this fear to the pleas
ant neighbor whose clothesline was
on speaking terms with that of the
small apartment which Linda had
taken after she was alone alone with
her delicate child.
"Pshaw!" Mrs. Blauer had exclaim-
ed when Linda recited her fears. "This
modern parent talk is all hobblety-
goble. He's as fine and husky a boy
as ever saw. If I do say it, he's
much brighter for his age than even
my own Henry and Phil"
It was Mrs. Blauer, too, who had
started Linda on her new career, vol
unteering to keep young Mickey dur
ing the day while Linda studied at
first and, later, while she worked. An
old practical nurse, Mrs. Blauer had
suggested that Linda, already regis
tered nurse, study stenography to
qualify for an office assistants job
with a doctor.
When she had finished her course,
Linda went directly to DR.. Thorpe,
her old anatomy instructor at the uni
versity.
CDR. Thorpe" Linda had said, "I'm
bac tko earth. I'm not stewardess
any more. 7 am qualified as nurse
and also as a secrtary. I want to
work; I have to-for my baby and
myself"
DR.. Thorpe gave her job.
Linda had much for which to thank
Janice Marberry, too. She had taken
an instant liking to Janice on that day
they first met in the insurance office
in. Titan Tower. 1t was Janice, and
her roommate, Josephine Monroe, the
tall, willowy sophisticate who was
such a strange contrast to little Janice
who had seen to it that Linda moved
to the same building where they shar-
ed an apartment.
i Janice and 10 would be dashing in
any minute now, eager for details of
all the thrilling events of the after
noon. She'd tell them about the &C
cident, all right, Linda resolved, but
should she go on from there?
Should she tell the girls about little
Linda being knocked for loop again
by something that looked like love
Maybe they'd know something about
DR.. Blaine, she reasoned; they had
, worked in the building longer than
Linda.
Finally she compromised with her.
? self. She'd tell them, but casually
] with no show of excitement-and ask
r indifferently if they knew the young
man. That would do it.
t This problem decided, Linda's mine
d flew back to the dream from which
: Mrs. Blauer had awakened her-th'
dream and the mental turmoil which
0 occasioned it.
!, The fog part was natural. Ever!
: bad dream she had experienced in tn
r past two years had it's events set a
gainst backdrop of fog. Fog T..
k and falling. That fixation, subcon
d scious though it was, went back again
a to Mike and tragic night -.
g Linda had flown through the fol
many times, experiencing no fear at
e ter the first tension of the neophyt'
h flier upon seeing the ship dip int
/ cottony vapor which looked as thicl
r as the inside of a mattress. She new
: er failed to get thrill during the frs
Y moments, when the red and greer
Y lights on port and starboard wings
normally almost invisible from tn
:, cabin, dyed the fog on either side O.
t the plane, spreading ruby and emerald
: glow as far as one could see on eithe
side.
o It wasn't foggy at the airport tina
), night Mike took off on a new trip
;; There was an unlimited ceiling, top
= ped by a frosting of stars. Linda
r feeling a strange uneasiness whicl
was something more than the miser
u able way she felt anyway, watched
d the takeoff.
q Odd, show she could remember eacl
insignificant, unrelated detail, now
d years later.
e She recalled Tex King, the pilo
and one of the lines crack veterans
Y nodding at his co-pilot and winkins
t at Linda:
"I'll take care of sonny-boy for you
I" ma'am, and see that he behaves il
: Salt Lake."
r She remembered wondering, as tn
f big silver bird roared off the grount
u and into the night, if Mike still oh
served their IL o'clock custom. I
Y was a sort of rite with them.
During those first halcyon days O.