Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-10

SUSPICION
By Frederic Taber Cooper
By Frederic Taber Cooper

trobbine beat OF his heart rang in his ears shutting
out other sounds, deadening thought itself As IN
dream he conscious of softly opening doors, ana
curious heads thrust out he passed successive land
ngs That the consequence of his reckless pressure
fight he was lust in time to see the trail OF the green
more vanish through the doorway af the front apart
ment Somehow he managed to cover the remaining
distance and thrust his foot forward, Just as the dooK
closed keep it from 1atching At the same time he
knocked with wrathful vgor. He heard her startled
exclamation as the door was flung open by man who
Certainly was not Windon HincIdey, man whom he
had never seen before WELL my friend, what do you
wantr the man asked sharply. II want my wifeH
Meish gasped hoarsely and flung himself into the
AS he did so she turned and faced him, woman
with coppery hair and lizard green dress-but not
NORA MANI iieaveI nUs ayo are not Nora r.
took minute or two for the truth to sink in He had
followed the wrong couple through mile OF New
York streets he had tracked them to their lair he had
violently broken in upon them, and all that he could
mink to say in explanation was Just these tour enig
a rou he ,ttered them ercv how he
scared mep said the woman, Il felt sure that was
Samp
weak Everything seemed to have grown curiousiy
black blacker than the stairs he had Just come up
two steps at time. That it, he told himself, the
stairs and the heat and the excitement He heard the
mans voice saying brusquey as if from some remote
distance, WELL now that you know it isn't Nora don
you think you had better be going And the woman
interposed hastily, Jim, can't you see that the man is
sickf He is going to fall" Melish tried to get to
the door tried to frame some words of apology
protest all in one, Instead he collapsed weakly into
chair. It was new morris chair, with gaudy plush
cushions His last conscious sensation was the stuff.
smell of new upholstery.
AS the haze cleared from his eyes, the was
holding thick umbler containing brandy to- his lips
the woman who had felt that he was Sam, the
woman whose hair like Nora's, and whose eye.
and mouth different AS she leaned over him
he noted the cold bold violet of her eyes the irregu-
1arity of her teeth, one of them badly blackened IK
the nmensity of his relief he felt his heart expand
towards this candestine couple who had been afraid
that he was Sam, and who now so plainly wished him
10 he He o1ueHt these tVOa a
for having cured him. for ALL of his chronic jea
ousy With sudden energy he gathered his long thin
limbs together and to his feet As he backed himself
out into the dingy hall, with final apology, he felt
honest amusement at the visible relief OF this man
and woman, the irregularity of whose lives had 50
nearly touched him. s..ts
1t was past their dinner hour when Mellish at last
reached home Nora radiant in her new lizard green,
too absorbed in herself to notice the disorder of his
appearance Wndon was here, she told him. and would
stay to dinner Wndon Vi do Well What M1ss Of IT, If In In the he
could afford to be cordial to Windon Hinckley.
Besides, he thought as he made hasty toilet it was
most only for hour; Nora would have to excuse
herself as soon as coffee was served if she was going
to the theatre with him tonight
The dainty dinner scored the that Nora's din
always scored when they not dining alone Nora
herself usual, nervousy voluble "How did Mrs.
Favershams luncheon go off Why there had not been
any luncheon. She hoped he had not been foolish
enough to try to meet her Mrs Faversham had tele-
phoned that it postponed her cousin had not come
from Buffalo after all Then turning suddenly to
Hnckley, "Tel me- Windon, about that mysterious
cousin Of yours Cousin Nelly isn't it? Your sister
says that you desperately in love with her once.
What is she like? Is she half nice as | amp"
AS he looked the dinner table Nora, dimpi-
ing under Hinckey's hattery suddenly Melishs Ella
ton fell They had shut him out those two young
old familiar spasm gripped his heart He realized that
he not cured after all the wonder was he had not
realized it sooner His bizarre bunder in following
the wrong couple all through summer afternoon was
no proof of Nora's innocence Tonight like every
other night he was powerless to read the truth Of