Show ke kent Y d' d I B. B I J it nt 0 I NE L SERVICE 1926 CE INC e. f y Cliff Clifford rd Ernest Lynn l WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE To To the home of Prof ond oid Moltie Mollie Elwell In Ind md one night In October 1898 comes Marha Martha Martha Mar Mar- t tha ha Dalton a nurse bearing a woman woman woman wo wo- man who had been traveling Elwell Is an artist He has a son Jim aged 5 Late that night twin girls are born to the woman who dies without revealing her Identity Her attire Indicates she is a pei peron person per per- s son on of wealth and refinement The adopt the girls The st ry then moves forward forwald eighteen years ears The twins now growing to beautiful womanhood have been named Margaret and Elizabeth and nicknamed Rusty and Betty The United States Slates enters the World war and Jim Elwell enlists with the first and awaits his call The get a contract to turn turnout turnout turnout out scenery for two Chicago theatres theatres theatres the the- atres and Jim wires Dick Canfield a friend to come to help them Canfield comes helps them turn turnout turnout turnout out the job arid after aftel three weeks goes to join an aviation unit Mobilization Mobilization Mobil Mobil- i now begins in I INOW NOW BEGIN THE STORY CHAPTER VII I It was early In June when the call was I Issued sued to enlisted men nien During the days that followed time didn't just jog along by any I means It flew by with a speed that fairly akly took the breath and gripped the he hearts of ot the Elwell family f And on the twins fell a n. sort of tragic calm cairn as If It they had just awakened to the tragedy at hand and were resolved to bear it like the Spartan maidens of oil old The next to the last evening before be before before be- be fore Jim was to go o away found him and Rusty and Betty In the Elwell parlor Jim was stretched out in ill his customary pose pose on the sofa But Rusty and abd Betty both dressed alike In lavender-colored lavender frocks occupied a big leather chair Betty half hIdden hidden hidden hid hId- den In Its depths and nd Rusty sitting on Its c cushioned arm It was reminiscent of ot that other evening In June just a a short year ago when Jim had come in with the beets beefsteak teak dressing on his eye and had demanded music to ease his sufferings This was the setting tonight when Prof and Mollie 1 Elwell entered the room as the darkening shadows were falling But gone was all nil the happy joyous spirit of that other June evening The hearts that then beat In the peaceful breasts of that little assemblage now were gripped with foreboding In truth from appearances appearances appearances ap ap- ap- ap It might have been the night after a funeral In the house It was Rusty who broke the pall of ot silence with a spoken low re re- re quest Oh sister she began with witha a little catch In hex her voice that was half halt a sob get your harp will you you- dear and sing When Other Tongues and Other Hearts' Hearts My heart Is going to break anyhow and It might as well break tonight Ordinarily optimistic people it has been said can ran on occasion get a sort of ot morbid enjoyment out of the most dolorous prospect Perhaps Rusty was was was' of that nature And that perhaps was the reason why Prof Elwell brought Bettys Betty's harp from its place in the corner and nd stood it up in front of her Probably like Rusty he felt that they might as aswell aswell aswell well get the agony over with Mollie Elwell in a darkened corner corner cor cor- cor- cor ner ncr of ot the room was silent and I I r 3 s. s l 4 k b C He held her close until her sob shaken body was still his couch was in an ap agony of spirit Elizabeth th Elwell began to play Softly like ike the breathing tones of fairy music the low notes of the little prelude to to the the theold old ong song fell fellon fellon fellon on their ears eats Then When other tongues and other other hearts of love sh shall tell In language who whose e excess Imparts The Tue power they feel so well There may perhaps in In such a scene Some Som r recollection be beOf Of days that that have haves as S happy been Then you'll remember me you'll remember remember me A sweet contralto voice died away In a low cadence of drifting melody Silence fell on the little group Then suddenly from one of ot the shadowy forms In la lav lavendar lav- lav came a tearing sob Jim Elwell arose from the sofa and left the roo room He Ue walked I f blindly feeling his way way along out through the kitchen At the door he paused and lifted his eye cye cep to toward toward to- to ward ard the sky God he said softly and nd then he walked to the woodshed where he lie dropped down in n a chair clair in a adark adark adark dark corner and cupped his chInIn chin chinin chinIn in his hands s He lie sat there for some minutes staring at the sha shadowed floor Then the the sound of ot a footstep f fell ll on his ear ear It failed ID o stir tir him at first hut but another sound brought him to tp his feet He looked up just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of a 11 lav- lav colored colored dress where the moonbeams touched it as it crossed the yard A moment moment passed in which he stood thinking somberly then he stepped across to the door door- door door- way From under the trees In the backyard back backyard yard ard came the sound of sobbing Jim Elwell quietly out and I arross the lawn pausing under the shade hade of ot the maples I I Why he thought rebelliously did didI I this have to happen Why couldn't he like his friend Dick Canfield be alone with no one to care too much if It he never came back I Why The h form o o of the e girl became vis visible visible vis- vis I f Ib ible to his eye eje Her head t was buried burled in the hollow of her arms I as they rested against the tree trunk He lIe was W half crying as he moved softly up behind her a a I 1 placed his hands on her shoulders Then she turned around but her I face was hidden from the moon by bythE bythe bythe the shadow of ot the great tree I Dont cr cry little pal he said to toI I her his own voice husky I probably come out all right in the thew w wash you know n No words d came e from her for a a short space as she stood there leaning against him her body shaking violently Then Oh Jim came the startling response the words broken by short gasping sobs dont call me just just just-just just a lItI little lit lIt- I tle little tie pal tonight pal tonight Call me me- me call me your your your-oh oh Jim youre you're going going away to away to the war Ill I'll never see see see-see see you again I again I know You'll oh You'll-oh oh kiss k me wont won't you Jim Not as youve you've youve you've-you've youve you've al always alI al- al I ways k kissed me before but before but oh Jim Tenderly he took tool the shaking form in his arms and drew It close He bent his head and his lips touched hers But the quick passionate passionate pas pas- cling of ot those lips of hers as far different from anything Jim Elwell had ever known before The Tile blood leaped to his heart and then went pounding through his arteries in ma a hot fierce drive Ho lie felt the young oung bre breast held close to his his' own lift and fall in throbs of short quick breath After It a minute he raised his head and drew her out from the shadow of ot the tree where he could see into her upturned face The big full moon shining down through the leaves reflected its sil silvery silvery silvery sil- sil I very splendor in the dark eyes looking up into his and he saw there the light neer seen on land landor or sea He lie read there the old old story of the things that are are the the revelation of life of ot nature itself In their humid depths he saw re revealed revealed revealed re- re the great underlying secret the immortal story of ot the Universe Jim Elwell was awake at last He loved and was loved With VItI a fervent fervent fer for vent exclamation he kissed her again and again Dear he said and I Iwas was so blind Her arms tightened around his neck I love you Jim I cant can't bear to see you go away to war It will kill me lie He tried to comfort her tried to tell her that he was was coming back safe and sound With America in the war dear It cant can't last long Wh- Wh Why he lie laughed bravely bravely- those fellows will be ready to quit the minute we land in France You Know that hone honey Dont Don't worry Jim doesn't wa want t you jou to It would make him feel badly if it he thought you ou were worrying about him Be brave sweetheart He held her close until her sob- sob shaken body was still Thirty minutes min mm- utes later she left him to togo to-go go Into the house But before she went sent she had confided In him another f ise lie secret f K he tn and had given exacted to him the promIse prom Prom prom- Yes Jim was the answer she abC made to his question I 1 promise Not ot until you ou come b back ck shall anyone anyone any any- one except sister learn from me our secret And if it- it her arms tightened around his neck she was still for a moment and then went on fighting bravely to keep keel ou her voice fr from m breaking breaking- if you ou dont don't- jont dont come back well we'll well she she and I will I-will TeeD keep u it secret always But come back Jim lie He would he told her and kissed her hands All AH right she whispered And now my big pal pal pal-my my sweetheart Im I'm going in and tell sister She bhe was gone and once more as she moved from the shade of the trees the tile moonbeams fell across her lavender frock Jim Jinx Elwell's eyes ees were brimming He turned back Into the shadow of the maples lIe wanted to thInk to be alone for a out there In the splendor ot of the Indiana night where he had found this sweet and ass as wonderful s fragrant thing this rose of ot loves love's young dream that had so sUddenly bloomed in his lIfe How could Jt it be possible e he thought that he had all these gone on years without seeing i it before before be- be fore And Ana to discover it on the ev eve almost of his going away Perhaps never Vert to ret return The Irony of it And ns as he stood there thinking there came to Jim Elwell remembrance brance of many little incidents which at the time of their OCcurrence occurrence OCcur OCcur- rence had seemed ot of r no importance to him Mm But now in the light of what he had learned this tills night t he t told ld him him- I se self he would rather cut off his I right hand than take a n. chance of his other little pal being hurt He HeI was full fully convinced now that he I had done the right thing In exactIng exacting exacting exact exact- ing the promise The three of ot them would catch the morning train for Chicago He would telegraph aph Dick to meet them and and and- The voice of ot his mother broke In Inon Inon inon on him She stood Just a few feet away To Be Continued Jim cant can't te tell his moth mother r which n it is he loves and he explains why Read the he next chapter |