Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-20
My HEART and
NV HUSBAND
Adele Garrison's New Phase of
Revelations
of q Wife
How Madge Managed Alice Hol-
combe and Mother Graham.

The whir of motor sounded out
side, the slam of a cab door, then
the insistent pealing of the bell. I
flew down the steps, threw open the
door, put out my hands instinctively
to catch the swaying figure of Alice
Holcombe.
"Oh-oh" she greeted me, all her
wonted composure torn to tatters.
"Milly Stockbridge is dead-poison-
ed"
Alice Holcombe's gasping words
crystalized into certainty all the
vague, sinister terror that had been
mine since I had heard Milly Stock
BRIDGES stifed cry over the tele
phone. But as often happens, |
found myself far calmer at the full
tilment of my forebodings than |
had been when | had been trying to
reason them away as Pigments of my
imagination.
With my arm firmly around the
trembling form of my friend I drew
her into the darkened living room,
put her into big chair and took off
her hat.
"Sit here a moment I shall be
right back" | said authoritatively
and sped back to the front door. The
porch light which | had turned on
had illumined the curious, rather
vacant face of the taxi driver, who
had followed Alice Holcombe partly
up the walk. ! wished to get rid of
him at once. He was of just the
type to gossip, and I had no inten-
ton of permitting my friend to 60
away again in his machine.
Where have you come from?" |
demanded shortly.
"Bayview. How longs the lady
goin' to be? She told me to wait"
An Enemy Made?
"She has changed her mind, she
will stay here for awhile. You need
not wait"
Then I want my money" with a
shade of turbulence that made me |
lay firm hands upon my temper lest |
! lose it against so unworthy an an
tagonist
very well. Wait here, and I'll
get it for you"
l closed the door upon him, went
to small box in the dining room
side table where | kept small sums
for emergencies in the housekeeping.
Luckily | knew the usual tariff from
Bayview to Marvin, and returned
with the change exact even to the
war tax.
The mans face dark.ned as I
handed the coins to him.
This amt what usually get" he
with half-hearted sullen-
ness.
1T is the usual price" I returned !
steadily. Il will call up your COM
pany if you wish and ask if there has
been an increase.
you're Splendid"
He turned around quickly at that,
'pat derisively on the steps as he de-
,cended.
Fine bunch of pikers in this
own he muttered, and as | closed
he door a flash of sudden self-en-
tightening amazement at my own
folly swept over me-.
should not have angered the man,
made him remember resentfully the
Incident of Alice's visit to me. In
tead, l should have tipped him judi
,iously, not enough to arouse any
speculation on his part,
'ut sufficiently to keep him in good
lumor.
But there was no use in wasting
ime in se1f-recrimination. Bracing
myself for the nervous strain | saw
'efore me, gathering strength for I
he support of the wracked, trem-
ling woman l had left in the living
DOM, | snapped out the porch light {
nd turned toward the living room,
When a slight sound made me look S
p to see my moth er-in-law stand '
ng on the upper landing of the stair
ase, the picture of outraged, digni-
led displeasure. $
sped noiselessly up the steps, J
,rasped my august mother-in -law .
irmly by the shoulder, not partic- l
larly caring whether the grasp was
gentle one or not, and bent my e
Ips to her ear. t
Don't speak aloud,"I commanded S
n a sharp whisper. MRS. Stock t
ridge, the principals wife, is dead,