The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-17

ltS -'IcIi7-I1OTdCe h6DDeQy. | The Wife-Mary Kennedy l "The Woman Alone"-Margaret Warner. | With dawning consciousness Margaret
 listened to the lowered voces-the eau l tious subdued whisperings of a sick room. Shell be all right now" the fingers on her pulse relaxed. 'Ill see to the others" Mrs. Kennedy's across the hall, doc tor" it was a woman's voice. Mrs. Kennedy! Margaret's chaotic thoughts beat about the name Then
 from the blurred confusion came a con-
 nected trend of events. The explosion at | the houseboa her frantic efforts to drag Kennedy's unconscious wife to safety, and then-oblivion.
 "First-hand material for a real melo- drama" Norwood was standing by the bed, smiling down at her whimscally. How soon can you write it?" What happened?" she faltered, her
 mind clearing, for Norwood's brisk whole
 someness was like a tonic. Briefly he detailed the accident He had been on shore with Kennedy when the explosion occurred Had she not
 dragged Mrs Kennedy to the deck it would have been impossible to have saved her
 Of his own bandaged hand he would not speak, but Margaret knew he had , been the first to reach them as she lost consciousness
 Tt wasn't an accident he went on grimly. Tt was a dastardly attack on Kennedys life. Doyle, a man he had arrested for swindling, is out on bail that was his revenge But we mustn't talk now-you'Ve been through enough
 for one evening" as reluctantly, with a
 warm, lingering hand-clasp he rose to go. Mrs. Carter, the hotel housekeeper, pre- pared Margaret for the night and a lit
 tie later she lay alone in the darkened
 room staring out at the moonlit trees.
 If she had failed to save Mrs. Kennedy? If she had tried-but failed Her mind
 leapt on to visions of her life with Ken
 nedy. Then with a sharp self-loathing
 she checked such thoughts. The next morning Margaret's first con- sderation was to get back to the city, to avoid the awkwardness of a meeting with either Kennedy or Mrs. Kennedy Dressing quickly she hurried down for a
 time table.
 But Norwood meeting her on the stairs,
 solicitous as to her complete recovery,
 insisted that she breakfast with him Margaret was not insensible to his deep-
 ening interest but absorbed in her thoughts of Kennedy, she shranl from any peISOUal note.
 Breakfast under way, they were talk Ing of her series for his magazine, when Kennedy strode into the dining room. In- stantly thrilled and confused by his pre.- ence Margaret's color deepened betray- ingly.
 "Oh, Miss Warmers an incorrigble pa tient," laughed Norwood, as Kennedy re- preached her for having left her room i When later they strolled out to the ve- randa Mrs. Kennedy was there. Mar garet had hoped to avoid this meeting 1 It was an awkward moment. Her face | famed at Mary's warm praise of her he- roism.
 | Why, we'll take you in the carl We're 1 starting right away as Margaret spoke 1 of going back to town on the first train 1 With helpless dismay she glanced at Kennedy. This long drive with Mrs Ken nedy would be constrained and painful for them both.
 In half an hour they were ready to | start. Kennedy set fin front with the chauffeur. The speed of the car made talking difficult and Margaret was glad of the excuse to be silent. | Refusing Mrs. Kennedy's invitation to lunch, Margaret was driven to her apart
 ment. There she found. thrust under her door, plain envelope addressed in a heavily linked scrawl.
 l Inside on a slip of paper was the un- signed, pernicious message: , wen get him yet!''
 It meant Kennedy, of course! What 1 further dangers threatened? Margaret s first impulse was to call up-to warn him. | If Mrs. Kennedy should answer and
 recognize her voice Yet impelled by the