Show iT 1 Telegram Serial Three Traveled East By Ruth Ayers CHAPTER 34 24 24 Lila Ernst had read the card until the few words on it were almost worn off Skippy arrived at Connecticut cut address O. O K J. J J. J Pat Pat- terson Nothing else No letter since from the aunts She sat up in bed In the room at the end of the hall where they'd taken her when she suffered suffered suffered suf suf- the relapse Yes Skippy had arrived safely in Connecticut cut but what had happened then What had happened when the little boy with the yellow hair and the blue eyes had walked into the house where everything was kept neat as a apin pin pin and and where here the two aunts a little older since Lila had gone away away away-a a little more erect perhaps per per- haps haps had had forgotten what it was to have someone young around my own she had tried to tell the sisters love him take him take care of him Why of course her nurse had said But now Christmas was only a week and a day away And here she was still in Mercy hospital hos hos- pital still pital-still still with the heart which hammered so hard it seemed as asIf asif asif if it would beat all life from her How could she reach Skippy by Christmas It was morning and she waited waited waited wait wait- ed for the nun Every day at this time the sister came in in inon on her way from chapel eyes chapel eyes shining shining shining shin shin- ing tranquil face aglow Im better this morning Lila told the familiar white figure figure figure fig fig- ure when her visitor appeared at the door i Christmas Chimes Ring Wedding Bells' Bells Soon The nun nodded I know you are Youre You're going to be just be-just just fine From spiritual to temporal could be only a step in this life as a a. nun in a big city hospital So the sister had clipped everything everything everything every every- thing in the papers which re related related related re- re to the marooned bus Shed She'd brought the first news story and the pictures of Skippy smiling out of a a. blanket bundle Today the news didn't concern concern concern con con- cern Skippy but was about the girl reporter Constance Daw- Daw son There was vas a picture of her such such a a. pretty girl girl and and beside her a handsome young aviator Christmas Chimes Ring Wedding Wedding Wedding Wed Wed- ding Bells was the caption over the picture She gave the clipping to Lila Ernst with the air of one who brings good tidings Lila read it perplexed trying to understand what it meant This was the girl who'd sat with Pat Patterson the Patterson the girl with whom shed she'd talked in the bus terminal Just before shed she'd keeled over She had thought a romance had sprung up between these two the girl and the redhead u. u Perhaps shed she'd been right and there had been a romance and then the girl had gone her own way That would account for the tRe e ecard card with the curt message Lila reached out her hand to the sister I 1 want to be with Skippy for Christmas she whispered Please let me leave today Sister glanced a at t the chart chartand chartand chartand and took the veined blue-veined hand No not today she said Youre not quite strong enough yet to make the trip But Skippy Skippy-I'm Skippy Im I'm afraid hes he's not happy Im I'm afraid I was mistaken all the time You Will Not Lose Loso Faith Comforting Words of Nun She tried to say more but words were too difficult What she was thinking about was the sun in the San Fernando valley Why had she ever wanted to togo togo togo go back to the white Christmas of Connecticut She struggled up up again composing composing com corn posing herself making herself alert and sane ane And oh quite capable let me go soon wont won't you she pleaded Its so very so-very very important Remember what I told you when the bus was marooned I Isaid I l' Isaid said you could reach your little littleboy littleboy littleboy boy first by prayer prayer arid and you did And that I believed you if couldn't get to him for Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas there would be some way we could bring him to you No there No there isn't any way Lila whispered Soon now she knew it would be too late to reach him at all The nun was pulling the shades in the small white room She was smoothing the sheets in the way she had which was wasso wasso wasso so competent nt and comforting She said aid You will not lose faith for this is the time of year when prayers about a a. little littleboy littleboy littleboy boy must surely be answered A week until Christmas One Week U U Util Christmas Finds Janet Home Again Janet Gr Gregg gg home in the little little little lit lit- tle town in Missouri after the strange trip east which had never been completed walked down the main street to the post office People greeted her pleasant her pleasant every day people Shed She'd become a heroine to them the country school teacher who had turne turned r ra a school house far away into a refuge for the snowbound Signs of Christmas were everywhere Men were putting up a a. community Christmas tree treeby treeby treeby by the bandstand in the square Janet Jalet slowed her steps Even if there ther were no letter from George Haven even if he hadn't seen her picture and the story about her she could feel the trip east had been momentous Looking back she knew nothing she she might have seen in New NewYork NewYork NewYork York would have been so thrilling thrilling thrilling thrill thrill- ing as that moment when shed she'd erased the sign from the blackboard blackboard blackboard black black- board in the school house which had said said Merry Merry Christmas Christmas- T School is closed until January 5 The bus travelers had come comein comein comein in with hope instead of despair and and that after all was Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas itself N Six days to Christmas Connie Connie Connie Con Con- nie was up early and dressed inthe in the tM plaid sports suit which she had picked out for the honeymoon honeymoon honeymoon honey honey- moon in St. St Johns Well it would do beautifully for the honeymoon in New York With the beaver jacket and a Cossack hat she was all set for the thrilling thrilling thrilling thrill thrill- ing events ahead Today was the day when she and Jerry Marsh were to go to the marriage license bureau And when one takes a a. step like that it is final Irrevocable That's what she need needed d something something something some some- thing definite and firm under her feet Then she would stop looking for a a. Christmas Spirit Inc which which wasn't any more She had tried to dismiss Pat completely from her mind but it easy Mr Higgins Surprised Pat Pat- Let Connie Scoop Him It was a a. bothersome conscience conscience conscience con con- science she decided She had hurt him when she had phoned the story in from the farmhouse in the Alleghenies hurt Alleghenies hurt him more because shed she'd walked outon out outon ut uton on Skippy Giving up the job would have been atonement enough for most people but Pat Patterson didn't figure things as other people did Lets get it over with she warned herself and picked up the telephone receiver She called the press bureau and asked for Mr Higgins It was the first time shed she'd talked to him since the night of her arrival I just wanted to know if everything is all set for Pat Patterson Patterson Patterson Pat Pat- terson she said Yes everything's set You like him First rate Mr Higgins said However I dont don't think he is anything like the young man manyo yo you described No Why had she probed into this again Why did she care Rather a a. hard-boiled hard newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper man I judge him It surprises surprises surprises sur sur- me that he ever let you scoop him Is he on his way she heard herself asking He is scheduled to leave to to- to day Then Connie Dawson swallowed swallowed swallowed lowed her pride If you'll give me his address I think Ill I'll calland call calland calland and wish him good luck Surely the chief of the press bureau said and gave the name of a hotel across town from her Connie wrote It down careful careful- ly Iy It was a place shed she'd never heard of the of-the the sort of place no doubt where a poor young man manfrom manfrom manfrom from Tanbark City would be at home Even If she called him even if she went to see him there wasn't anything she could say Foay She put the slip in her bag and went downstairs Jerry Marsh was waiting for her Continued |