Page:Frank Owen - Rare Earth, 1931.djvu/36

 The wish of her life was to be a real mother to the queer little boy but she was frustrated at every turn. He was polite to her. He treated her as a friend that was all. In time she grew resigned to his attitude. When he had gone to war on that last night before leaving for camp, she had been very close to him. For one brief moment she had felt as though he were really her son. Softly she had kissed him on the forehead.

"Now close your eyes," she had said. "Forget that I am here. Think only of your mother. Say a silent farewell to her. She is in this room. Her heart is almost broken. Now I will go so that you may be alone with her."

In the morning Scobee had left while all the house was still sleeping. He had joined his chum, Rad Graham, who had gone with him never to return. Rad had been killed in the Argonne, happy-go-lucky Rad who always had a joke and a smile for everyone. What had happened to that joyous spirit that returned no more to Galvey?

All this Roma thought of as she sat there