8
AFTER TWO YEARS
By Adriennc Thum
TITE SUNDAY BEE: OMAHA, NOVEMBER 19, 1922.
Crippled But Hopeful, the War Hero Goe$ Back to tlm
Girli Who Were So Kind to Him; Would They
Remember Him and Still Be Kind?
Jim Handera does not Bound Ilk
(lit nam of hro, but In th World
war thtra wrr heroes who had
van Icm heroic name. Jim had
gone gladly to tha front. If wanted
excitement, and lia had a plenty. II
had aioud In tha cold rlvr all night
long, up to lila aim pita, helping tha
boat to land.
It la well ha had seen aorna fight
ing ami excitement befor thla hap
pened. for afterward h had only
pain and anguish In lila leg thut
would not lot him alt or II or atand
In any comfort. Then h wa ent
home, and put In tha hospital at
I,oulsvlll, Camp Zwhary Taylor.
It wn reslly th nearest thing to
home that Jim had ever known. It
wu horn and brought up In the
mountains of Kentucky. II wa an
orphan befor h was six, and had
lived, until h wan old enough to
work, on tha charity of people al
most a poor a himself, Aftor h
loft I-oulsvllle h had Ron from
hospital to hospltul, hut to no avail;
th nerves In til leg gradually died.
Jim had never been Rood looking;
sandy hnlr, wispy and unkempt,
small Mu eye, a wll mouth, hol
low check, that might hsv been
round la-lore puln hnd don II work,
Them wn on thin Jim hn1 b-nrn-d
whl! at ('limp Taylor that hnil
glorified even imin. It wit Unit he
hnd a personality. II couldn't for
fret th throb and thrill and joy h
felt, In spile of nil hi suffering, In
knowing thut to some people he waa
not tin absolute nonentity. The doc
tor hnd found they rould not help
him, mid hud given hlin braces for
nerves, Th steel brace were very
awkward that aupportod hi limp
and nerveless legs, but the dreadful
piiln was gone and that wan some
thing. When fortune mulled on Jim In
th shape of a pension, hi great
est desire wu to go tmck to where '
h hnd ilrt felt tha thrill of Im
portance. II know that Curnp Tny
ler wa broken up. but there were
th people In the city. Thut night
a he lay In hi berth In th sleeper
he could hardly sloop for thinking
of the folk for the lust six month
of th wur, First there wax Ml
Grace Hon, who had come to tench
him how to moke baskets and bend
thing to pass away the tedious
hour when lie wn on hi back.
She hal taught him how to wrlie '
a little, too. He could only writ
hi name and form the letter of
the alphabet. Bhe aw how much
he wanted to lenrn to rend and
write thnn to mak funcy thing,
so h gave him a lesson each time
lie enme out.
"What shall I ot for a copy for
you?" she hnd nuked. Anil he hnd
answered with a boldne born of
a petted Invalid: "Bet me the copy
'I love you.'" She hnd laughed,
but Mm illd It. He chuckled ,nloud
In his bcrih when be thought of
how Mix firnre looked nt him.
Then when he hnd got belter for
tho time being, nnd could walk
around on hi crutches and come to
Louisville on the par, MIh Orece
hnd Invited him to dinner on Sun
day. Mr. Or OK had been so polite
and ntwnys nuked him how his
rheumutlKm wn. When he told her
at one time he thought he was
going went, she didn't understnnd
him nnd asked "to what city?"
MIhh Clrace had laughed and ex
plained, "Why, mother, he meunt
to Heaven; don't you know the
boy call It going west?
They were awfully fine people
and had everything grand, but
sometimes he was not just as easy
about how to eat and what to say
as he was with Mother Wilson. He
thought of how he got to know
Mother Wilson. He was on the
street car. He bad laid his crutches
beside him, but they obtruded Into
the mule so that a pretty girl who
got in stumbled over one.
"I am sorry," he aald.
"O, It doesn't make any differ
ence," she answered, and sat down
beside him. "Mother and I always
tajt nn Interest In soldier, and ea
3lully If they ara wounded,"
Then they talked for a while and
Mary tatd her brother had been
killed on No Man's land during
th firtt of the war. Her mother
hnd been all broken up, but she wu
cheered by doing for the soldiers,
and there was nothing thut made
hor no happy a to feed them. Hhe
akl him to com Wednesday
night to supix'r, nnd every Wednes
day nlht after that he Welti, and
h Ml o fir that he took hi
buddy. John MiMiku, with 14m. It
lua. I.i h in k,i'l to think of John
H.iik hrvau h bud Hot oen
him In ih twi yet! !n. they
p-iil.d t II. l- Kt tn I.oulnlle.
II iH,.,.-, Mil, I It M. It
h .l wiitint .i ih ,U .-. John h.
nt him, tint bsl luviu.l nn
SnMrr V, l.-ti. he hvl r"
ll-a , Ultrf t m xt h b-..u
b tl I I.,. I t "
Well, h wouldn't think of sad
thing tonight, bwauss tomorrow
b would w all tli other dear
frlnd. Mother Wilson embroid
ered for a dreamakr and Mary
waa a clerk In a big department
atom. They were poor, but Ihey
certainly did hav a cosy little flat.
1I laughed aloud as he thought of
tho happy evening when they
Invited Jnne Springer and Pet Cob
over to supper, and they touated
marahmnllow and popped corn on
tha kitchen stov later. Mother
Wilson said It did seem If they
could never get enough to eat, and
tha more Ihey ate the happier she
waa. O, yes, h had almoat for
gotten Nun nle Murphy; aha sewed
for tha sams dreiwmnker that
Mother Wilson embroidered for. Of
course, Nannie was an old nisld
she was 35, but she waa good heart
ed. Hhe made doughnut for them
nil. He recollected how she made
a man out of ths dough with on
lug shorter than ths other, and gave
It to him. Mother Wilson hnd cried,
"For shame, Nannie, to remind Jim
that be la Inme,"
He bad not minded a bit. Indeed,
be thought It was funny, but the
tears bud come Into Nannie's eyes,
nnd she looked ashamed, so lis bad
putted her hand and said; "Don't
you mind, Nun; you nre Just gettln'
back at me for tensing you about
being an old mnld."
His buddy, John rlpurka, bad u
way with girls, looking at them
from under his long eyelashes, and
kidding them ubout everything they
did, making them laugh and blush
In a way they never did with him;
but bo knew they liked him, too.
If they wanted a lamp, bracelet,
clock, lock, or anything mended,
they always got hlrn tn do It, He
wu skillful with his bunds and was
so glad to do anything to pleusu
them. How he looked forward to
those Wednesday evening. He re
memhered how Pet Cob hud said
to him, 'Tou ought to get married,
you nre so hundy ubout the Iiouhb."
The remark had thrilled him, so
ho could hardly answer. "Do you
think anybody would marry a lume
duck like me?"
"Hure," Jane flprlnger had chipped
In, "didn't you got It In doing your
duty; what are we all talking pa
triotism for If we wouldn't marry
a soldier because he had gotten hurt
In tho war?"
"I can do things with my hand
and make a living."
And then Mother Wilson bad re
marked, "and if your rheumatism
don't get well, they will give you
a pcnalon, and It ought not to be
any t lie sum when both your legs
are hurt."
Hut Jim was astute enough to see
thut It was nil fun when the girls
spoke of marrying him, but when
John Spnrks was the one In ques
tion, there was nn undercurrent of
seriousness no matter how the girls
laughed and joked. When John hnd
gone away he could soe how Pot
Cob had missed him. Bhe would
ask, with a flush, If he hnd henrd
anything from him. He would have
been mighty glad If nny of the glrlH
had thought that much of him.
How he had yearned for a wife
and children and homo, no one
knew. Of coume, he wasn't going
to give himself away, and he hnd
hoped so he would get well, and
then he could ask well, most any
of those girls if she would love him
would make him glad. Of course,
he knew now that he would always
bo a cripple, but he had his pen
sion, and with his clock mending
tUHlnes he could take care of a
wife. Kverybody bad seemed to like
him so much, surely he had enough
In him for one woman to love. He
thought of the three girls, Mnry
Wilson, June Springer, and Pet Cob,
all so young nnd Jolly and Industri
ous. Of coume, Nannie Murphy
waa nn old mnld and out of the
question as fnr as marrying was
concerned, but she waa good to
him and he would ba glad to see
her. If he bad time, he would rnll
on her. The others would want to
se ns much of blm ns they could:
he was sure of that. He bad started
bis clock mending biiMlnee In Chi
r.igo and hs would b:ve tn get bnrk
In a few day. He laughed blm
slf as h thought, "eiM-Ully If I
gut married,"
H would biv to - th I:o-ui'
i!ln. II tievi-r could be tew grate
ful o Mw tirn, for loathing blm
bw to write, i vni a pixuly us b
did. f cuum. h nr.-r itiuld ex
l , t M, Cine to I.M'k on lain
a l.r iu. I. nt h t"l' I th would
atwity th'tili nf him a a frirnd,
Hli w it k(u fin, and (lyluah.
II rer.tl.,1 in inin.l hnw Ih-v all
qimtUH.rd K.in al Mittir Wiiniii
Bl-Ollt I. t llillllrl Wllb th t'.i-"
Ha chucklod as ba recalled Pat Cob
anklngi
"Now what waa th first thing
you had?"
"I think they anld 'croquet;. It
wss soft and rniii.hy and brown,"
"What kind of a croquette was
It lobster, chicken, veal, munh
room, or what?"
II shook his head,
"flrreny," cried out Mary Wilson,
"what did It last like?"
"Well, It was soft; mayba It was
chicken."
"Then what?" said Mother Wil
son. "Then some kind of fluffy stuff
egg or whipped cream, andlt had
little Mark things In It, either peas
or nuts."
"What did they Innte like?" asked
Nannie Murphy, "I don't think peas
and nut taste alike."
"I couldn't tell; It all went down
no slick." '
"Isn't ha th limit. I'd a lief
get up a dinner for a dead man,"
cried I'et Cob.
"I bet he know pork and bouua
and pumpkin pie," put in Mother
Wilson.
"What did you hav next?" per
sisted Msry.
Jim had brightened at this and
answered, "Hulad."
"What kind of a salad?"
"O, for tha land's snks, Mary, can't
you lot Jim alone,"
"No, I wont to know. Jim ought
to learn bow to tell something."
Thus cornered Jim said weakly,
"All kinds of things; vegetables and
fruits."
"Did It have mayonnaise or
French drowsing?" asked Jane
Springer.
"I don't know and I don't care,"
Jim cried, beaten Into a corner.
"Thnt la right, Jim; It ain't fair
for them to get nfter you so hard.
Hut Just tell us did you have any
dessert?" put In Nannie Murphy.
"Vcs, wo had a deesert. At firm
I thought It was an ice, but It didn't
taste like one. It was frozen on
the outside, but Inside It was soft
and mushy and had a dark sweet
gravy around It. I think It was
chocolate."
"Wi II, I wouldn't hire you for roy
cook," said Pot.
"Well, he can pop the best corn
In the crowd," defended Nannie.
Jim thought with a smile- of good
old Nannie, how she always took
up for him. Yes, he certainly must
find time to go see Nannie, even If
the other girls did try to keep him
a long as they could. Perhaps
Mother Wilson would Invite them
nil over to supper as ho had on the
Wednesday nights when he was at
the camp hospital.
There was Sam I-a Oros, clerk
In the drug store where he bought
clgarets. Ho was an awful clever
fellow; he would go to see him. He
had taken him to Mother Wilson's
one WednoHday, and thoy had nil
liked him ever so much; but he nev
er went with him any more, al
though he thought that he liked
Mary Wilson pretty well. He would
JiiHt stop off on his way to Mother
Wilson's nnd say "Howdy" to Snm.
Jim went to sleep at lnHt. The first
thing he knew they were about in
LoulMVllle. It would have been a
hustle nnd a scramble to make his
toilet exeept ho hnd not undressed,
for tho braces on his legs were too
hnrd to adjust for him to take them
off In a sleeper. He gave bis Jialr
a lick and a promise, put hla few
scattered, possesions in his suit
case, nnd was limping down to the
platform.
"Hello, Sam, do you know me?"
"Wrell. for the love of Mike, If It
ain't Jim Sanders. What are those
things doing on your legs? I thought
by this time you'd be running
around like a two year old."
Jim's face clouded. He had for
gotten for the moment all about the
pesky things.
"I'm as well as I will ever be, Sam.
The nerves are dead and I have to
wear these braces to keep my legs
from doubling up: but what is all
the news with th folks? Beon
Mother Wilson and her crowd late
ly?" "Well, the latest news with me Is
I have got a youngster Just four
weeks old."
"No! and I didn't even know you'd
married. Who is th girl?"
"Mary Wlbinn, of course. Didn't
yon know I waa nweet on Mary?"
Jlm'a heart guv a thump of dl
appointment. Not that he cared so
much more for Mnr than the other
girls, oply she made one Iras who
might have liked him. Hut he only
said: "l thought you liked Mary,
but you never would go with m
but once on WeilnrmUy nUt'l."
"V. but I went imwt of the other
nibt. A man don't want a hou
full of pipl around when be tll
a girl that he loves her."
"Writ, I d Ilk to - her and th
kt l. t , If M I nil rlKhl ta so."
Hur It Is W liv. In the fUt
with Mother WIImhi, Hi I a sue
enoush mother to in now, and tha
nine h t kind of a grata. Illtoltur id
h .ihjr "
H .t m HohMt'd h mt a
atreet car, Just a we bit sad that
thing could Chang ao In two year.
Mother Wllaon greeted Mm at her
door la a way that wanned hla
heart,
"It la Juat like old time to hav
you back. Come right Into the
kitchen. There la no fir In the
alttlng room."
Mary had gone to her mother In
law's with her baby, thrr to spend
th evening.
"I am ao busy gottlng this em
broidery don for a bride. It has
to b don by tonight, and it ia
not half finished. 1 wss Just going
downtown In a hurry to match thl
Ilk, so I will have to excuse my
self now, but If you can com and
take supper with us thla evening, I
know Mary and Hum wil be de
lighted and then you can see the
baby,"
Jim accepted gladly. Then he
saw a troubled look coma Into
Mother Wilson's eye, aa ah added:
"I forgot. Ham told Mnry that he
would take her to a vaudeville to
night, and as It will be th first
time they have been out together
elnc the baby came, I know they
would he dlappolnted not to go."
"Thnt la all right," aald Jim.
"Why couldn't you askl'ntCob and
Jan fiprlnger over? I'd Ilk to
see the girls."
"My! Didn't you know that Jane
. Springer hue married and gone to
Ht. I,ouls to live, and I'et Cob was
offered a better place In a big store
In Chicago and baa been ther more
thnn a year?"
Jim's henrt sank. "And Pet Cob
bus been In Chicago all that time
and never let me know,"
"Maybe she did not know your
address.'!
"I sent it to you on a Christmas
card. Didn't you tell the girls?"
Mother Wilson cleared her throut
and seemed embarrassed. "Well, to
tell you the truth, I did tell her, and
asked If sho wasn't going to let you
know she waa there."
"And didn't she want to see me?
I'd a done anything I could to keep
her from being loneaome."
"Don't you worry about her being
lonesome. 1'et's got a beau In Chi
ciiko I think bo Is a Jealous sort
of chap, and maybe I'et thought it
better not to have you hanging
round.' You must not feci Pet didn't
like you, because I know sho did,
hut naturally she wanted to keep
her beau In a good humor."
"How Is Nannie Murphy."
"0, Nannie Is the same good soul
that sho always was." Then Mother
Wilson laughed. "Hhe ain't got no
beau; It ain't goodness thut catches
a beau. If It was,' Nannie would 'a'
been married long ago. But I'll
have to go now, and you be sure
to come tonight and have supper
with me, and I know you will be
glad to see the baby."
All the gladness had gone out of
the world for Jim; somehow It aeem
ed as If things had gone on Just as
well nnd even better without him
ns with him. Of course, Mother
Wilson liked him, but somehow her
mind wasn't on blm ns It had beon
during tho war. Why, she had not
even asked him about his rheuma
tism, she seemed so Intent on the
embroidery for that bride.
It was a painful progress with his
crutch and cane nnd braces to tho
home of the Rosses. It was a new
maid that opened the door; she did
not ask him Into the cozy library
with a welcoming smile ns the oth
er mnld had done. Instead, sho
asked him to have a chair In the
hall, and gave him a rather suspi
cious look. Could it be that on ac;
count of his lameness she took blm
for a beggar? He had on nice
clothes; he had taken great pains
to get tho nicest he could in honor
of his return to vlnlt his dearest
friends. They looked wrinkled from
his night on the train and from
bending over his crutch. Then he
hesrd the maid asking, "What name
shall I say?"
"Jim Bandera. . They know me
very well indeed they will be glad
to see me," he added, aa he marked
her disdainful expression.
A few momenta lator he heard tho
Itosnea talking on the upper land
ing. They evidently thought he hnd
been Invited Into the library out of
hearing.
"Mother, It la Jim Bandera down
stairs." "Well, I have got to do that
hopping thl morning. I will Juat
siieuk to blm and excuit myself.
Ion't you forget yog ar going out
to luncheon, firace, IVw't let h'm
mskn you late."
"No, mother, but I must Invite
hlin to d.nner thl evening. It
would ein too cool Id let him go
wllhmit Inviting him al all."
"Wrll. Just a you like, but lb
llemlPK are coming, and I don't
think II will be as lwnl with
Mm. Of cours. thnuch, If
en n't ! out of It, Invite him. b
esu I wouldn't hurt hi feline
for th wrM
.Urn dl-l .l nl them l know
IMl k hJ liM tbetr Hni.
lion, so h slipped aa nolehwly a
be could Into th library, wlier ha
felt aur they expected to n-id him.
The two Indie cam In ami gree
ed blm with groat cordiality nor
would Jim have felt any lack of the
old tint frlendMhlp if da IMI not
overheard th conversation on the
atalra. Mr. Hon was exaggeratedly
sorry about hi legs being parol.
yed, listened with ubnorheil Inter
Ast to som of the dtall of th
treatment that he had undergone;
then when h psuxed she cxcud
haraolf, saying she had a most lm
portant engagement, (J rue waa
not ns effusiv a her mother, but
Jim felt ther wn more ynithy
for blm behind her sllenco. There
was a rather awkward pnus after
Mrs. floss loft, then Orace remark
ed: "It Is a great thing to have
the war over. W ran nil get back
to our normal life."
''Hill, Miss Orace, I had the time
of my IK while I wu In tho honpl
tal here, I never can be grateful
enough for all you did for rne. I
know It wss Just because the war
was going on nnd you all wanted
to be good to us sick soldiers, but
then I thought it was nil me."
Grace flushed. "I don't know what
you mean."
"Well, I can't say things very
well, I know, but I thought It wsa
mn thnt the folks were so good to
and not Just a sick soldier."
"Well, It wns you, of coume. We
would never have met you If you
had not been a soldier In the hnspl
tal."
"ICvery one I so busy It, seems
as if they don't have the time they
used to have two year ago. Mother
Wilson is such a busy woman, It
seems as If she don't have the fun
In hor she had then."
"O, sh Is the one who took you
to lha Meihodlst church, nnd you
liked going so much sho wanted you
to Join snd told her you couldn't
because you were waiting to Join
the church your wife belonged to,"
laughed Clrace.
"That's Ih one, but I think now
I'd tnke most anything for . my
chance of getting married."
"You sre only 81. I wouldn't
give up yet."
"It, nln't my sge, It Is this," nnd
he touched the hruce on his leg.
After a few moments' sllenco
Jim nuked Oiaca If die knew nuy
thing of the two boys who had
bad ciits beside him nt the hospi
tal. "O, yes," she answered, relieved
to change the subject. "The little
Virginian went home noon nfter you
left LoulHVllIe, und be sent me nn
invitation to his wedding. And tho
other one, Litton, I think his nnnm
was, I mot on the street the other
day, and he asked after you. 1
would not have known him. ho
looked so well and robust, If ho
hnd not stopped me. I was glu 1
to see him, too," and thnn l,e added,
"I shnll always take an Interest in
the boys thnt were out lit camp."
After a little more talk, Jim re.
mombored about Oraco having nn
engagement to luncheon, so be awk
wardly rose to go.
"Oh, don't go yet," said firace un
easily. "I have an engagement to
luncheon, hut," looking at her wrlct
watch, "I don't have to go for half
an hour yet."
Jim muttered something about
some other folks expecting him.
"Won't you como to dinner toinor
row night?" begged Orace earnetly.
"No, I'm going back tomorrow
night."
"This is too short a stay. Well,
can't you come to dinner tonight.
I know mother would be delighted.
She did not know your stay would
be so hurried. Why don't you let
your friends get more than this lit
tle gllmpne of you?"
"I told Mother Wilson I'd come
there to supper tonight." '
"That Is too bad for us not to be
able to see any more of you than
this."
Jim fancied he saw relief In
Orace's eyes If not In her tone, lie
flt Inntlnctlvely that bud It been in
her power she would have gladly
gone back to the old feeling of In
eret sh had hud for him. only
the Interest was not there and, try
ns she would, she could not get it
Imek.
"Well, Rood bye, nnd good luck
to you." she said. tr etching nut her
hand. "It sure' und come bach
soon again, nnd then you mils"
st.y loiiRer. It hardly ecni worth
while to come so f.ir for only oti
night."
"It Is so hard to -t around In
thete thlliKS." -oliit!ng til lilt
tireec. "that I 'but think I will
tuvel any morn; wh.'H I g'l buk
to I'h.cugu I rn k.iii I H ty tio-i-,"
8 Jim went to a rf'-tri t
lunch, SI,. I thought bUleily aa hn
t hi rul bf and ni-tsiied p..ii.
loe how bill b hnd lprle..
with tl In ft u-nd. ! b fxroril i
lunch iiloii. Tb-u b ih mM f
N iniil Mini tiv
In th d.lr lu h " '
it ! law j r tiMi
