The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-02
Q SERIAL STORY
 OF BRIGHTNESS GONE
COPYRIGHT. IeA& NEA SERVICE. ING.

open car with her prlghC curAS p4oW- ing or sitting outside the hospital in 1t waiting for her f1ance. pr. Corbv. The curls were matted now, the young face smeared with tears and dirt and discolored by an ugly forehead bruise, the eyes that Cam dace had seen crinkled with laugh ter were bruised and diScolored too.
 Blue, those eyes, blue as Sml- ing inland lake, but clouded now with a grief too terrible to be borne, a wild look, a lost look. Candace had seen look like that once be- fore. in eyes that had stared back at her from a mirror in a lonely hotel bedroom; the pansy-dark eyes of another girl who had lost Mar tin a long, long time ago. In swift remembering pity she bent to touch the girls strain1ng hand.
 Faith clutched at her fingers, searching her face with a fierce hunger. Nurse, did he-did he say anything?"
 The way of Martins going had left the other girl with fostering core of bitterness; for her sake this should be a clean wound, one that would heal Candace lied gently, He asked for someone named Faith. He said, Tell Faith I love her"
 She turned swiftly, made blind ly for the door. Peter would cover her, he would know she couldn't stand any more.
 He was at the doorway as she reached it. "Candace," he said. His voice was warm, and compassionate. For dizzying instant she fought with longing to clutch as that girl had done.
 The moment passed. Pity! She hardened herself. She wanted no ones pity. She said bitterly, "Your perfect machine in operation, Doc tor. The patients condition special in the way of treatment and your machine trctted it out.' , His own expression hardened. Perfect machines don't break down in the middle of job"
 Peter worked with one eye on her and another on the clock. He watched Cardace moving about obeying orders as in daze, and : he was grateful for the confusion l that would keep anyone from mo- , ticing that or his own distraction r He dreaded the blank moment that l would come after the Hartshorne ? girl had been moved upstairs. Dr. Patterson had been sum- moned, other staff m e m b e r: swarmed about; he hoped that the g confusion would last until the nurse :. who was to relieve Candace, anC e his own relief, had come. He wa! d almost prayerfully thankful wher q the two turned up practically sl II multaneously and they were at las 1 free to do. a He threw his topcoat about hi t shoulders and waited to catch Can
 dace at the outside door througl
 which she must pass. He graspe' j. her elbow and steered her tirmE T past the nurses home, down tn path to the road. If she was feel I ing even remotely as he htmsel
 felt she wanted to run, she wante
 to scream, to release all the emo | tions pent up inside her., It woul | be better to walk heFN Walk he | until bodily exhaustion matche
 that of mind and nerves.
 
 a They were walking for an hot y before he felt her pace slackel " falter. Wordlessly he turned h'
 about and started back.
 E. At the door of the nurses hon g. he held her hands in his. "CaI 1T dace, want to tell you: I let ye h in for this, and I'm sorry. askt
 Patterson to fix it SO you'd wol
 with me because I knew that v
 wanted to run away from me, fro
 everything. And I didn't wa
 that. I didn't think 1t would
 good for you. I wanted you to stai
 and face things. Now I'm not su
 I did right"
 She looked up at him duly. 9Th
 isn't true. let myself Tn
 everything. from the beginning
 She added questioningly, "The gil
 What of her?"
 "There's a slight eoucussion, !
 no skull fracture. Multiple co = tusions and abrasions elsewh'
 but no fracture by x-ray. Tn. nd may be some internal injury, le- too soon to know definitely ab' Ter that, and she's badly in shock en course: but as far as ! can ten ns ou she should be ail right" Ills c' ,n eern wasn't for her. it was all sT Candace. You'll be wanting to ',,. away now. I imagine7" 'M She said with weary surpr v, sWhy now. more than before4 sip thls-this loslng Martin" she sl
 stifI Tipped, "that really happel snI e long time ago for me. Tonigf