South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-25

W4AANA tu.
do you remember the girl Of
whom Katherine spoke when she
first came, the girl who moaned at
night in the room next hers?"
oh, yesi And she was"
Grace Draper. do not know
what made me think Of the Draper
when Katherine spoke Of the girl
but I did. although I said nothing
about it at the time. A little later,
however. when the girl became real
~ i'll, and Katherine was caring for
her as mother or sister would have
done. I told our little friend OF my
suspicion. OF course, Katherine
watched her mysterious patient very
. carefully after that. and when she
became i'll enough TO require a ply
sician's services. Katherine man
aged II so that DR.. Petit was called,
and he recognized the girl at once.
"a Substitute for Honor"
Ever since then Katherine has
been working on the substitute for
honor and conscience which the
Draper carries around with her. but
she was hard as nails for a long
Katherine, however, as fond Of her
as she can be of any one, and she
has finally consented to come here.
Don't anger her if you can help it.
When, a little later, Grace Draper
and l faced each other, IL was pity
instead of anger that stirred my
heart. The girl was inexpressibly
wan, her beauty only worn shadow
OF its former glory. But there was
the old fash Of defiant hatred in her
eyes as she looked at me.
Please don't fiatter yourself that
1 came here for your sake"
lence. "But this girl here"-she in
dicated Katherine-"took care of
me before she knew who / was. She
just about saved my life, and rea-
son, too, when there was nobody
else to care a whit whether I lived
or died. Even my sisters gone back
on me. SO when / saw how much
it meant to her 10 find out the truth
about your precious husband I
promised her I'd come and tell you
the little I know"
She drew a long breath and went
on.
I'm the first place, I didn't go TO
San Francisco with Dicky Graham.
although I'm glad if my little trick
made you think so for a while. l
didn't go anywhere with him except
| into a cafe for a few minutes the
day he left New York. II was just
after he got back from Marvin, and
he was pouring drinks into himself
so fast that he was pretty hay
about what had happened, but I
made a pretty shrewd guess as 10
his trouble"
She turned to me, and | saw with
amazement that contempt for me
was written on her face.
Grace Diapers Accusation.
! you" she snarled, with your
innocent face, and your high and
mighty airs, you must have been up
to something pretty disgracefIl to
have your husband feel the way he
did that day he started for San
/ Francisco He had to go out TO
} Marvin unexpectedly that morning,
almost as soon as he had arrived in
/
! there you know best"
Stop" said Lillian authoritative
ly and for a long minute the two
women faced each other, Grace
Draper defiant, Lillian with all the
| compelling, almost hypnotic power
| that is hers when she chooses to
! exercise IL.
! The accusation which the girl had
/ hurled at me stunned me as effect
ually as an actual missile from her
would have done. What did she
mean? And then, before my dazed
brain could work itself back through
the mazes OF memory there came
| the whirr of a taxi in the street, an
( imperative ring of the bell, a tramp
/ OF masculine footsteps in the hall,
and then my husbands arms were
around me, his lips murmuring dis
| jointed, incoherent sentences against
my cheek.
"Madge! Madge! Little sweet
! heartl-no right 10 ask forgiveness
I deserve TO lose you forever for my
doubt of you-been through a thou
sand bells since I left"
/ over Dicky's shoulder I saw
/ Jacks dear face smiling tenderly.
/ triumphantly at me, realized that
he must have started after Dicky as
soon as he had heard my story Of
my husbands inexplicable depart
ure-and the light for which I had
been creeping suddenly illuminated
/ Grace Diapers words.
$50 YOU saw my father embrace
me that dayl" I exclaimed, and at
/ the words the face OF the girl who
! had caused me so much suffering
grew winter. If possible, and she
sank into a chair as If unable to
stand
Yes" A wave Of shamed color
sw ept M husbands face. his words
were low and hurried But you
must believe this one thing had
made up my mind 70 come back and
beg your forgiveness; indeed. I was
lust ready 10 start for New York
WREN your cousin found me and
brought me the true explanation OF
things
"I-I-couldn't stand IL any long
er without you, Madge. ! must have
been mad 10 go away like that You
won't shut me out altogether. will