Fourth Installment j
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
The Sheridan Dramatic Club, ol
-which Tom Bllbeck. the narrator!
-Maryella. the frtrl he cares for and
Jim CooDsr his rival, are membersjh
?re to Blve Pvemalion and Oalatea at
-the OW Soldiers' Home. Mr.Hemmlns
-wav. husband of one of the actresses,
thinks Bilbct It is In love with his wife. |
The escaoe of Drlsoners from the local
penitentiary keens Bllbeck busv at
his newsnaner work so that he "?tj
*w ?v from the dramatic group. But
=r3XszsEtH ? nKhmrim htm and -stam
telllne th? storv oi 1 Dollvuiii'a" win
believes that evervtWnff that happens
turns out to be for the best. v
NOW OO ON WITH THE STORY
"She Is a sweet child." I said ad- '
mir!r.g!\ . 1
"But she doesn't die. so It Is all ?
right." Maryelta hastened t-o reassure]
me. "There is a great lesion In the
? "book though and If every one would
take It to heart this world would be a
?better place to live In. Don't you
think so?"
I looked at Maryella's eyes sharply.
? T never can tell from the rest of her
face whether she Is In earnest or not j
She was perfectly serious.
"Yes." I admitted cautlonsly.
"All we can do." she went on. "Is j
to make a beginning: but maybe others
-when they see how beautifully it works
?will follow our example." ?
"TJs?" I questioned in alarm.
"'Whom do mean, mean by 'us'?"
"Why, the Sheridan Dramatic Club \
of course! All the members whom >
-we have asked so far have agreed to j
?do It. Jim Cooper Started tt: ? He
just finished reading the book to me
scheme and also very practical. I ?
-wanted you to be one of the first to
come In. Mrs. Hemmlngv-ay and Jim ;
-and I are the only ones so far. but if
?you'll try it we'll >bring It up before
the club and maybe change the name
of the organization to the Optimists
or something like that."
"Ouch!" exclaimed Mrs. Hemming- j
-way. who had been sewing away in- ;
-dustriously while Maryella and I were
talking.
?What's the matter dear?*' Mary- {
?ella Inquired.
"I Just stuck the needle In my fln- i
Iter about an inch, darn It." mur- i
mured Mrs. Hemmingway feelingly, j
"You mustn't say 'dam it'," re- .
proved Maryella. "The fact that you I
? rrtrtl"' yourself is all for the best. |
'You ought to be glad.
"Why?" ,
Mrs. Hemmingway was a trifle ;
petulant.
"Because" ? Maryella paused and
thought a moment ? "because If the
-needle wasn't sharp enough to prick j
you, you couldn't sew with it So you
see It. is all for the best.
She turned to me triumphantly!
"You see how It works out. don't you, '
Tom? Isn't it lovely?"
"It would be even a better example
If It had been your finger." Mrs , Hem
test. because if it wasn't for the curve
you would probably be so tall that
your head would bump the celling.
After we got that one everything else
was easy.".
What was the use of being angry
with her? She evidently regarded my
'curves Impersonally, as if they were,
same freak of nature impossible , to j
explain, like the Grand Canon or Nia- i
gara Falls. It was more fun being !
with Maryella than against her In a
discussion, so I willingly let the sub- i
1?rt drop. Adopting our new code. [
?Tit.il.l.d It n-?% nil for th? |)-st. '
"How long before you'U be through]
with that?" Maryella asked Mrs. Hem
mlniway. who was pinnin; ruffles on ?
a curious-looking garment.
"Then. Tom." Maryella went on. |
taking charge of me and the expe- |
dltion with her customary eye ior ae
tail, "let's get started for the Old Sol- j
diers' Home right after lunch. Is the j
car running all right today?" . |
"I don't know. Are we- going out in S
the car?"
"Can't we?. It will be much nicer. |
Besides, there is no train back late I
at night and we don't want to sleep j
there-; I called up Mrs. Llllelove and .
she says we can use their "bus, as
there is no funeral In town this
afternoon. That holds twelve and If
you'll take me and three others that
will be all we need. Fred Merry
weather went out On the train with
the scenery and properties this mqrn
lng."
I agreed to this arrangement. I had
Grandmother Page would negotiate
the thirty miles out to the Home and
back without making any *fuss about
It. but I kept them _to- myself . The
prospect of the long drive with Mary
ella on the front seat beside me was
so roseate that I overlooked all the
blue goops that might be hovering lit
the background.
As a justifiable precaution, however.
I went to the garage to Inspect the
car as soon as I left Maryella 's house.
Grandmother rattled with joy when
she saw me coming, as she always
does: I gave her a lump of hard
grease and patted her on the radia
tor. As far as I could see she looked
as If* she would last twenty-four hours
longer.
Just ta be on the safe side, however.
1 put a hank Ot UHllim-'wUe and aoum
babbitt metal In the tool-box and
bought a package of chewing gum in
case the acetylene-gas system should
leak anywhere.
When I called at Maryella's house
I found that my load consisted of
Maryella herself. Mrs. Hemmingway,
Mrs. Llllelove and Jim Cooper!.
"I don't like to take' my car out in
bad weather." he explained In ans
wer to my look of surprise. "It's all
for the best anywaT^because this way
we can all be together."
I hastily smothered the reply that
rose to my Hps and busied myself ad
"I think I can finish in
hour, she answered. '
to -whether. 1
mlngway pouted, kissin? her own in
jured digit in the absence of her
husband. .
"* totaryella disregarded the comment
and continued t-o me:
"Even our afflictions will make uj
happy If we look far enough back or
lar enough ahead. There Is always
some blessing disguised in every ill. ,
All we have to do is hunt for it and j
If we look hard enough we'll forget !
all about the misfortune Itself and I
see only the benefit."
Maryella in a moment of enthusiasm
Is a glowing magnet. I could no more
have resisted her then as she stood
before me ilk* a little saint fairly alive
-with the spirit of optimism than an
rmotlonal sinner can stand against an
old-fashioned revivalist. I knew there
would come moments of doubt later
when I would kick myself for a sen- 1
tlmental fool, but now t was carried
?way by her belief In her propaganda
80 I promised to Join the cheer-up
movement and to seek for the kernel
of good In every husk of hardship.
"I knew you'd do it." Maryella con
gratulated. "You'll find It make-,
?everything look so different!
"Some problems are harder than
others, of course. One of the very
first things that struck me this morn
ing was remembering about your be
in; bowlegged I couldn't figure out
any way that It could be all for the
beet, but finally I got it. Jim Cooper
helped me."
"Oh. he did." I said truculently
"What'cheerful outlook coukJ you two
?et on the dark tact that I am laid
out In curves like a park Instead of
straight like a city streat?" .
? We decided trt<t it was all for the
When We Came Around the Turn the Home Band Burst into Melody
Jiistlng the carburetor.
It was snowing slightly and n pleas
ant winter sting was In the air an I
threw In my. clutch and Qrandmother
started nip with a Jerk as if X had
struck her with a whip.
We tefr totm at two o'clock and?
here is the surprise with which I close
this chapter? arrived at the Old Sol
diers' Home at three-thirty without
having to stop for anything!
CHAFlTER IV.
Comrade Pllk Henwether
I have never received a more royal
welcqme than that tendered us by
those living at -the Home. They had
heard us coming a long way down
the, road? that W one of the advan
tages Orandmother Page has over
most cars? and when we came around
the turn the Home Band burst In
melody.
"Burst" Is absolutely the correct
word, as' you would realize If you had
heard the sound and had seen the ex
presslon of the1 .players. Grand
1 mother Page shied and. nearly Jump
ed Into the ditch. The air was "The
star-Spangled Banner." but the
| slide trombonist evidently had the
wrong music.
I But what a bass -drum virtuoso I I
have never heard a baas-drum played
more feelingly, even In Sousa's Band
-What expression, what shades of
meaning the artist put Into tt! You
could Just picture the bombs bursting
i In air. first came the boiler-factory
? motif, then a minor counterpoint
melody of bursting quick-detachable
! ttres, and finally a reversion to the
' original theme tn the major key. and
: Ing In a magnificent crescendo, a sort
j of tone -picture, of a courtship be-"*
tween two coait -defense guns at two!
hundred yards' range. j
It was magnificent! Grandmother.
Page was shamed to absolut? silencc :
lor the first time since we have been
acquainted.
As we pranced -up to the gate the
?melody grew a trifle thinner. All the
^players seemed to be working just as
hard, but the result was discouraging.
One by one the artists would cease
and ahafce their Instruments
-with a mmlpd look. At Ien?th none
was left but the bass-dfum ? plujei
He hammered away regardless until
the leader took the drumstick away
from him.
Colonel Stewart, the acting head of
the Home, met us with outstretched
band. He was a fine, hearty old fel- ,
low with white hair and a close- 1
cropped military mustacher ?
"The boys certainly appreciate your
kindness in giving a show fo? them," |
he told us. "We're eight miles away
from anywhere out here and* they !
don't get many chances even to see
moving pictures.
The members of the band came up
and he introduced them. 1
As I shook hands enthusiastically I
with the bass-drummer. Colonel Ste
wart said:
"This Is Comrade Pilk Henwether. :
You'll have to Speak pretty loudly to
him. as he Is nearly stone deaf."
I congratulated him. "It's all for J
the best." ?
"We're sorry we couldn't play that
piece all tne way llil'uuali," apulogltud j
the? bandmaster. "We know all the
notes; but It's so cold that the wind
instruments all froze up. I told the <
boys not to blow damp, but I guess
they couldnt help It." .
"Never mind." I soothed. It's prob- j
ably a',1 for the best."
He looked at me suspiciously, but
apparently saw no guile in my eye
because he vent on cheerfully:
"It will be all right when we get
Inside and thaw out the horns. Then
well play It again for you." v
We had a lovely time that after- '
noon. The old sokUars were as eager ;
to plav as children. Iri the summer- ,
time they hud lots' ol vjsllbrs. but i:-.
the winter It was rather dull, The
Home Is on Three Bears Laki. eight
miles from the town of Pair Oaks at
the other end where the railroad sta
tion is. As a consequence few people
take the trip In winter except for
some Special reason.
Comrade Abel Dreyenfurth had
lost a leg at Antletam. That did not
Interfere with a lively desire to learn
the fox-trot, and Maryella spent an
. hour teaching it to him.
The bass-drummer Pilk Henwether.
t discovered In in: a kindred soul.
"X like you. Mr. Bilbeck." he con
fided at the top of his voice. "I can
vnn make faces ..when you
j speak."
j "The undertaker's "bus arrived Just
before dinner. We all ate together in
I a large mesS-hall. The dwellers at the
Home cook their own meals and do
all their own housework.
"That's the chief objection I got to
the Home." said Pilk Henwether. hard
lv raising his voice above a snout.
"There ought to be some female vet
erans. I'm durned If I like washing
dishes."
The dinner was . good, all except the
dessert, which was fallen angel-food
cake with ice-cream.
"Henry Kltajman made It." Pilk
confl4ed. " "and I think. It's punk. If
you- want my honest opinion. But I
wouldn't let htm hear me Say that be
cause it would only hurt his feelings."
As Comrade Klingman was in the
room and Pilk Henwether spoke in his
ordinary tone of voice, there seemed j
little doubt of his feelings receiving a
Jolt.
? -Tf though pilk went
-on. "when you come to think that
Henry has only got one arm. He says
the other one was shot off at Chan
cellorsvtlle. but it's my private opinion
he lost it runnang a buzz-Saw after
the war was over. Anyhow, he draws
an ?xtra allowance as a one-armed j
\ man." v| ?
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
Notice!
On Friday, 31st May. 182J. I will
offer for Mdc at Court bouse door In
Roxtooro, the John Rav place, bound
Ir.-J- W. Jacfcsona helrat Westerly. ;
Mows W instead Estate; and North
erly by Highway Roxboro to Concord.
sr. I abju1. I ml. turn Uimu.
las 68% acres more or lew. Thlm b*
ithortty conferred on me by deed
In trust executed by one Henry SnUUi
and recorded in Person County Bk. 3,
p. (00. default in its terms beta* made.
? mis April Tamr 1939. ? - ?
- T, -C. Brook's. .Tr . Tnintw
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Be sure that you carry a GOOD tire.
Let us put on a new tire and transfer your
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STEWART
CHEVROLET CO. ,
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Roxboro, N. C.
migki call tbu "putting
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'!
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AW."
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