All-Story Weekly, March 1, 1919 — page 94: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

her ‘visitor. she said. it firmly for a moment. eee ee ea ox Seas —- Her lips were tremulous, at- testing the agony in her soul, but courage was in her voice as she spoke. “Vou are right, my dear, good friend,” “There is no way out—no hon- orable way.” Colonel Gray grasped her hand and held “Now I can go ee to Jefferson and talk to him,” he said. i a = ~ = ie —_ =<" gel from the room—to the nurse waiting And with a final admonition to say noth- ing of his visit to her husband, he hurried off. Colonel Gray’s fears regarding Jefier- son’s course of action proved groundless. _ Wefferson had forestalled him. He had al- = -eady made application at Governors Is- Jand to join the officers’ training corps, and was fired with new enthusiasm when ‘Gray arrived at his office. “T haven’t enlisted as a private,” he ex- plained, “ because I think I can be of great- er use as an officer.” Colonel Gray concurred heartily, and left the younger man without mentioning his call upon Helen. Jefferson must believe Helen’s support of her husband in doing his duty was wholly spontaneous. Junior was wildly excited that evening a when Jefferson came home to learn that his daddy was indeed going to be a soldier and fight for Uncle Sam. Helen was sweetly proud of her brave man, who—(above draft age and with exemption from even a moral obligation in view of his wife and child)—-had seen in his country’s need a duty that transcended all else. She did not mention Gray’s visit. Jef- ferson might misconstrue it. As a matter of fact, she was certain her own patriotism “needed none of Colonel Gray’s nursing. After dinner Jefferson and Helen went in Z ~ to the library. Junior followed a moment later, his father’s cane for a musket, full of war. = Jefferson started to strike a*match, and as he did so his eye was caught by the 3 - wide, red cigar-band in. the ash- -tray. He Be a picked it up, and looked at the Gray crest. = Pee he looked at Helen. ~ Slowly he held up the band for her to see. Her eyes widened ever so little. Sud- denly she took Junior’s hand and led him ” 2 ——— i= ine = — = Se eS 2 = = Se ; a ar ae STORY. | WEEKLY. in the hall. band. It was so supid of her not to have told Jefferson immediately. It made it all the more embarrassing now to have to explain her reason for not wishing to tell him that Colonel Gray had come to persuade her not to show the white feather. But she did ex- plain, and bravely. ‘“Surely,” said Jefferson when she fin- ished, “‘ there is no need for even such well- intended deception—between us.” But when he saw how pitifully sorry she was, he took her in his arms and kissed her. Jefferson was big and broad and full of understanding. Colonel Gray was at his office early the next morning, but Mary Lawrence was Then she returned to her hus- there before him. As he let himself in by the private entrance, he was somewhat sur- prised to fmd his private secretary poring over the morning newspaper on his desk. She looked up as he entered—an expres- sion of fearful anxiety in her eyes—and timidly approached him, the paper in her hand. She held it out to him, her finger pointing to a big head-line. He glanced at it and saw it was the an- nouncement: of the approaching departure of his regiment for its cantonment, and the prophecy that it would be among the first to take ship for France. He looked down at Mary Lawrence again, questioningly. She asked in @ thin little voice if it meant that he was really going to war. The note in her voice caused Gray to evince open astonishment. “ “Ves, of course,” he said. “ Why do you ask?” 3 For reply, Mary Lawrence suddenly threw herself into a chair beside the big, flat-topped desk and burst into a paroxysm of weeping. Sees Gray stared at her in dumb amazement. In a moment the pathetic little figure re- gained control of itself, and sat straight in the chair. Another moment, and _ she jumped to her feet and ran out of the office without so much as a glance at her em- ployer. = In the locker room she put on her hat and coat, her little frame shaken with S008: = Then she hurried away. to ot => - ™-