The monotonous clickity-clack of the train to New Bedford seemed to hypnotize Grace Bailey as she sat in the seat next to her mother. It had been about two years since she had been to that small, quaint town in which must of her life took place, and yet it seemed to Grace like just yesterday she had received the letter telling her that her husband, James F. Marshall III, had been killed in England. She and her mother, May Bailey, had gone there to retrieve his body. "Grace, are you feeling alright?" May asked.
"I'm fine, Mother. How are you feeling?"
Grace had been concerned about her mother because she had contracted pneumonia in Europe. She had recovered well enough to travel, but was still a bit weak. "Don't worry about me, Dear. I'm stronger than you think. I'm concerned about you. You have been so quiet."
"I'm just tired, Mother. The trip thoroughly exhausted me." Grace replied.
"I know it did. Let's just be thankful we made it out of that God-forsaken place alive!"
Grace nodded with a sigh. Europe had been an absolute horror. All the fighting and killing had scarred her memory. She had had nightmares every night since she left. She was beginning to dread closing her eyes, in fear that if she did she would see all that terror again. All her life she had dreamed of going to that great continent. Now she just wanted to forget about everything that had to do with it.
"Next stop, New Bedford!" called the conductor from the front of the car.
May turned to Grace and smiled kindly at her "You'll feel better once we are home. It will be so nice to see everyone, won't it?"
Grace didn't say anything. She was too busy staring out the window, wondering what was in store for her next.
"Mom, hurry up! The train will be here any minute!" yelled Violet Bailey to her mother, Honey Sutton.
"Hold your horses, I'm coming!" said Honey from her bedroom as she pulled her comb through her hair for the last time.
She placed the comb on her dresser and went out of the room. Heading for the door she saw that Violet already had her coat and boots on and was leaning impatiently against the wall. "Come on, Mom! We're going to miss it!"
Honey promptly threw on her coat, placed her hat on her head with a fashionable tilt and went out the door with Violet walking swiftly in front of her. "I can't believe Grandma Bailey and Aunt Grace are finally coming home!"
Honey couldn't believe it either. It had been about two years since she had seen Grace or May. She and Toppy, her sister-in-law, had received letters and telegrams from the both of them throughout the time that they were gone, but that just wasn't the same. Toppy had also been caring for May's house and her ward, Maisy McGinty. Maisy had dearly missed her guardian and was eagerly awaiting her homecoming. "Mom, do you think that Grandma Bailey and Aunt Grace will be different?"
This question struck Honey with surprise. "I suppose that they will be different. You have changed since they last saw you. You have grown a full two inches!"
"That's not what I meant Mom and I think you know that. I meant will they act different."
"I don't know dear, they may. They have been through a lot. They might need time to recover."
"That's what I thought." Violet replied.
Violet didn't say anything else until they got to the train station. There they saw Toppy. "Hello Aunt Toppy!" she shouted.
"Hello their Violet! Hi Honey! Isn't this exciting?"
"It certainly is. I guess all my prayers didn't go unheard," exclaimed Honey as she reached the platform.
"We all prayed for their safe return and looks as if God has heard us! Where are Max, Fat and Zach?"
"Fat had to go run some errands for Mr. Cramp and Max and Zach went off somewhere a few minutes ago. He said he'd be here soon though."
"That's funny. Maisy told me that she had to run an errand for the Cramps. You think there up to something?" Toppy said with a mischievous smile.
"I don't know! But if they are I'm sure it will be a something special" Honey replied with a smirk.
Just then, a slightly tall man with glasses walked up to the women. "Hello ladies." He said.
"Well if it isn't Jim Flett! How are you? It's been so long since I have seen you out and about!" exclaimed Toppy
Jim Flett was a teacher at the New Bedford school and a personal friend of Max's. He had also once been one of Grace's many beaus.
"I am fine. I have been very busy lately preparing for the end of spring break. Tell me, how is Grace? Have you heard from her as of late?" Mr. Flett said in his knowledgeable manner of speaking.
"Didn't you hear? She's coming home! In fact we are waiting for her train to come in right now."
"Jim, you must be the only person in New Bedford who hasn't heard! Grace is coming home!" Honey added to the conversation.
"Well, with school out for spring break, I don't get as many chances to talk to Max. I am glad to hear that she is safe. The things you read in the news papers these days are hard to swallow. I wouldn't have wanted to be there."
"Why don't you stay, Jim? I'm sure Grace would love to see you." Honey suggested.
"No, I'd best be going. Pritchard is waiting for me at the apartment." He said and then he tipped his hat in a gentlemanly manner and walked away toward the The New Bedford Hotel where he and the Suttons both lived.
'The poor man!' thought Honey.
First he had left Grace, not because he didn't love her, but because he was unsure of himself. Then Grace, thinking that he would never be ready for her, eloped with James F. Marshall III (who was going by the name Van Mainwaring at the time). Jim, devastated, decided to try a more direct approach with his next love. He had attracted the attention of a teacher from Northbridge, but that relationship only lasted a year before she decide to take a teaching position in the states and leave him behind. Jim, his heartbroken once again, had totally shut down and had become the timid man he had been before.
All of a sudden, a train whistle sounded. Violet, who had been so quiet all this time, jumped for joy and yelled "It's coming, it's coming!"
Not much more than a moment after, they all heard a honk behind them. Honey and Toppy jumped, for they had been so focused on the fact that the train was coming that they didn't even notice the sound of an automobile behind them. They all turned to see Max, Fat, Maisy, and Zach sitting in May's car. The car wasn't dusty or dirty even though it hadn't been used in a long time. In fact, it was quite spiffy. Honey realized that the kids and Max must have washed it. Max, who was leaning out the window, was grinning. "I thought that Mrs. Bailey would like to ride home in her own car!" he shouted.
"Your darn tootin' she would!" Toppy shouted back.
Max and the kids got out of the car and walked over to the women. "You're just in time. We heard the train just before you scared us to death with that horn!" Honey said laughingly
"The car's a knock-out! How did you do it?" Toppy asked as she admired the automobile.
"You wouldn't believe what a little soap and polish can do, Aunt Toppy! Hey, look here comes the train now!" exclaimed Fat.