The San Francisco call., 1909-03-07

to the right page, and then with exasPerSSthg
slowness let his pencil wander down II III nIay II
vacilated between two entries
Male or female'7 he drawled
Are there any women IN the mems dVSion'
asked, with asperity.
He ignored my irritation and chewed reAectivey
the end of a toothpick- He halted his pencil and
January 10 Ward l. streteher admitted
II p. m. Ward Is the male. accident ward. he
grudgingy added
went to the ward and introduced myself to the
nurse in charge. explaining that i'm search Of
play accident When l mentioned his being IN
evening dress she exclaimed
Il believe that very man is here That patient Just
opposite was brought IN with a fractured skull
little more than fortnight ago. lie IS recovering
but IS unable ~ give an account OF himself lie wore
dress suit and had no papers with him.
was positive that 'uest was successful so
experiment and then walked to the bed and cheerily
greeted the man. Having attracted his notice. said
Mr. Worthing. your wife sends her love and hopes
YOU will soon be able to come home to her and to
Donald"
flash Of intelligence lighted up his face
Now remember he cried, relievedly. 4 could
not make connections before ~
You know that your name Is Robert Worthings
"Of course! Robert Worthing OF the law hrm OF
friend Who because OF cold. was unable to keep
his appointment with at my club l was on my
way home from his house when something struSS me
my head. Since then my mind has been blank
But it all comes back to How did my wife
learn my whereabouts' | don't know Just where
You are in Oakland. in the city hospital Your
wife does not know what has become OF you' but she
shall
How long have been here?"
so long And has Mrs. Worthing been kept in
yes. The strain has been tremendous, but she
has borne 1t bravely Now you must not talk any
more can not stay, for l must let Mrs Worth1ng
When I got back and told Mrs Worthing where
| had been and what l had accomplished light
~IIe is mi In a hospital, am glad-sad-glad!
Marie Nyh hiatt Nv Nfr has
met with accident Ring up Doctor Heminway
and ask him to be ready to go with me to the city
at with the closed motor-order t-and if it be
advisable shall bring Mr. Worthing home with us.
The maid left the room, and helped her mistress
get into her wraps Her slight frame trembled with
excitement and her cheeks flaming But all of
sudden her rapture forsook her and she sank Imply
into chair Her lips. which had been soft and
curving with tender anticipation, Strengthened and
compressed and through them though wrung
from the very depths of her being like
: demnation:
That notely
She covered her face with her hands and crouched
motionless. | turned away. | could tighten her
load and could not contemplate It crushing her to
earth a knock and Marie announced that the car
was waiting. Mrs. Worthng pulled herself together
by supreme effort She resumed to some extent
her usual comPosure, and started tor the door With
her hand on the knob she stopped in momentary
. indeeision Then swiftly she crossed the room.
opened the wardrobe, singled out mans coat, and
drawing from her bag the incriminating letter, re-
placed it in the pocket in which she had found it.
She held her head high and glanced at chaleng-
I'VE shall forget that we have seen this" she said
ooldy and evenly. HE shall of his own accord tell
about this and then l shall decide what
, course of action to pursue. For the present Mr.
Worthing is ILL., and the place for his lawful wife is
J his side"
Without another word she swept by me- secretly
rejoiced that she had left me like this It was be-
of her intuition that she had not asked me
to respect her confidence Now knew that she un-
dersood me and valued me- and that she realized that
their code of honor is the less binding
because unwritten-
, Mr. Worthino was brotfoht ham. thae .,-.-;.- -
his wife and the doctor, and for week divided nv
, time between him and Donald, who was now well
enough to be left almost entirely to the care of his
nursery maid. marveled at the dominant will with
which Mrs Worhing controlled her outraged feelings
and socitous for his comfort though there were
no cloud between them That the hurt still ranked
knew, for she had let have glimpse behind the
veil. and l could read in a crystal the gnawing
grief that attacking the roots OF her happiness
7 For a time kept Mr.. Worthing absolutely quiet
but on the second Sunday after his return he was so
much better that we grstihed him by taking Donald
dress, was very 1ovable and dear, and gave him a
final hug as put him into his fathers arms, excai
"Therel Isn't he daisy?"
could have bitten my tongue of directly, saw
Whv couldn't have kened him to ros. a. son
other flower than this?
But his father. while he fondled him, repeated after
t though the phrase Of talismanic import:
5 That's what he is; a regular daisyi Just dasyl
was covered with confusion at this embarrassing
situation and relieved when Mrs. Worthin9
started to her feet and by her abrupt inter
rupted his monologue
Don't go, my dear. he urged, with more animation
: than had seen him show. What was saying1 Oh
> daisesl That's the cue for which I've been groping
among my beudded wits. / knew there was some
thing should attend to- but couldn't think what IL
was. Now have it, Just let have the coat OF
my business suit, please"
Mrs Worthing complied, but with obvious reuct-
He laughed rcassuringy.
Don't look if / had asked you for stick OF
!. dynamite little girl I'm going to stir up nv
gray matter and make work for you and the
doctor. Never fear! But must begin to brush away