The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1916-12-01
EIGHTH ~INSTALLMENT
The Mesh of Mystery.

Was it delirium or was it truth? Or
part truth and part deliriull? If part
of both, where did truth leave of and
delirium begin?
This was the problem that confront
ed Miss Emily Richards, night nurse
to Gloria Stafford. Miss Richards sat
quivering in her chair by the night
lamp and watched the exquisite girl
who, though quieted now by drugs,
was conscious enough to be troubled.
Her eyes, still filled with something
Of the horror they had seen or thought
they had seen, turned every now and
again towards the door. She was
waiting for the doctor to appear there.
He was searching for the body of her
dover, whom she a seen-or said
she had seen-murdered.
Before this unhappy moment Gloria
had been progressing swiftly towards
recovery from the attack cf pneu-
monia that had struck her down On
the very threshold of her marriage to
Dick Freneau.
Nurse Richards heart had already
troubled her in this affair, and her
heart was an organ she made a point
of ignoring; at least she had cased
it in such iron determination that she
seldom felt it throb. But this par
ticular patient had been so beauti-
fully favored by the gods otherwise
that her untimely illness seemed In
~congruously cruel.
Some day Richards might congratu-
late Gloria upon this disaster and real
lie that the gods had been cruel to be
kind; but just 10 the knowledge
could not come to sustain her. All
she could see was a young girl OF
great beauty, great patience in the
face of trying and tedious disease, one
who had all to live for-wealth, a
devoted father and brother, and an ex-
traordinary handsome bridegroom
who furnished the final touch to the
picture.
It was really the insouciance and
dlablerie of the dashing Freneau, with
his charming and somewhat
wicked glances cast her way that wilt
ed Nurse Richards starch-though she
WOulO INV AdfO dChuOW lCu6Cu Llllo,
heaven knows, and bless us, never!
Richards had arrived as usual to
relieve the day nurse. She buck1ed
on her armor Of white linen in the
room next to Glorra's own and as she
looked from the window facing River
side drive, she thought she lad never
beheld SO beautiful a night or so beau
tiful a scene Already the young
moor was up and cleaning softly but
purely On the noble beauty Of the sol
diers' and sailors monument opposite
the Stafford house. The white mar
BILE columns of that magnificent
tribSe to the heroes dead and gone
stirred her strangely.
Richards sighed her last tribute to
sentiment, romance and the beauty
of the night, and, moving towards her
patients room, assumed her usual
crisp and cheerful manner. AS Rich
ards came in Gloria turned to her
with a wan little smile of welcome
and put her hand out towards her.
She looked like a small child lying
there, and the color scheme of her
room-soft grays and powder blue
made an exquisite setting for the
girls W colorful type. The blue of
her eyes contrasting with the deli
cate red of her hair, her peach-blos'
som skin, a baby chin, a girls mouth.
and q woman's soul, made up a total
of irresistible appeal.
Just nov a heavy splash Of scarlet
on either cheek told the nurse of un-
usual fever, but with her newly awak-