Show 01 soldier come home ff R B BY y BETTY ZANE WATSON jennifer martin grandmother of johnny davis has never forgiven johnnys tather father tor for having married her only daughter linda linda died giving birth to johnny and the old woman embittered refused to ever acknowledge the two men johnny loves kit willett Wll lett who Is engaged to mrs martins only other grandson basil martin a weakling johnnys father Is killed when he steps in front of kit whom the murderer mistook tor for mrs martin his death softens the old woman and she promises davis on his death bed to grant crant some ot of her land for or a childrens park a dream he has long cherished following the funeral she summons her entire family and announces that she Is disowning the martins CHAPTER 1 I always admired your taste my dear and although sometimes I 1 thought perhaps the furnishings and the clothing you bought for me a trifle expensive I 1 always trusted your perfect judgment she moved a step closer to her and said the next in a low even voice directed at her daughter in law yesterday I 1 checked with foremans on some of the prices I 1 had paid tor for their merchandise in the last year then I 1 checked with goodings about our grocery bill each month ill not bore you cecilia with the list of them you know them much better than I 1 the prices I 1 paid during the last twenty years have been a trifle high in fact just t about double the price the stores res asked for the articles you were so kind to purchase for me no cecilia ill never need worry about you being a pauper tor for you can retire nicely on the profit you have accumulated through the years henrys wife lowered her eyes she was wiser than her husband for where henry had tried to explain his mistakes sloe she knew it was best to remain silent and hear the truth as it was spoken next she turned to basil but before she had a chance to speak he jumped up and looked at her defiantly and now its my turn is it what have you got cooked up about me this is the thanks I 1 get for saving your eifel I 1 wish id let you down she was standing so close to him that when she reached out her hand to slap him she hit him hard on the cheek he stepped back quickly his hand flying to his jaw yes you wish let me burn bum if it had been up to you my dear grandson to save my life I 1 would undoubtedly have burned but I 1 happen to know the truth of the matter bowl basil glared at johnny still sitting quietly in his chair so youve managed to teed feed her that you lied to kit about saving her life and now she believes it he accused him flatly thomas who had been standing in the archway stepped forward jennifer martin looked at him and smiled basil turned and saw him then knew who had told his grandmother the truth believe himl him why hes nothing but a 11 A murder murderers erl jennifer martin supplied the word quickly but not a guilty murderer and even it if he were there are some instances when that seems to be the only so lutio luti ont nl she shook her finger at basil this silenced him and he went back to his seat on the couch now that I 1 have exposed your little frauds I 1 hope you will be kind enough to leave my house immediately mediate lyl 1 it if you are not gone by tomorrow noon I 1 shall be forced to call the police and I 1 think you should know how much I 1 shall appreciate Pre preci clate ate not having to look into your scheming faces every day and wonder if each day you might have the courage to do away with me basil was the first to leave but first he turned to kit its all clear to me now now I 1 can understand why you sent me the message breaking our engagement yesterday youre going to stay on the side with the money arent you baby he asked sarcastically casti cally johnny stood up and taking him by the coat pulled basil to him then sent him sprawling across the floor he started to lunge back at johnny but thought better of it and walked on out of the room henry and cecilia followed him haughtily jennifer martin turned now to johnny and smiled at him for you my son I 1 have a different kind of news before your father died I 1 promised him that martindale park would be finished immediately and so it shall the workmen have been hired and will begin work k tomorrow morning and as tor for you my entire estate will be yours when I 1 die but I 1 warn you im gling to live a long time now that ive an interest in things again its yours as well as martindale which you must call your home from this day forward forwar dl loves always finds a way may she turned and looked 0 over berher her shoulder at lindas portrait she spoke softly to it and there were tears in dereyes he reyes there my girl how do you like that queen martin looked at the two young people in the room with her and smiled at them tenderly well john I 1 once thought rd id have kit for a granddaughter but im glad she saw through basil in time to change all that however id still like the relationship to go through as planned with a few variations perhaps you could help me out do you think so she smiled at him slyly johnny looked at kit and saw her blushing so much had happened in these last few hours that the whole situation exactly clear to him to have seen basil and his bis family evicted from martindale was quite a shock and then to be told that he was to be the sole heir of jennifer martin and was to make his home here with her plus the grand surprise that the park was to be finished immediately at the foot of martindale where his mot mother her had planned it all of this together was too much and he wondered if he would not awaken suddenly and find he had only been dreaming he looked at kit and smiled basil had said she had broken their engagement ga day before yesterday in a note she had sent him and just what did that mean did it mean that at last he had a chance with her he drew a deep breath ill tell you better in a few hours jenny kit theres a certain place id like to show you its down at the park site do you think maybe like to see it he took her hand and looked at her smiling yes I 1 think I 1 would right about now johnny she answered and winked at jennifer martin as they left the room walking down to their own little place on the park site they were silent until they reached reachie the ravine and then johnny stopped and taking her hand band turned her toward hirn him lets stop wasting time kit weve done too toa much of that so far we he asked softly she looked at him coming closer to him johnny dear dear john ny why you tell me I 1 was in love with you darling he looked at her as if he were memorizing every feature of her lovely face he touched her cheek with his hand and smoothed her soft hair back from her face in the moonlight he could see her plainly and he thought that always he must remember how she had looked this night it was better that you found out yourself my darling he answered her finally he took her in his arms then and held her for a long time close against him he felt her heart beating against his own and knew that always they would beat for each other now forever its so funny johnny she whis 10 A A d 0 M I 1 r it was monday morning the start of a new week a new life against his shoulder this that I 1 feel tor for you its not what I 1 thought love was at all I 1 thought t that love was security and a settled kind of feeling about everything and now I 1 know what it really means plans for Martin dales future tell me beloved he held his cheek against hers its well its not security and yet its a fine feeling inside you that no matter what happens everything will be all right as long as im with you darling its a madness of passion and a calmness of spirit that only comes to someone perfectly contented someone in love and then its dangerous as a raging sea and as safe as our little cove here in the park site its everything ery thing that was ever wonderful oh johnny I 1 love you so darling oh kit why did you wait why you tell me then when you knew he asked quickly 1 I then johnny not with J D and all that it was when he called me back at the hospital I 1 think that I 1 knew tor for the first time I 1 saw how much he loved your mother and I 1 thought of basil and well it the same thing and I 1 knew what your father and mother had tor for each other was true and fine and lasting then I 1 knew I 1 was wrong about baz oh johnny lets never talk about it again it was too close he held her face between his hands and kissed her it was a kiss of promise and love and passion it was all the things that he wanted to say to her and find the words for they walked on toward the cove they called their own finally and once in a while they looked toward martindale and smiled to each other they found their favorite rock and johnny sat with kit in his arms close against him the moon was high in the sky and looked down at them from its bed of clouds kit looked once toward martindale and smiled jennys counting on me you know I 1 cant let her down kit he smiled at her reading her thoughts linda park Is finally started oh it will be such fun doing over the east wing the way we want it johnny she clasped her hands together but I 1 thought you and basil planned it whatever you liked will be all right with me you know that no I 1 plan it cecilia and basil were the ones lets have a fireplace in the east wall of the study shall we Joh johnny johnay she moved away from him suddenly and put her hand to her lips why youve never even asked me to marry you yet 1 I think rev thomas gets up 11 ia about four hours I 1 dont like C rush things but he sm 4 and kissed her fingers one by one time enough to make the evening edition of the clarion it she laughingly accepted they sat together on the rock and watched the moon disappear and the first rays of the morning sun pour over browns hill so enraptured with each other were they that they did not notice the hours that had gone by suddenly each of them remembered it was monday morning the start of a new week a new life and soon a new marriage and happiness they did not notice the workmen until they came quite close to them but the men did not see them and passed by them to the northern end of the field where they start ta work kit saw johnnys eyes grow m mis as he watched them she p presse re asel his hand feeling an equal amount of happiness at the starting of linda park as they had decided to name it so long ago 1 I always wanted to be right here when they started building again and have dad here with me ile he looked at kit and held her closer instead im here with the loveliest girl in the world and somewhere somehow I 1 think hes standing with his linda and they are as happy as we are kit darling THE END |