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SUNDAY, AUGUST 6,1939.THE L(© SERIAL STORYWAR AND A WOMANBY'BETTY WALLACESOPYRIQHt.~Y5£», HKA 9KRV1CK, INC.I’CBlerdaTi Linda nrriFR* liomo to Had l»er father KtlU alive. She docs not tell him who la not ro-Inpr to marry Gror/rc. Morel a write* that her wedding bns been po«ipon«‘il, Jimmy has been ordered to wea.CHAPTER X jpHERE was more to Marcia’sletter, but Linda's eyes stopped ’fading at the line •which, said, *Jimmy was ordered to ea Wednesday.” For she knew, as arely as if Jimmy himself were Janding here, telling her, that Iris unexpected transfer was tamething he had somehow engineered himself.Now that the wedding was to e postponed—now that it wasn’t ver between herself and him— tapptness and hope flooded her for 31 instant But Daddy? They *uld do nothing, she and Jimmy, tntil Daddy was well. And even Eien—Jimmy’s work stood between them, a concrete walL If he’d resign from the Navy. If he’d fit himself for some other career. . . . She couldn’t ask that.Yfben she entered her father’s room for tlie usual morning newspaper reading, she told him casually, “Daddy, Marcia's wedding has been postponed after alL Her f-flance was ordered to sea.” What does that mean— another mysterious naval order ‘.o parade the fleet in front of some foreign country’s nose?”Oh, no, Daddy. This—” But how could she say this was something special, without significance at all, except to Linda Storm?She picked up the papers. Bad news again. I’m afraid. Hitler—” Oh, stop!” He rubbed his forehead. “Hitler! I get so tired of hearing that name. A stupid, tortured egomaniac, driving a world to ruin' 1 get so tired of whole nations composed of dolts and fools. Brutality dressed up in propaganda is still brutality. Why are they sa blind?”“Now, Daddy,” she warned. “You don’t want your blood pressure going up, do you?”“It may as well go up and kill me,” he bit off savagely. “If I live, 1 11 be bombed some day. Not much sense in iostponing the agony. Linda, my dear, there's only one thing I have to be profoundly grateful for—and that is, if war comes, your husband will haw sense enough to stick to his own war—the only glorious war there is.”Her heart turned over. Her husband. He meant George. She said hastily, “I'll run down and getyou Baker's Tiberius Ceaaar. That always takes your raind off cur times.”It happens to be our times exactly! Dictators. Julius Ceasar was the first dictator, and why can't they remember what happened to him and to the empire he built up?”* * *SHE was half way to the door. “Linda,” he called. “Don’t bother about the book.” His wise old eyes probed into hers. “I may be sick, but I’m not blind yet. Something's the matter with you. You’ve last your bloom. You’re not happy.”Her hands curled into tight fists. She had an insistent impulse to put her head on his shoulder, to blurt out the truth.. But die couldn’t do it. His daughter in love with a naval pilot! After what he had just said.Bravely, without shrinking from those loving eyes, she lied to her father for the first time in her life. “I’ve been worrying about you. Daddy. I couldn't bear it if —if—”“My, my, ray!” came Miss Rourke's cheerful, strident tones. ‘You’re the popular one, Linda Storm! First you get an airmail letter and now look—a telegram.” She tramped into the room on her sensible, broad white oxfords, ar.d handed Linda the yellow envelope with a little flourish. If I didn’t know you had a perfectly good man waiting, I’d think it was a beau, rushing you.”“Telegram?” Daddy was asking swiftly.Linda bit her lip. “It’s from Marcia. She sends wires at the 3ljghtcJt excuse.”Deliberately, she ripped the envelope open. She read one word —the signature. JIMMY. She crumpled the thing up in the palm of her har.d. “Yes, that’s all. She’s remembered something she left out of her letter.”* * ♦CAFE behind her own locked door, v- Linda smoothed out Jimmy’3 wire again. It had been sent from Washington, D. C. It said. FLYING TO QUEENSVILLE TOMORROW. MUST SEE YOU. WILL BE LEAVING TUESDAY TO REPORT FOR DUTY ABOARD RANGER. LOVE.She could piece the story together now. He had left from Pensacola for Washington. He had reached someone in authority, and gotten what he wanted. But how had he gone over Captain King’s head? It must have taken a world of lying. But she had been forced to lie, too.The thought of him here in Queensville tomorrow, on the day when he was to have become Marcia's husband, set Linda’s blood to .tingling. Marcia was sofine and straightforward and trusting. Surely, no girl had ever betrayed a friend as basely as she was betraying Marcia! She musl wire Jimmy right away. “DON’T COME.” But she didn’t know exactly where in Washington he was. Her hands fell uselessly tc her side.“Miss Storm,” that was Rourke again.“Yes?”“I heard the doorbell.”It was hard to smile at George, as she opened the door. Hard to say, “Hello. Glad to see you.” “I’m glad to see you! We haven't had much time together, have we?” His grave smile lighted up his eyes. “How’s your daddy?” “Better, I think. At least, notworse.*“He’s well enough for you to go with me on one of our picnics tomorrow, Linda, isn't he?”Her breath caught. Last summer they had spent many hours in the woods around Queensville. They had roasted wienies over an open fire, baked potatoes, made coffee. Alone with the trees and the soft green grass, George had lain with Ms head in her lap, his pipe between his teeth, talking out his experiments. Telling her of the setbacks which bad discouraged him, the latest minute little advances which seemed definitely promising. And Linda had hung on every word.Last summer she had been sure that without her, he would not be capable of doing his -work. This summer, she knew better. George needed no one. His work was lonely and glorious, but it sprang from an inner compulsion. It was not to dazzle her or anyone else tliat he persisted, endlessly, in the face of almost unsurmountableobstacles. It was because within his own soul there was a love for perfection, an urgent need, a passion beyond explanation. Microbes fascinated him. He was one of the lonely army who battled In quiet laboratories and wrote thoughtful papers on obscure and involved phenomena.No, he didn’t need her.And never once in all those long-gone picnics had he stopped his talk of germs to tell her she was lovely, or to kiss her lips. She hadn’t noticed, then. Now she knew that what she had felt for him was admiration, not love.Linda?” His voice pulled her back to the present moment. “I’ve been looking forward to another picnic. I—I’vo got some treatises I thought I’d take with me and—”lt;fI can’t go, George.” Tomorrow J.'mmy was coming. She braced herself for what must come, but her voice was firm. I can’t possibly go tomorrow, George. PH— I'll be busy.”(To Be Continued)immuiiUHu ri® a as c « e. c. ** *b-w
Newspaper Details
Logansport Press
Logansport, Indiana, US
Sun, Aug 06, 1939
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 13 Apr 2019
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