Show BROKEN THREADS By CLIFFORD L. L WEDS WEBB and ERNEST LYNN NEA Service Inc Continued ed from preceding page moved toward Mollie who saId Weve Veve brought JIm yoU see She uttered the words In In a dull lifeless tone The girls kissed her Rusty twIning her arms around her neck and layIng her head on shoulder Betty trembling helped JIm remove re- re move the light topcoat he was wearing She dared not look Into hIs eyes When she stepped back Rusty had caught her hand and they stood before Jim Elwell together Timidly both girls stepped up to him him and kissed him Then they tried to look at him as he stood quietly beneath the tho lights of the chandelier lIe still had on his hat Mollie took It off TIms Jims eyes ees followed followed fol- fol lowed her lifelessly Rusty tried to keep looking at him as he stood bathed in the artificial artificial arti- arti light but her had become become be- be come blinded by salt tears Betty was fumbling for Jims Jim's hand she noticed as through a mIst Wont you let let me-let help rne-help you sit down Jim Betty was saying and Martha Dalton sudden ly y turned her head to shut out the pitiful sight ot of Bettys Betty's face Cheerfully Cheerfully Cheer Cheer- fully she told herself would she have laid down her life if these girls could have been spared this tragic thIng The air in the room it seemed to her had become stifling Why didn't someone else speak Why didn't somebody cry scream to break the faint faint-do anything awful sl that had them all Rusty was wiping her eyes with her fingers Timidly she laid aid a hand on Jims Jim's coat sleeve Oh dear JIm old Jim Jim-don't you know me Cant Can't you rem remember em bel me your our little pal Rusty Dont Don't you know Rusty Jim Sh She heard herself murmuring the words In a a flat fIat toneless voice a voice that seemed t be like her hel eyes weIghted down by an ocean of tears tealS After Ater a she heard Bettys Betty's voIce and noted that she too was fitting her tone to the somber ten ten- sity or of the room She was still hoMIng holding on to JIms JIm's hand Jim was looking at Rusty hIs eyes devoid of expressIon hIs Ups lips moving a little His face was as pale as the whIto waist worn by Martha Dalton on the back or of his head was a bIg scar livid and ugly around which the hair had not yet grown His hand hung on Bettys Betty's like a alive alive live weight Mike Hennegan Martha Martha Mar Mar- tha Dalton not d. d was standing facIng facing fac- fac Ing a wIndow his back to the little tableau lie He was biting his lips Mollie Iollie had flung herself Into a chair and lay back with closed eyes Prof looked on anxiously Then Martha Dalton spoke dear old Martha and the black pall of tragedy seemed to lift a 3 little as she strode purposefully over toward JIm and caught him by the arm To Be Continued In the next chapter the girls try to recall Jims Jim's memory But But- ut- ut |