The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-10-12
NIX WZkHZE
r1.sSs,s .sSar CO.'S NIX !
w.N.u. RELEASE

| ncnl poSk eo Winch ic ana Lle OIner
Motor Mechanics School Graduates
were to be sent wouldn't be ready
TO receive them for this length oi
time. He could, If he wished, re-
turn home at his own expense.
He sent Amy telegram and then
boarded a train.
Amy was at the station to meet
him. At first they just stared at
each other without being able to do
anything else. II was an awkward
moment. Then Amy cried. 'Oh.
Wilbert, I didn't think I would ever
see you againl"
They embraced. He felt clumsy
when he kissed her. II was almost
as strange coming back to her as
it was leaving her.
why" said Amy, 'I hardly know
you" She seemed surprised. She
touched the buttons of his uniform.
How are your" he asked.
"I'm fine" She examined him
again in some admiration. at nev-
er thought you'd look like that in a
uniform. And your stomach-it's
gone. You'll have to have your pic
ture taken"
WELL" he asked again, "how are
you, Amy?"
"I'm fine," she repeated.
They stood on the railroad station
platform in that state of minor en-
barrassment when first greetings
are over and they had to proceed
from there. To fill the gap he asked,
where's Penelope?"
Mrs. Wrinkle, as they walked to
the car, explained that she hadn't
, brought Penelope. She wanted to
have him all to herself at first, She
hadn't even told the neighbors that
he was coming, and wouldn't un-
til tomorrow.
Mr.. Winkle drove, for the novelty
of feeling a regular car under his
hands. 1t seemed light and danger
Gus after the trucks and command
cars with which he had dealt lately
in his field training.
He sensed Amy looking at him.
you've put on weight" She
spoke in an aggrieved tone.
81 wrote you about it," he re-
minded.
"At least ten pounds"
"Twelve and a half"
"You never did that before" She
sounded still more hurt. mo mat
ter how much I fed you"
ut isn't the cooking" he assured
her. "It's the exercise and being
outdoors that makes you eat more"
Though he knew she felt better
after he said this, restraint re-
mained between them. They found
they could not at once, and easily,
take up where they left off. The
months in between, during which
each had had another life, interfered
and came between them. They had
to get to know each other all over
again.
Mr.. Wrinkle sensed her staring at
him anew, in a different way. He
glanced at her, and saw that her
gaze was contemplative, searching,
little suspicious.
He feared that she was reverting
to being termagant, and that the
effects of his suddenly being made
into soldier were wearing of. He
supposed he couldn't be sure about
that until after the war and he re-
turned, if he did, to his regular life.
"Wilbert," she asked, "did you see
any women?"
II told you I'd send you a post
card when | found somebody else"
he said. "You didn't get one, did
your"
NO" she admitted slowly. She
sat staring at him and he turned to
look her for an instant straight in
the eye. I'm glad I didn't" she
told him in low voice.
Mr.. Wrinkle was happy when she
dropped the subject.
1t was his turn to feel hurt when
they reached the house and sneaked
inside so none of the neighbors would
see him.
Penelope, instead of greeting him
joyously, as would have been ex-
pected, scrunched down on the floor.
growing and barking, and glaring
at him with disapprovaL Mrs. Win
kle scolded her, but 1t made no inn
preston. Even when Mr.. Winkle
spoke to her coaxingly and let her
sniff his hand, she wouldn't accept
him or have anything to do with
him. So far as Penelope was con-
cerned, he was stranger In his
own house.
This distressing welcome made
him think he must have even q diff
ferent smell as a military man. Per-
haps there was actually something
to that. He understood dogs could
sense fear in another animal, that
it was one of their keenest instincts.
Penelope was applying II to him,
shifting at the mouse in him.
Amy believed it was simply his
uniform. "She won't know you un-
til you've taken it off,"
It was barely daylight when he
awakened. He expected to hear the
hustle of many men moving and
cursing and the bugle tootling its
dreadful call. He listened, not quite
sure of where he was. He heard
Amy's light breathing. He looked
at his watch. It was exactly 5:45.
He tried to go back to sleep again.
This was the morning of his king
ship.
But the king couldn't sleep any
more. Harsh habit interfered. re-