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Show IIIIIHIIII4I I til Hf H-H-4- I JUST ONE MINUTE LATE 1 T By IZOLA FORRESTER. I All tho way up the bay Gregory wondered won-dered If she was still allvo. Tho wire-loss wire-loss brief had reached him two days out from England and be had sont back word that ho was already on tho way. Ho had even half bollovcd that very thing would servo to strengthen her, that ho had started boforo sho had sent for him. He had been four months In tho prison camps beforo tho ex-chango ex-chango had been brought about. Probably Prob-ably sho had believed ho was dead. Nearly all tho poor devils In his crowd, had died sooner or later. And ho had como out of it with a smashed arm that let him off for awhllo from tho gamo over yonder. Ho wondered how Barbara had found out ho was sailing on tho Tavo-nlo. Tavo-nlo. Ho hat only told Lcstor. Yet tho messago had been clear and potent: "Como beforo It Is too lato. Bnb." His arm pained him constantly, nnd through tho long nights ho lay In his berth trying to -vlsuallzo Bab's face and find comfort from It. Sho had been such a tender llttlo woman, after all her own personal trouble. Tho only kind thing, Kenneth had over dono for her was to die. That had been four years ago, and ho and Lester had looked after hor interests stneo then. Thoy had been partners boforo tho war, and ho was hor brothor. Tho war had boon a relief. At first thoy had gono over to servo in tho Belgian Bel-gian commission. Lcstor had pulled himself together and got his grip back driving an ambulance thero, and ho himself had slipped into tbo Foreign Legion. When tho train pulled Into tho ex-pross ex-pross station at Sovonty-second street ho almost stumbled from tho car.' Goo, but ovcrythlng looked good after thoso'months In Belgium. Ho-crossed tho street and went toward her homo In tho big apartment building on Central Park West. His fingers wero a bit unsteady un-steady as ho found tho boll and pressed it. Tho door clicked and ho went upstairs.' up-stairs.' And on his way a man passed him going down. Gregory noticed him vaguely. Ho was short and stocky and looked prosperous. pros-perous. Even to a casual observer ho appeared happy. And ns ho started past him the man stopped short, took' another look at him and called: 'Hello, thoro, Greg!" It was Stophens, his lawyer, good old Stevo who had stood back of him over and over again, about tho only-friend only-friend he had bad left after tho business busi-ness had gono to tho merry puppy dogs. Yet all ho could do was grip his hand and ask if Bab wero still hllve. "Still alive? What do you mean, old man? Of course, she's alive, but you're ono mlnuto too late. Sho's dono it." "Dono what? Married again?" "Lord, no. Go upstairs and find out. God blesB you both. Wonderful woman, wom-an, Greg. See you later." Gregory climbed tho last flight and sho opened tho door hersolf. Not a 'word did sho speak, only hold out her arms to him, and somehow ho found that it was his head which lay on her shoulder and ho was holding hor to htm In dumb Joy. "I mot Stephens. Ho said I was too late," ho said finally when thoy wore in her library. "You are. I signed tho papers myself. my-self. Listen and don't scold me. Lester Les-ter wrote when you got back to England Eng-land and kept me posted, but ho said ho thought you'd go back to Franco if your arm was well anough, and I think you'vo dono quite enough for them already. I neod a little of you, you know. So I sonttho wireless to head you off, and, anyway, wo needed you terribly. You see, I found out after you had been captured all about Ldstor's troublo and why my balance was safe and yours had conn with him. It had boon splendid of yod to back him In all his queer Ideas anyway, any-way, so I wont out ono day to Jersoy and looked over tho old factory just as you had left It. You know I studied chemistry with Lester boforo I was marrlod and It all interested mo so. So I Just took out part of my ruonoy and started in a small way. I told Mr. Stophens what I wanted to. do, and ho helped mo, but I said It wbb your money. Well, I won out, and bogan making copper cylinders Just aB you had Intended. So, I I I Just paid off tho mortgago myself. Mr. Stophons has tho check. I think I'm oven with you now. It's all over thoro ready for you to go back to." Gregory was holding hor In his good arm, closa to him, his fnco pressed to her hair. "Oh, you women, you women who aro tho restorers I" ho said. (Copyright. 1915. by the McClure Newspa-pc Newspa-pc Syndicate) |
