The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-08-19
Lonesome
BY RUBY DOUGLAS
g Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Services.
"XXT HAT do you suppose that girl
w is looking at?"

ton of her husband as they took
their leisurely after dinner stroll
along Riverside drive.
Frank Henderson looked at the
girl. She was standing in the green
patch of grass that lay between the
drive and the river and she kept
searching the sky as if for an air
ship.
Looks as if she expected to see
shooting-stars or some fireworks"
replied Henderson.
"She interests me. Let's sit down
here and rest" suggested Mrs. Hen
derson.
They watched the girl who stood
SHINY silhouetted against the fad
ing pink of the Western sky. She
wore an anxious and, at times, a
wlstful expression as she dropped
her eyes from their search of the
heavens. Whatever she looked for
was not to be seen.
The girl. noticeably discouraged,
was walking toward them. She
twisted the leather handle of her
bag and her step Jagged. There
were tears in her eyes which she
tried to hide when she discovered
the pair on the bench near the
drinking fountain.
ST believe she's lonesome" said
Mrs. Henderson.
"She's too pretty to be lonesome"
scoffed the man.
Helen Taylor had heard the word
lonesome at just the wrong moment.
Without quite knowing what she
said or did, she turned to the couple.
Don't you even have a moon-in
New York;" she asked, tearfully.
'Moon? Why - yes, my dear"
said Mrs. Henderson in her kindly
tone.
"We - we sort O. forget there is
one though" the man added.
perhaps you'll think I'm crazy
but, oh, I'm so terribly lonesome
that I thought I'd walk down to the
river to hunt for the moon-just
anything we have back home in
Vermont"
A quality in the girls voice went
straight to the hearts of the
strangers.
"Sit down." said Mrs. Henderson.
eve wondered what you were look
ing for"
II know I'm silly, but the calendar
said there would be a new moon on
September Is and I knew then that
should be in New York beginning
to earn my own living and I-oh,
thought it would be wonderful! How
little we appreciate home-when we
have i'll"
''How little we appreciate any,
thing, young lady," said Henderson.
Gwen your moon that you're look
, ing for. I've seen the time when I
could have danced all evening in
the moonlight and I didn't appre-
ciate it. Now I'd give my hat for
the wind and the enthusiasm"
"And the grill" interrupted his
wife.
Helen laughed. "He seems to have
the latter" she said.
"Yes-that's right" said the hus-
band, "even if we don't know when
the moon comes up" He patted his
wife's hand.
The three talked until it was dark
and as they rose to go and walked
| out to the street a car came along
the curbing.
''Well, for the love of green APP
! pies, mother" said a gay young
voice from behind the wheel. eve.
thought you and dad had eloped or
been kidnapped"
It was their son Tom.
''No-we have had an adventure
your mother and I, said Henderson
! laughing
"Tom, this is Miss Taylor, a young
woman who is strange in New
York"
The young people acknowledged
the informal introduction and in a
moment Helen found herself tucked
into the back seat with Mrs. Hem
derson and being whirled through
the cave-like streets to her board
ing place.
"Oh, I do feel so much better,
Mrs. Henderson. You were surely
sent by a kind Fate to lift me out
of my blue Depths" said Helen as
she said goodnight.
Tomorrow night at - sharp"
said Mr.. Henderson as the girl left.
They had invited her to dinner.
They had a simple dinner and
Helen noticed that Tom ate bread
with gravy on it just as her own
brother did back home. 1t was a
silly thing to notice, but Helen could
not help it.
''Now, then, if you'll hurry out to
the river Wen find that moon for
you," said Henderson after dinner.
''Not going to make Miss Taylor
take that constitutional with you,
are your" asked Tom.
GAS she likes" said the mother.
Helen got her hat and, unexpect-
edly, Tom got his. "I'll go, too, If
you don't mind" he said.
They found the baby silver moon
and Helen smiled through her tears.
cit is wonderful" she whispered,
wonderful"
And Tom knew what she meant
1,vav, 4I,oyYuI, ,,v,1 ,vranI-r I,.f.u. L.