Nebraska Newspapers

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THE STORY THUS FAR: Spratt Her
iong, motion picture producer, met and
married Elizabeth, whose first husband,
Arthur Kittredge, was reported killed in
World War I, but who later appeared in
Hollywood and secured a job from
Spratt Under the name of Kessler, and
with his disfigurements, he was not rec
ognized. He was a frequent visitor at
the Heriong home and they all became
good friends. One day while they were
waiting for Spratt, Arthur told Elizabeth
that he realized the fight she was going
through, knowing that Dick would soon
be going away to war. She said that so
far she could only see the war in terms
of her son, not as a noble struggle for
a better world.
CHAPTER XVII
• **I wish there were something I
could say to you,” he told her in a
low voice.
Elizabeth had clasped her hands
and was moving them against each
other restlessly. “I don’t know why
I feel so much like talking to you.
Maybe it’s just that if I don’t talk
it out pretty soon 1 don’t know what
will become of me. Do you mind
listening?”
“I want to,” he answered, with
such simple sincerity that she could
have no doubt of his sympathy. He
hesitated an instant, then asked,
“Can we sit down, Mrs. Heriong?”
"How stupid of me!” she ex
claimed. She hurried to lead the
way to two deck chairs placed on
the lawn, at the side of the house.
Cherry had left a sweater on one of
them, and Elizabeth put it on, for
the evening chill was blowing in
from the sea. "We aren't just cour
teous about not noticing your limita
tions, Mr. Kessler,” she remarked
as they sat down, “we’re usually
not even aware of them.”
When he answered it was in a
matter-of-fact voice. "This is one
of the things I found hardest to get
used to,” he said. “I mean, asking
for a chair. I had always been so
healthy that I was the one who had
to be reminded not to expect too
much of other people. Please don’t
be embarrassed—I’m not.”
"Are you cold?” asked Elizabeth.
"No. What was it you wanted to
ten me?”
“Spratt is my second husband—
you didn’t know that, did you? It’s
not important in any personal sense
between us, it never has been im
portant and it wouldn't be now ex
cept that my first husband was killed
in the last war. I loved him very
much. Of course, now, looking back
on it, it’s easy to say it shouldn’t
have mattered so much, I was a
young girl with all my life before
me, and as it happened I met Spratt
and everything turned out as you’ve
seen it. But at the time there was
no way for me to look forward.
When I remember it—’’ She stopped.
After a moment Kessler asked,
“Did you suffer so horribly?”
"I can’t tell you what it was. It
wasn’t anything anybody could un
derstand except somebody who had
been through it. I had loved him
so, and then all of a sudden he was
dead. It was—anyway, I never went
through anything like it before, and
I never have again. Of course, it’s
all over—I don’t even think of it
very often, but now—” She stopped
again.
There was a silence that seemed
to last a long time. At last Kessler
said, in a voice so low she barely
heard him, “Yes? But now?”
“Don’t you understand? I can’t
take it again. I can't. I thought
there never would be anything else
like that. It was over and done
with. My world had been shot to
pieces, and I picked up the pieces
and made myself go on living, and
I was rewarded more than I ever
dreamed of expecting. But I can’t
do that another time. Even if I had
the strength, it’s too late. I was
twenty when I lost Arthur. It wasn’t
easy to go on then. But now I’m
forty-four. If my world is shot to
pieces again, it stays that way. I
can’t go back and start over. And
why should I be expected to? Life
can’t be all beginnings and no ful
fillment!”
As she broke off Kessler asked,
“What is that exquisite scent that’s
suddenly here all around us?”
“Night-blooming jasmine. Some
times it blqoms till late in the year.
Are you listening to me?”
“If I hadn’t been listening I
shouldn’t have asked about the flow
ers. I was just thinking, in a world
so full of possibilities for pleasure,
why should anyone have to say what
you are saying to me?”
“You’re not answering me, are
you?” she said. “There isn't any
answer. But thank you for listen
ing.” After a moment she went on,
“I can’t tell you what a relief it has
been to say all this. I believe say
ing it to you has got it out of me
so I won’t pour it all out to Spratt.
That’s why I’m grateful.” She
reached her hand out and laid it
over his, as it rested on the head
of his cane. To her astonishment,
she found that instead of lying there
lightly as she had thought, his hand
was gripping the cane with such vio
lence that the muscles were hard
and the knuckles were like rocks.
Elizabeth drew away quickly and
sat up. “Mr. Kessler! What have
I done to you?”
“Nothing,” he answered sharply,
and sat up too, as though startled.
“What is the trouble?”
“Why couldn’t I keep quiet?” she
demanded of herself contritely.
“Here I've been babbling like a
child who thinks nobody has any
thing to do but listen—”
"But I wanted to listen!” Kessler
exclaimed. “You’re not sorry you
talked to me!”
“Not for myself, oh no. But I
was so absorbed in myself I didn't
realize how I might be affecting
you. Have I brought back some
1 thing that’s better forgotten? For
give me, please forgive me, if I've
tried you too far.”
Kessler stood up abruptly. He
turned and moved a step so as to
face her. She looked up at him
standing between her and the stars,
a black figure that gave an impres
sion of strength in spite of the crip
pled body.
"I told you not to try to answer
me. Please don't try. There's no
answer, for me or for you.”
"Yes there is,” he exclaimed de
cisively. “For a moment, sitting
there, you had me almost believing
"There’s no answer, for me or for
you."
that there wasn’t. You said it was
too late for you to start over. You
are not required to start over. But
you are required to keep going. Re
member, your responsibilities are of
your own creation. You aren’t re
sponsible for what’s happening in
the world, but you are responsible
for how you take it.”
"I told you I couldn't take it.
1 can feel myself breaking at the
prospect. I can’t take it.”
“Yes you can,” he said sternly,
“and you’re going to.”
His force was like a stimulus.
Elizabeth exclaimed, “Do you be
lieve I can, Mr. Kessler? You
seem to know me pretty well by
now—do you believe I can?”
“You can,” he returned earnest
ly, "because you've promised it, by
every action of your life. Nobody
required you to get married, or to
have children, or to live so that you
would be essential to their well be
ing. If you had wanted to, you
might have been one of these whin
ing creatures who takes to her bed
at every annoyance and becomes the
center of her little universe by de
manding attentions she’s too useless
to get any other way. But you
didn’t do that. You outlived your
own early grief. To do it you had
to strip your character down to its
core of strength, so that this is what
they have seen of you, this is what
you have taught them to expect.
They believe in you. They need you,
and they’re going to need you more.
Don't fail them.”
Elizabeth drew a long breath. Her
chest felt tight. After awhile Kess- |
ler resumed his chair. He turned ;
to her, saying,
“Right now, you are beginning to
fail.”
She started. “Is it as obvious as
that? Already?”
“Wfcy don’t you stop looking at |
this entirely from your own view
point?” he aske^j. “You wonder if j
you can take it—has it never oc- !
curred to you that Dick is taking it
very well?"
“Dick? He doesn’t seem to think
very much about it."
“He doesn’t seem so to you, may
be. But he is thinking about it.”
“How do you know?" She was
startled. “Has he said anything to
you?”
“No. But I know he is, because
I’ve been there."
Elizabeth exclaimed, “Yes you
have. Tell me what it’s like!”
“It’s a torment of bewilderment,”
he returned. “You don’t say much
about it because everybody seems to
understand it better than you do.
You don’t know the reason other peo
ple aren't explaining if. to you is that
they don’t understand it either. You
go around wondering how you’re
going to act like a brave hero.
Elizabeth was sitting forward, her
hands tight on the arms of her chair.
“That’s what's going on in his mind!
But why hasn’t he told us? Mr.
Kessler, why doesn’t he ever say
so?"
"I suspect It’s because he knows
what's going on in your mind, a lot
better than you think.”
‘‘You mean,” she said bitterly,
"he knows his father and I aren’t fit
to be told. Because we have failed
him terribly.”
"Would you believe me if I told
you I loved your son, Mrs. Herlong?
I do love him. He’s so much like
the son I used to think I might
have.”
"You never had any children, did
you? Margaret told me this after
noon you adopted her after her par
ents died.”
“No, I never had any children,” he
returned steadily. "That was an
other of the things the war made
Impossible.
"Oh,” she said faintly. After a
moment she exclaimed, “Yet you
have conquered, Mr. Kessler. You
have gone on living, living well and
nobly, in a world that left you abso
lutely nothing to live for. How did
you do it? It seems strange that I
who have everything should turn to
you who have nothing, and say
'Please help me.’ But I do. Be
cause right now it seems that it is
you who have everything and I who
have nothing. Will you help me?”
He asked, "Do you want me to try
to tell Dick what he’s being asked
to fight for?”
"Yes! Can you? WiU you?”
•TU try. I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you! You can do it bet
ter than I can. You’ve seen it. And
you are so wise, so gentle, so—how
can I say it? I mean you’re the only
man I know I’d trust to do it well.”
There was a brief silence, then he
said, "And you?”
"I’ll take it, Mr. Kessler. Forgive
me for being such a coward.”
Margaret was going to have a
Christmas party for some of her
schoolmates, and Elizabeth suggest
ed that she and the two older chil
dren come to Kessler’s apartment
one afternoon to decorate the Christ
mas tree. As it was hard to buy
ornaments in the stores they brought
their own, part of an abundance left
over from earUer holidays. Margar
et was there, jumping with excite
ment while Kessler looked on. He
liked Christmas, and enjoyed her
pleasure in it. While he was show
ing Elizabeth the silver fountain pen
Spratt had given him as a Christmas
present, Dick was dragging in a
ladder, and caUing to Elizabeth to
move out of his way. "We'll start
at the top," he said, setting up the
ladder by the tree and beginning to
climb. "You hand me the junk,
Cherry.”
With Elizabeth’s assistance, Cher
ry handed up the junk. Margaret
helped, her arms full of tinsel and
her eyes wide and joyous. “It's just
beautiful," she kept saying over and
over. “It's just beautiful."
She got close against the resplend
ent tree and looked up through the
branches. "I can see you up there,
Dick! Look at me."
He bent down, scratching his face
on the branches. “Sure, I see you.
Hello.” As he leaned over, a collec
tion of glass balls slipped out of his
hand and smashed on the floor at
her feet.
"Oh!” Margaret cried in dismay.
"It doesn't matter,” Cherry reas
sured her, "there are plenty more.”
“You’ve hung up about all it will
hold, anyway,” Kessler observed as
the door opened and the housekeeper
came in to tell Margaret her supper
was ready. Margaret shrank back
against the tree, looking down at
the broken glass before her.
“I—I’m scared,” she confessed.
"I might fall down and get cut.”
"Yes, so you might,” Elizabeth
agreed. “Come give her a lift,
Dick.”
“Okay. Wait a minute, Margaret.”
Dick scrambled down from the
ladder. Remarking that he had
jolted some lights out of place, Cher
ry climbed up to adjust them. Dick
reached across the broken glass.
“Put your arms around my neck
and hold tight so I can lift you,
Margaret. There you are. She’ll be
along in a minute,” he said to the
housekeeper, and as she went out
he swung Margaret across the pile
of glass and set her down. "Right?”
he asked her.
She nodded. “Right, thank you.
I’m always scared of falling down
'on broken things. I fell down once,
and got a bad cut on my neck. See?”
She drew the collar of her dress
aside.
Dick bent to look at the scar she
showed him. “Why, you did get a
bad cut. How did that happen?”
"A man kicked me,” said Mar
garet, "and I fell down.”
"What?” said Dick.
The eyes of them all turned to
her—Elizabeth, her hands full of tin
sel, Cherry on the ladder adjust
ing the lights, Dick standing beside
Margaret at the foot of the tree.
Kessler, sitting in his chair near by,
said nothing. But Margaret ap
peared not to realize the start she
had given them.
"What man kicked you?" Dick de
manded. and stopped, absorbing the
idea of men who kicked little girls.
Margaret answered without any
excitement. “The man who killed
my mother.”
(TO BE CONTINUED)
THROWING THE BULL
Among the stories which have
crossed the ocean about those fabu
lous British Commandos is this sto
ry of one who had spent a long eve
ning with friends at the village inn.
They showed him a quick way home
across the fields, forgetting that the
local bull was loose.
The bull attacked, not recognizing
the Commando's red beret The un
fortunate animal was gripped by the
horns and lugged about the field un
til it managed to break free and
bolt
"Pity I had those last two drinks,”
said the soldier-matador. "I ought
to have got that chap oft his bike.”
Good Neighbor Policy
Jones looked over his garden
fence and beckoned to his neighbor.
“I say, Smith,” he said confiden
tially, "I understand you have
Brown's lawn mower.”
"Yeah, what of it?”
"Well, if you’ll let me borrow it
occasionally, I'll let you use his
rake and shovel."
Sports Item
Mother — You were supposed to
come home from the ball game in
an hour, and you stayed nearly two
hours.
Boy—It really wasn’t my fault,
mother. I tried to steal home in the
fifth inning, and they wouldn’t let
me.
HE GOT PLENTY!
Mr.—While I was out with the
boys last night, a burglar broke into
our house.
Neighbor—Did he get anything?
Mr.—I'll say he did. My wife I
thought it was me!
Something Missing
Mother—Jimmie, you appear to
have been at the jam again.
Jimmie — Don't go by appear
ances, mother.
Mother — No, I go by disappear
ances.
Rational Behavior
Mrs.—Is it true that the butcher
got so fed up with the meat short
age that he closed his shop and went
on a vacation?
Mr.—Yes, he’s gone on a meat
loaf.
Long and Short of It
Wifie — Does the newspaper give
any description of the missing cash
ier?
Hubbie—Yes, he was about 5 feet,
5 inches tall and about $70,000 short.
Starting Even
She—I see by the paper that a boy
who speaks six languages has just
married a girl who speaks three.
He—I'd say that is about the right
nandicap.
Winter Winds
Myron—This is certainly terrible
weather!
Byron—Yes, all it’s fit for is con
versation.
History Lesson
Teacher—What did Caesar say
when Brutus stabbed him?
Boy—Ouch!
Golf Yarn
Brother—I made a hole in one.
Sis—One stroke?
Brother—No, one sock.
THANKSGIVING
Mr.—May I have the afternoon off
to go shopping with my wife?
Boss—No; certainly not!
Mr.—Thank you very much.
Extra Long
Mrs.—I saw a swell show this
afternoon, but I couldn’t stay for
the last act.
Mr.—Why not?
Mrs.—They said it took place a
month later.
Double Trouble
Bess—I hear Jack’s dad has two
wives to support.
Tess—You don’t mean he’s a biga
mist?
Bess—No, but Jack just got mar
ried.
DECEITFUL KASCAL
Angelo had been hired to work
with a road gang high in the moun
tains and had been warned abput
rattlesnakes. He had been told,
however, that a rattlesnake would
always give a warning before strik
ing.
One day as Angelo sat on a log
eating his lunch, he noticed a large
rattler a few feet away from him
coiled and ready to strike. Depend
ing on the information he had been
given, he nonchalantly crossed his
legs and waited for the signal. Just
as he made this move, the rattler
struck, landing on the log just a
quarter of an inch away from An
gelo's leg. For a second there was
nothing but dust, and a few hundred
feet away Angelo was heard to say:
"Son of a gun, what’s a da mat you
no ringa da beli."
QUESTION OF AGE
Joan—I don’t Intend to be married
until I'm 30.
Jane—I don't intend to be 30 until
I’m married.
Old, Old Story
Wifey — Where were you last
night?
Hubby—Well, in the first place . . .
Wifey—Yeah, I know all about the
first place. Where were you after
that?
Bright Side
Joe—This is a funny war in one
way.
Bill—What way?
Joe—The Yanks are on one side
and the jerks on the other.
Fair Enough
Her—Do you love me?
Him—Madly!
Her—Would you die for me?
Him—Well, er—no. Mine is an un
dying love.
One Thing Safe
Agent—Do you want all your of
fice furniture insured against theft?
Manufacturer — Yes, everything
except the clock. Everybody
watches that.
Dough-nut
Mack—There is going to be a
bread shortage.
Jack—That won’t bother me any.
Mack—Why not?
Jack—I only eat toast.
Old As You Want
Tommy—My granddad is 70 years
old.
Jimmy — That’s nothing. My
grandma will be a 170 if she lives
long enough.
DING-A-LING
John—What has done most to
arouse the working classes?
Mary—I give up.
John—The alarm clock.
Didn’t You Know?
Dumb—What is the purpose of let
terheads?
Dora—So you can find out the
name of the man who signs the let
ter.
Parsonage Pun
Stranger—I want your father to
marry us and this is the girl who is
to be my wife.
Preacher’s Daughter — He’ll be
very glad to mate you. I’m sure.
Knot So Good
First Acrobat—How did you ever
learn to walk a tight rope? Don’t
tell me you picked it up yourself!
Second Acrobat—No, it has to be
taut.
Double Dose
Dora—My father and mother are
cousins.
Cora—So what?
Dora—That must be why I look
so much alike.
Washed Away
Nit—Why doesn’t water leave the
shore?
Wit—Probably because It’s tide
there.
Mind Your Manners
Stranger—Little boy, would you
like to show me the post office?
Boy—I’d like to, sir, but my
mother says it’s impolite to point.
Appropriate
Wilie—What’6 the name of the
milkman’s daughter?
Hubbie—Rosie O-Grade-A.
Correct
Nit—What is an octogenarian?
Wit—A fellow who takes care of
octopuses.
I
Fattening Lambs
One help ’in putting weight on
lambs is to keep sheep and lambs
free from parasites, especially nodu
lar worms and stomach worms. In
festation with parasites holds back
growth and increases feed costs.
Serious losses from parasites can
be prevented by providing clean
pasture, by the use of phenolhiazine,
and by taking other precautions.
Bike Passenger
You invite disaster when you
carry another person on your bike
W0R10S lARGtST SUliR At I0<
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1I
I LAKE P
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1 as.’T~*■«.. l
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COLDS’ LOCAL CONGESTION
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Accident Facts states that In one
of every five or six fatal accidents
the driver’s vision was obscured.
More than one-third of the factors
responsible for reduced visibility
were on the vehicle itself, such as
rain, fog. frost, snow or stickers on
the windshield. Nearly one-third
were highway factors, such as treea,
buildings, embankments or sign
boards.
CLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT,
WANTED TO BUY
Pt’PPIES WANTED
We buy puppies of all hfnds, also kit
tens, ranaries. parrots, etc. Give des
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first letter.
GKIS1.KK PET STORE
I1S North Sixteenth Street
Omaha 3 Nebraska.
RADIO TUBES
Radio Tubes for aalo. 8end card stating
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DRUG STORE FOR SALE
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How To Relieve
Bronchitis
Creomulslon relieves promptly be
cause it goes right to the seat of the
trouble to help loosen and expel
germ laden phlegm, and aid nature
to soothe and heal raw, tender, In
flamed bronchial mucous mem
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a bottle of Creomulslon with the un
derstanding you must like the way It
quickly allays the cough or you are
to have your money back.
CREOMULSION
for Coushs, Chest Colds, Bronchitis '
I Matt £nerm tonic
I Older people I If you haven't the
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HB ^B^^^B human
KIVE l*fi*Ti
sessMit /
MUSCULAR ACHEsl
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When raw winds
cut like a knife .,.
CHAPPED LIPS
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Skin becomes sore—may crack and
Werrd. Soothing Mentholatum acts
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the local blood supply to the “sore”
area. (2) Helps revive "thirsty” cells
so they can retain needed moisture.
For chapped, raw skin, smooth on
Mcntholatum. the comforting medi
cated balm. Handy jars or tubes 30#.