The state herald., 1917-03-30

She Showed the II
doctor drawled the words with
strange listlessness. and. sinking into
. chair, covered his eyes wearily with
his hand, though Gloria babbled faint.
ly:
HAS the mail come yeti Why don't
you give me Dicks letter7"
. .
On the following morning Gloria
awoke from her drugged sleep with
. feeling of lowering calamity. Pres
emily realization came. Her lover had
been murdered. She hid her face in
the pillows and moaned: ut can't be
trpe: It can't be true"
Tho day nurse tried to soothe her,
bathing her face and hands. arrang.
ing her hair. Then the butler arrived
with q telegram for Gloria, who took
It from him with trembling hands.
A glad CRY escaped the girls lips
- she read 1t.
ARRIVED safely. Miss you terribly.
Hope you slept well and dreamed Of
me. Am writing. Devoted love.
DICK"
Gloria passed her hand across her
brow in . daxe. She read the tele-
gram again and called to Miss Arm.
strong and Doctor Royce. who had
Just entered.
She showed them the telegram. try.
ing to hold her fingers over the words
to let them sec only Arrived safely
and Am writing"
Doctor Royce started. but recover.
ing himself. expressed great delight.
II told you II was delirium." Yet
the nurse. glancing from the telegram
to the doctor. noted puzzled look on
his face that belied his words.
At last the doctor was able to place
the thermometer In Gloria's mouth.
She tried to speak. but he ordered her
TO keep silence, and stood In Q brown
study. Gloria indicated by crude and
impatient pantomime that she wanted
paper and pencil. She proceeded TO
compose telegram. shifting her posi-.
ton that the doctor might not soc
what she wrote.
Doctor Royce took the thermome-
ter from her lips. and she went en-
writing. without noticing him. He
nodded his head. apparently satisfied,
and the nurse entered the tempera.
ture on tho chart. Then bidding
Gloria good.by. the doctor left the
room. still musing.
Gloria continued her task. apparent.
" difncult one. and chcwed tho end
Of her pencil to bits. At last the re-
suit. much underscored and scratched
out. read:
Your angelic telegram received.
It was terribly welcome. did not
sleep. but dreamed horrible dream
about you. overjoyed to know you
arc safe. Please tako caro- Of your.
self and telegraph on receipt Of this
that you arc still all right. Much
love. GLORIA"
Dispatching her telegram by q scr.
want. Gloria gave her attention to tho
breakfast tray her nurse placed on tho
bed. Tho invalid turned up her little
nose - sho uncovered tho plato OF
Cruel. but ate II grccdiiy. nevertheless,
and then. worn out BY her emotions Of
tho night before. but in q peaceful
frame Of mind ut last. she settled her.
self for long. refreshing sleep.
A few hours later when shc nwokc
II was 10 receive another message.
Tho telegraph company notified hcr
that her telegram to Frcncau at his
hotel was not delivered: Party not
known there"
Before sho could recover from her
bewildermcnt. close on tho heels OF
this message camo special delivery
lovo letter from hcr lover written on
tho hotel paper and postmarkod Al,
bany.
Gloria was completely daxcd. her
brain In . whirl Of contradictions
What could shc do7 Whore could
she find her lovcrl Was no alive OF
doadf
Al this timc. In tho boudoir Of hos
homo. Lois Stafford paced tho floor
staring at tho photograph Of Froncau
which sho had stolen from Gloria
Despair tore at her hcartstrinss. She
sobbcd and beat her breast. A knock
at tho door brought hcr TO herself and
che called: who's thoro7" The