South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-27


ing figure OF my friend.
Don't try 20 talk just yet unless
you must" I said. slipping my arm
around her and drawing her head
10 my shoulder. One glance into her
eyes. wide opened. burning with
~~>orror, had told me that she was
laboring under = nerve strain which
IL was highly advisable 20 lessen II
possible.
she turned her face against my
arm. ciItching at my hands with
fingers that trembled convulsively.
ust-tell-you-" she
choksd, then her overstrained COM
posture gave way. and she began TO
sob--yiolent, shuddering sobs that
wracked her whole slender body.
slipped my fingers 20 her eyes
cautiously IN the hope that the
blessed relief OF tears had come 20
her, but her eyes were dry and hot.
And then I sat holding her closely,
tensely. straining my ears for some
Sight sound which should tell me
that my mother-in-law had kept her
word and had put a glass OF restor-
alive outside the door.
At last IL came, the merest wrath
OF a sound. but I recognized It. l
waited until she had had time TO go
upstairs again then ! slipped away
from Alice and opened the door 20
find not only the glass 1 had ex-
pected but a basin OF cool perfumed
water and a small towel
With a silent blessing upon my
irascible but sterling mother-in-law
Cor her thOughtfulness I took the
things back 10 my friends side and
put my hand upon her head which
had slipped TO the arm Of the chair
huA naNH har ma esraNn 70
quiet now, but there was something
about the listless figure that alarm
ed me.
Here. dear, lift your head for
me-" I commanded peremptOrlly.
She obeyed me. but ] saw that her
lips had lost their color and that her
face was gray, while her hands were
cold.
Drink this" / held the pungent
&iquid 70 her lips. knowing that If it
were the mixture usually favored by
my mother-in-law in emergencies il
was strong enough for the effect
wished.
She drained It chOkingly, but It's
potency was soon apparent in the
color which came creeping back to
her cheeks and lips. and in the hui
manizing OF her eyes, which had
looked before like those OF some
wild thing trapped.
Her lips parted in attempted
speech. but interposed quickly.
Not a word yet" l said, dipping
the towel I'm the cool water and be-
ginning 20 lave her face l kept
up my ministration until the dry
heat left her eyelids and / felt her
relax comfortably against me.
Thank-yOu," she said a little
Tor
erfectly-all-right and
Recommendations"
"Of course" 1 responded prompt
~. drawing a chair close 10 hers.
seating myself so that 1 was facing
her. Her hands were relaxed, quiet,
IN her lap. l did not put mine over
them, as / would have done with al
most any other nerve wracked wo-
man. for l OWNED that she was
morbidly ashamed OF her break
down. and knew that my best kind
ness TO her would be pretence that
her poise was mistaken.
You understood what I said
when ! came in. didn't you?" she
asked. The forcing OF the words
through her stiff lips was a piteous
betrayal OF her stili shaken nerves.
'Milly Is dead"
Yes, l understand you." re-
turned
saw that any betrayal OF the hor-
or that was mine at her news would
be the worst possible thing for her,
and resolved 70 elicit her story BY
means OF brisk questions which
would keep her mind alert instead
OF allowing her 10 paint again In
continuous narrative the awful thing
which evidently already had been
spread IN lurid colors upon the can
vas OF her ina gination.
You said something about poison
when you came In 1 went on. Was
that the cause OF her death?"
Her physician says il was
When did IL happen >" II seemed
10 me that my own heart almost
stopped beating while 1 waited for
her answer.
Quite late this afternoon. I
didn't hear OF it until about an hour
after II happened. What train did
you take in?' she broke OF abrupt
~.
told her. adding the Information
that I had just missed the one be-
fore.
Then you must have been al the
school when II happened" she cried
excitedly. Did-did-kenneth tele-
phone you there this afternoon ?"
Something sub-conscfous, fntui-
tive, laid forcible hold upon the af-
rirmatve answer 20 Alice Holcon hes
question which was upon my tongue
and twisted my Ups 10 an evasion. I
had seen furttve expression creep
into her usually frank eyes as she
asked the question. and a tiny bell OF
alarm had sounded in my brain. I
did not know what abysUlal horror
as yet unexplained might lie behind
this bare announcement OF Milly
Stockbridge's death. and resolved 10
be as wary as possible in any talk
concerning IL
You could hardly call il n tele-
phone call. 1 said, IT was so brief
He simply said he would not be M
the school until the next day and
That might close up and go home. "
"Wss--w . she - agitated-ex-
cited p
4 didn't notice anything unusual
about his manner" Z answered.
1ustifying the falsehood 20 myself bv
the excuse that there was no use
arousing the fears OF the woman be-
fore me 10 any higher pitch than
they had already reached
Then she wasn't dead when he
teiephoned YOU" Her voice held
excited triurOnhauf assertion