The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-10
CHAPTER

The news in the paper which hat
upset Linda was not particular.
important to many of the peopl
who read it. But to Linda it was a
though the earth had ended sud
denly, had ended and left her out
side in a confusion of dark clouds
The bridge which Robert wa
building, the one which he hae
said was being erected where ;
bridge really had no right to be
had gone down. One end had given
sharply and suddenly.
A list of the names of men who
were missing was given.
Among them was Roberts.
In that moment, sweet and fierce
and terrible, Linda realized thai
when a woman loved a man She
had no place but by his side. If ne
did not want her there she must &C
forever lonely. Or if she found out
too late
But no, that couldn't be. She for
got Billie Ann as though the girl
with the airplane never had come
sailing down from the sky.
Why she was going, Linda die
not stop to consider. She found her
slim black suit, a blouse of fluffy
rose rules, the black hat that re,
sembled a lace fan with a rose or
two tucked in its brim. Then she
put a night gown, a negligee, her
toilet articles and some underwear
and a sheer chiffon frock scattered
with roses, in her bag.
She was going to Robert.
At Grand Central station she dis
covered that no trains left until
two in the morning. She asked
about planes, but the spot where
the bridge was being built, while
important to transportation, did not
merit an aviation field.
She checked her bag, went out
on the street, and hunted for a
news reel theater. She paid her
quarter and sat in the dark, watch
ing for the hands of the illuminated
clock to reach the hour when she
could go to the train. It came at
last, and she slipped out, located
her bag and went down the ramp
to the train.
1t was a slow-moving affair,
stopping at every station for milk
cans and mail bags, and Linda sat
tense and worried, waiting. She
dozed at last, but didn't know it
until she came to sudden attention
because the conductor was shak-
ing her.
Were here, Miss" he said kind
ly. Bad rainy night. Sure you got
a place to go?"
"Oh, yes" she breathed. A place
to go? None at all, unless she
found Robert. Not even then did
she remember the girl who had
flown to take him away.
1t was dreary on the station
platform. Dawn a coming, sick
ly and pale, and a crowd of re-
porters and newsreel men, photog-
raphers and inspectors milled
around. Someone recognized Linda.
A man addressed her. Say,
aren't you Miss Avery, the Linda
Avery who was involved in the
Nina Nevins case? The one who
will be a chief witness soon?"
my name is Linda Avery" she
answered, looking through the gray
darkness and hearing the weary
rhythm of old, cold rain. Where
was Robert? How could she get to
him?"
STAND still, Miss Avery. We
want a Closeup" the man went
on. Flashlights clicked and Linda
turned her head quickly.
What are you doing up here?"
her inquisitor went on.
Linda did not answer that ques-
ton. Instead she slipped away, in
to rain and fog and dawn coming
slowly. There was an old car chug-
ging nearby and she approached
the driver.
Gould you take me out to the
bridge-I mean the town where the
bridge went down? Where the
the men were lost?"
The man eyed her shrewdly.
"What do you want to go out there
for?"
because I love a man and they
say he's out there, somewhere,
lost. Because I have to find him if
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