Show I Te Telegram J I C E A A I L C 0 CI U I I S Q C G L G A A L I B Vera Fiction J L L X V-X J JJ J VJ r rL L Brown TAPS Instalment 23 Eden Thane sat in the great hangar at March field where not so many months before she had stood on that Sunday with Gordon poking looking oking at his hii ship Today that sam same ship stood alone silent in the hangar There There- were no gay voices tod today only long rows o of chairs silence A great crowd sat quiet waiting for the service to begin For Gordon Saunders was comI coming com com- I ing lag back to March field for the las last time On either side of the hangar the enlisted men were drawn up at att t ease Suddenly in the silence there ther was a shuffle of feet Beat beat on the concrete apron outside A clatte of ot guns It was the firing tiring squad I Edens Eden's heart pounded Suddenly she was sorry SOrly she had come From the moment Eden had learned that an army array transport ship was to bring Gordon back to March field for tor that last ceremony she had wanted to goI go Is she I 1 cant can't feel he really gone pleaded when Mavis objected It uIt 1 is a good good-by to him Mavis had consulted Henderson Finally Fi Fl nall nally with some reluctance Henderson Hender l son had telephoned to Major Brewster Brew Brew- ster at San Diego and the had agreed to take Eden with them that Eden still Henderson felt lell was I Iso so little known in Hollywood that that her her herl presence at the funeral would create no comment Judith Girard would dwarf all else Because Became of the publicity and because because be be- cause all the world now knew that Judith Girard in widows widow's weeds would attend that ceremony the acting post commander had ruled that the services services ser vices were only for army men and their wives Few enough of or Gordon Gordons flying pals were there Only six of them The rest were on duty flying the government mails over the continent con d day Y and ni night ht The and Eden arrived early and took seats eeals well back When Eden walked into that hangar her steps had faltered for fora a moment There stood Gordons Gordon's ship Across the cockpit was printed Lieu Lieutenant Lieutenant tenant Gordon Saunders and the I j crown and the ring the symbol of or hit his squadron Beside the ship stan standing ing at attention were the six remaining of or icer Chic was there Eden thought there was a flicker his eye ee as she passed The audience was made up largely of or women officers officers' wives trying try try- ing not ing-not not to think that maybe some day soon oon the they too would be sitting silting inthis inthis in inthis this hangar not waiting today as they were for the appearance o of Judith Girard but for fcc a flag-draped flag coffin cotlin and the end of their own dreams If It the women were unduly eager tOda today it was not because the they had hadnot hadnot hadnot not adored the handsome me young flyIng flying fly fly- Ing Irig lieutenant But a movie queen queeni i in widows widow's weeds had the lead in today's today's to to- days day's show They knew the movie star and her herI flying I ing hu husband band had parted two days das before he crashed They knew that regardless s of or Judith Girards Girard's violent protestations to the contrary So there was an air o of in that silent waiting throng The afternoon sunshine slanted down from the skylights It threw sharp shadows over the faces of ot the officers before that silent ship Their caps hid their eyes I and Chic was glad Hortense Brewster held Edens Eden's hand in hers Ahead of them Eden could see neat numbers painted on the wall No That Is where Gordons Gordon's ship used to rest in the han ban gar Clr Eden could hear shuffling feet teet Slowly the flag draped coffin coWn was brought through the hangar door It came to rest under that number Beside it was a 1 great floral wreath The crown and the ring the squadron P insignia Eden closed her eyes She could hear Gordons Gordon's gay gny ny voice talking talking talk talk- ing ab aMut ut his hit ship If he had to go I he would have preferred to go JO this way How he had laughed at her fears for or him liim It will never get ct me if H r I ace ace- it first honey he had said But if it I dont don't see it then it-then then my numbers number's up upi He had been io so o sure And there In that bl blinding rainstorm over Ohio ord Gord Gordon n of off his course had not seen the high tension wires Eden clenched her hands to shut out the blazing picture When she opened them at last she could not see the sealed I coffin coWn for lor her tears So full was her heart that she did not hear the rustle which ran over the waiting taiting crowd when Judith Girard Girard Girard Gir Gir- ard heavily veiled came into the hangar Leaning o on Gordons Gordon's fathers father's arm the moving picture star made the most of oC the dramatic entrance The bizarre lighting slanting down from above the line of ot olive drab soldiers the winged ship with its ga gay insignia made a picture long remembered remembered remembered The funeral party were seated near the flag draped coffin The chaplains chaplains chaplain's chaplains chaplain's chap chap- lains lain's voice began Eden could hear somebody sobbing A woman Gordons Gordons Gordon's Gordons Gor dons don's mother whom she was never to know As the prayer continued Eden leaned her head on her hands as they rested on the chair in front of or her Gordon had loved her She Shedid Shedid did not hear the chaplains chaplain's words But she went over again every syllable sylla ble he had spoken on that last night It seemed a long time before the chaplains chaplain's voice ceased The sobbing continued The enlisted men standing stand ing at attention were staring straight ahead She could see that one of them was struggling to keep back the thc sobs Yes Gordon had always in inspired ip loyalty Every mechanic in inthe Inthe inthe the hangar had adored him Shuffling feet Major Brewster warned her It was the firing squad The eight men and noncommissioned officers marched to the hangar door There was the click of ot loading guns Firel Fire Three volleys Eden clenched her hands This was the end of ot things for her herl The echo of of those those- shoots I ts died down In the silent hangar high and clear sudden sounded the notes of a bugler Rising higher higner the notes tore at her heart soaring up down Then the farewell died awa away It left and clear suddenly sounded the notes the distant end of ot the the hangar came the answer as another bugler busIer caught up the heartbreak Eden could he hear r Gordons Gordon's voice saying My numbers number's up hone honey Slow tears dimmed her eyes so soth th that t she could no nn longer see the flag lag draped casket the flowers the uni uni- forms The last note of that answerIng answerIng answering answer- answer Ing bugler died away like a sob It was over A sigh of relief ran over O the gathered throng And Judith Girard made a triumphant exit Gordon was to be buried in San Francisco high up over the harbor where a monument would look loo out outto outto outto to sea It Il had been en his fathers father's wish for Gordon had wanted to go to the Orient He had loved the Pacific And his comrades were to pilot him himon himon himon on that last flight The monument the newspapers said was to be a giant beacon to make safer the flight of ot men winging t. t their ir way over that fog foe bound city With a sil silent nt little prayer Eden Thane said goodbye to Gordon Then she followed the out into the bright California sunshine Outside Out Out- side she found Henderson waiting in his car The were to r remain at the post all night and Henderson Henderson Hen Hen- derson had come to take her back She had not known but she was glad to see him glad to say goodbye to the although they had been so kind They were no longer of her world and she felt strange with them On that ride Jack back Eden Thane felt healed by the bright sun sun Life would be different now without Gordon She was facing it it her courage courage cour cour- age had come back and she was glad to March field The she had gone up brought her heza a measure meas meas- feel feeling n of ot finality ure of peace Henderson talked and did not seem to notice that she did not listen Only once did he refer to what had hap hop happened and then only indirectly f Thank God you ou have your work That night Henderson and Maws Mavis discussed Edens Eden's future She cant can't go JO back to that apartment apart apart- worst worst- thing I 1 ever eyer er ment It is the saw v lot lol of cheap houses down Ul I I own a that way Some of them are empty could They rent for so little that she afford one an idea And the attic At here M Is full of ot furniture I know Wentworth Wentworth Wentworth Went- Went worth could dig up enough stuff to to fix up three or four rooms I 1 think it should be done rI right ht Something away Henderson said to occupy her mind Ill I'll have my agent pick out one tomorrow Ge Get Wentworth bus busy There were stacks of at furniture left when we did over thi this place iQ in neo classic Shell She'll start first thing thin inthe inthe in inthe the morning C That is how a few days day later Eden Eden Thane was installed In a small bungalow bungalow bunga bunga- low in a a. a modest neighborhood There was furniture and enough to spare and Eden was overjoyed at her new home Henderson insisted that she buy a second hand car You cant can't spend hours riding the buses back and forth to the studio It is too tiring You need all aU the rest you can get He looked at Edens Eden's face so much thinner and sharper than In the old days But it had character a finely chiseled beauty it had lacked then It was today a distinguished face and that eager listening was intensified intensified in and yet refined If I can ever repay you youl You can can can-by by succeeding with your life lite I If I can You know you can can and and If It you succeed it will be nothing common Eden too felt that she Would succeed sue suc although she would not have admitted It to anybody even to Hen Hen- derson But they But they had a queer silent understanding g about this thing which they both knew Eden Thane possessed possessed pos pea In the days which followed her re removal removal removal re- re moval into the little bungalow of ot four rooms Eden worked night and day Nothing was too much time or trou trou- ble Nights when she got home from her sessions with Pemberton n if the sun had not gone sone down she would spend an hour in the tin tiny yard ard about her house That was her onI only recreation She liked looking over at the beautiful gardens of ot her more prosperous neighbors on the next street One such evening as she sat under the small arbor she was startled to see two shining eyes peering at her I through the fence It was a little girl Sirl with a mass of yellow hair Eden spoke to the child and she ran away frightened To be continued o tomorrow orrow |