Part 4 (2/2)

She listened intently, her eyes stuck to those reaching arms, and the hands of them that beckoned and beckoned.

”Benny--” She murmured--”Benny--!”

Silence.

She could not think.

It was his talk that had done this--Benny's talk--He had said something about it--walking out--If it should come--out--! Moving all over like that--If its feet should start--! If they should of a sudden begin to shuffle--; shuffle out of the cornfield--!

But Benny wasn't awake. He--couldn't--see--it. Thank Gawd! If only something--would--hold--it! If--only--it--would--stop--; Gawd!

Nothing stirring out there in the haunting moon-lighted night. Nothing moving. Nothing but the figure standing waist deep in the corn field.

And even as she looked, the rigid, military figure grew still. Still, now, but for those slow, beckoning hands.

A tremendous dizziness came over her.

She closed her eyes for a second and then she stumbled back to the bed.

She lay there panting. She pulled the sheets up across her face; her shaking fingers working the tops of them into a hard ball. She stuffed it between her chattering teeth.

Whatever happened, Benny mustn't hear her. She mustn't waken, Benny.

Thank Heaven, Benny was asleep. Benny must never know how, out there in the whitened night, the hands of the figure slowly and unceasingly beckoned and beckoned.

The sight of those reaching arms stayed before her. When, hours later, she fell asleep, she still saw the slow-moving, motioning hands.

It was morning when she wakened.

The sun streamed into the room.

She went to the door and opened it.

”Benny--” She called. ”Oh, Benny.”

There was no answer.

”Benny--” She called again. ”Get on up. It's late, Benny!”

The house was quiet.

She half dressed herself and went into his room.

The bed had been slept in. She saw that at a glance. His clothes were not there.

Down--in--the--field--because--she'd--forgotten--to--wake--him--.

In a sudden stunning flash she remembered the crash she had heard.

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