Show r LOV ayr 7 richard mcfarline mcfarlane who disappeared during the first world war leaving his wile wife julia and two children suddenly returns 25 yon years later and identifies himself as captain blackey stationed tt st the same lame camp as his son ric erring la in world war 11 II ric nic has bits become involved with sandra calvert a divorcee w who be captain mackey machey knew at t one time tie he threatens her but she and ric marry anyway and the she arrives at jullas julias farm to live she startles julia by recognizing a picture ot of richard as that of 0 captain machey blackey sandra and jill sister have a quarrel during which sandra demands ahat night captain mackey blackey arrives tay say trig ine he be Is there to take sandra to rie ric CHAPTER gordon Gor donT no I 1 dont know where he was assigned some flight training school I 1 think he was a splendid fellow 1 I heard a plane go over a little while ago jm jill let water run to fill the ice tray wondered if she should offer him another drink she used to this aspect of hospitality pita lity usually her grandfather did it it or sometimes dave 1 I thought about all of you spang and you all you air men she babbled on a bit nervously wondering why he had picked up that awful old wooden potato masher mamie had left it lying out it was a thousand years old and all scarred where ric bad gnawed it when he was a baby 1 I envied you she ended thinly he perched on the kitchen stool and lighted a cigarette smoke these he asked she shook her head now and then but mother like it much tell me a little about yourself youre not in school he asked coolly good gracious nol no jill laughed im practically middle aged im almost twenty seven years old I 1 was a war baby last war ive never seen my father he come back in every war some of us dont come back he said slowly but were all vain enough to hope that well be remembered its the old urge tor for immortality it jill said sensing something in this mans mood that answered the aching thing she had kept in her heart so long the part of her that belonged to spang so you see I 1 have to be my fathers immortality ric and I 1 are his future all the future he be has in school I 1 used to read all those weird books all about the transmigration of souls and metempsychosis and all that fantastic stuff and tor for a while I 1 pretended to myself that I 1 was my father that perhaps hed been killed lust at the very moment rd fd been born bom and that his bis soul had gone into my body and that really I 1 was richard mcfarlane an oddly gentle smile moved over his face perhaps that did happen perhaps his soul did go off and leave him and come to rest in your body and it if it did and if he knew im quite sure he wish tor for anything better than to live on through some one so lovely and sweet as youl she led him back to the living room and found an ash tray for him and forgot tor for the moment that he had really come to see sandra she said when the silence had stretched a little do you have a daughter captain mackey he looked up sharply and she saw his lip twitch a little talk about a lost host daughter 1 I lost my daughter he be said quietly oh im sorry it was a very great loss he went on now that ive seen you I 1 know how great my loss was im sorry weve both lost we A daughter needs her lather father terribly and I 1 suppose fathers need their daughters too dont they they need them very much but sometimes they tail fail to realize the need until its too late im quite swe sure I 1 appreciate my daughter when I 1 had her I 1 had my mind tull full ol of other things but of 0 course your da daughter aughter that you lost can be a sort ot of glory to you dont you think my lather father is like that to me if my father could comeback comeback I 1 suspect hed be a little embarrassed by the splendor I 1 invested him with and very likely your daughter would be just a nice human girl too maybe shed worry you by staying out too late lateano and smoking and things like that but because we dont have them we cali can keep them wonderful and extraordinary cant we and maybe it comforts them a little tor for being separated from us if they know do you think they could know possibly people think a lot about life beyond the grave in wartime dont they 1 I wish your father could come back to live up to all the thing youve built up for or him in your mind jill mcfarlane but theres a big chance that he be might be a sad disappointment oh he bel he be no matter how dull he was or stern stem or irritable or anything because no matter what he was hed still be my gatherl just as ric is still n nty my ty brother even when I 1 get furlou furious at him tor for being weak and doing outrageous things like this marriage but id fight for him till we both died if anything threatened him families are like that he rose and moved absently near her and laid his hand tor for a moment on her hair jill took the hand and pressed it looking up at him terribly sorry tor for him he must she was thinking have loved that lost child very much and no doubt the hurt of that loss had turned him in upon himself made him bitter and misunderstood made him the person spang and others called old cyanide JIU jill got up a little disturbed by the sharpness ot of her own emotions you said you wanted to see my sister in law she made an awkward effort to get back to commonplace ground shall I 1 call her now 1 I suppose so he seemed to pull null himself back from some remoteness lateness lot mot eness with difficulty 1 I came to take her away im taking her back to her husband IU ill get her jill said 1 I hope oell heu go with you captain h to be awfully crude and terribly S A X av 0 1 I lost my daughter he said quietly frank I 1 think ric would do much better in the army if he were alone im sure ot of that he said 1 q I have another plan I 1 hope to be able abl e to work out for sandra one that will be better lor for everybody its certainly generous of you to IA take ke the trouble jill remar remarked kea 1 I hope there Is a an n answer to this problem I 1 know sandra happy here she started tor for the door and then stopped as a figure came shuffling down the stairs oh grandfather I 1 hear you grandfather we have company this is captain mackey from ridley field my ther mr mcfarlane captain the captain has come to take sandra away grandfather john I 1 mcfarlane McF ariane walked slowly toward the man in uniform so youre captain mackey the old man said richard mcfarlane McF ariane looked at his father steadily 1 I am captain mackey mr mcfarlane McF ariane he said evenly how do you do sir john I 1 seemed to walt wait his breath c came a m e heavily his bis nostrils and his bis I 1 lean e a n zat throat quivered then with an abrupt gesture he held out his hand how do you do captain he said they clasped hands gravely and it seemed to jill that they were a long time about it that they were searching each other studying each others face with an intentness that was odd tor for two people who were utter strangers father and sort son shake hands then john J L said so youve come to take lake that woman away that one young richard married tie he sent tor for her did he be the captain waited a moment before he answered then his words came slowly 1 I promised richard mcfarlane that I 1 would take her away from this house sir its quite important that I 1 keep my promise to richard mcfarlane dont you think john 1 I drew his lips in give me a minute or two to get used to it he said dryly A captain keeping a promise to a private important that a captain keep any promise mr mcfarlane even a promise to himself the other man reminded him in a case like that id say hed better go very slow making promises to himself john I 1 remarked he might make a few he keep A man learns by experience dont you think sir air might be that would depend on his experience john 1 I argued ar now take a man that had never had a thought for anybody but himself his experience might no not be much help to him that Is unless he changed his ways a lot only tools fools and dead men never change returned the captain experience peri ence can teach a man a great deal it can teach him tor for instance that theres a time for speech and a time to be silent john Ls I 1 s black eyes sharpened and then grew sober it if youve learned that sir youve learned the most important thing in human experience he said im an old man and I 1 know and being an old man give a younger man credit tor for trying 1 I am always glad john 1 I mcfarlane spoke slowly and jill was a little impatient with him for being so pontifical and making such tiresome speeches though captain mackey seemed not to be bored or amused by him at all 1 I am always glad the old man went on to give credit where credit is due good night to you captain they shook hands again and JUI jill saw how little her grandfather looked so shrunken so old then he turned and went toward the stairs and he be seemed to grope for the door and she heard his feet stumble as he went up ahead of her she heard his bedroom door close as she reached the upper hall and there was a queer sharp sudden sound beyond it a sound almost like a sob she knocked on sandras door and it was opened with suspicious alacrity sandra still wore the feathered robe the sculptured curls the bluish shadow on her eyelids the rosy curve of lip meant for allure but her eyes were hard as matrix and as cold rod mackey doing here she demanded jill closed the door moving into the room you listened did you hes a captain from ridley field he says he has come to take you to ric how can I 1 go to ric I 1 dont even know where be is how will I 1 live when I 1 get there ricky told me to stay here till he sent tor for me this Is some kind of trick I 1 know rod mackey im not going dont be an idiot sandra captain mackey told grandfather that he had promised ric to bring you all ali right ill talk to him she said sullenly but I 1 wont go with him no woman in her right mind would go anywhere with rod mackey how silly jill was scornful you assume that every man has designs on you sandra I 1 dont believe you know captain mackey at all I 1 be afraid to go with him oh no doubt youre the naive type that men like mackey look for sandra was posing jill saw even walking down the stairs her head was up she was pointing her toes she was being regal and keeping her eye on the long mirror in the lower hall she was the affronted queen when she faced roger mackey at the living room door just what she asked in an imperious tone esthe meaning of this captain he said go pack your bags sandra im taking you to your husband A close call for mackey alaskey thank you im not going I 1 doubt if ricky knows any anything thing about this at all youre meddling again arent you rod mackey asserting your authority to meddle in the affairs of other people that dont concern you on the contrary this concerns me he insisted 1 I have a very definite commission otherwise I 1 have made mad this long trip for goodness sake sandra you said you were breaking your heart because you had to leave ric jul jill exclaimed 1 I should think b be a delighted to have a chance to go with captain mackey sandra gave her a slow pitying look did you ever see this officer before jill she asked cold ly why of course I 1 met him at ridley field does he remind you of some one some one youve seen before sandra went on in that same deadly level voice jill did not answer because she was startled by the odd harsh sound that captain mackey made ills voice came level and even 1 I remind her of her father he said looking straight at sandra and she reminds me of my own daughter weve been comforting each other because we both know what we have lost people with imagination should indulge their whims sometimes but not too tar far not too dangerously farl imaginations have a way of getting away from you of 0 traveling at high speed to all sorts of remote aloi even to mexico now it if kindly pack your bag mrs mn me mc farlane jr well be on our wy way just one bag please the re reit t of LI your things can be sent tor for lter ter and you be uneasy im taking you straight to the place where you ought to be TO BE CONTINUED |