The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-09

tuFDdDie. lie drew up In a de&terOuS curve before the front door of the inn. Burke rose to his feet Lucille had gone.
 He hurried down the passage leading to the entrance.
 There was a sudden cry of: "Jimi' Lucille had bounded out into the road and was staring speilbound at the driver
 "Jimr she repeated. shrilly. Jim Daltonw
 Burke hurried to her side.
 Here's the lady who is your-your wife" he said, in a clear, firm tone. his eye,on the occupant of the car Haven't you got anything to say to herr" But Jim Dalton was staring blankly at Lucille Derange T don't know how she comes to know my name" he said. because l never saw the woman in my life before"
 MATTER OF MONEY Life had hit Shirley Marsh a heavy blow.
 To have been. figuratively perched upon Parnassus for so lonf. then. with cut rhyme or reason-hurled down into the abyss-it was too cruel! For Jim Dalton had gone-without one single word of explanation--shak- | ing the dust of the White Cottage off  | see the place again. He hadn't even said good-by to Shir- Hey. He was much too angry. Drove off like the devil isself, e did, l miss" old Joe. the gardener. had in- | former her, eyeing Miss Shirley curi- i ously. From the moment he had found | that Spartan damsel with the attrac- ] tive and unconscious strangers head i upon her lap, he had had his own sus- | nipionS c fo the fppas1ire in which Mfsq 1 Shirley's heart was involved. ! And a fine young fellow, though @ 1 did go off in such a fury!' meandered | on old Joe, surreptitiously lingering the generous tip the departed one hsd pressed upon him. l "Oh. he'll be back again." parried Shirley lightly though a queer misgiv- | ing twisted at her heart. 1 "'E will. if he's got any sense. miss" | Old Joe's wrinkled visage was sud- denly illuminated by new idea. 1 Say, miss, dye think is 'ead's all right? Don't e act just a trifle queer at times?" He tapped his forehead with an ominous significance. "They do say, after a h'accident. as the brains left a bit odd"
 Shirley went pale. She shivered, though the day was warm. 1 Queer? In what way?" Her tones were sharp.
 There's different ways. miss" Old Joe assumed an air of deepest gravity 1 'F'r instance, sometimes it's the mem- | ory.e Clean fades away. Several times, when that there Mir. Dalton were a-chattin' with me. seemed as though | ed forgotten all is past life and | doin's. Didn't it never strike you, miss?'
 l Shirley replied evasively It would I never do to let old Joe guess the anx- I iety that was gnawing at her heart. | But as she strolled away her thoughts | were very troubled. If old Joes sur- mise was correct, then it would offer a solution to the present mystery-name. ! ly. that Dalton had indeed married Lu- cille out in Africa, and--since his acci' dent--had forgotten all about the mat l ter.
 i That would certainly clear his char acter" thought poor Shirley miserably; Out, ohi it would simply break my 1 heart"
 For she had been hoping against l hope that Lucille and the snapshots and
 the marriage certificate were all one huge mistake
 Two dreay days went by. And still
 there was no word from Jiml Lucille, too, had departed from the village inn, carrying her various i'm pedimenta with her.
 She had sent Shirley a note, in a none oo-educated hand, giving the ad- dress of her little flat in Soho, and asking the girl to call upon her there.
 But Shirley shrank from any further meetings with Lucille. They were much too painful.
 On the morning of the third day David Burke arrived upon the scene. l He calculated that in the interval Shir- ley would have had ample time for moping, and would certainly begin to miss him. Burke was strategical. He had timed this visit well.
 What you need is cheering up. my dear" he remarked rather thoughtfully. He had seen the weary droop of Shir- leys pretty mouth. and the dark circles round her eyes. You must take your mind right off that worthless fellow Dalton-clean forgot you ever met him."
 Shirley smiled a wan, pathetic little smile. As though she ever could for get!
 She was bitterly regretting now her action in the past when she had sided with Burke rather than with Jim. If she had only given Jim proper hear 1 ing!
 Too late now. She didn't even know where he had gone!
 Shirley, let's go up to town tonigh, and see a showi" Burke's voice broke
 in on her unhappy meditations. My
 sister. Mrs. Arnold. and some friends
 of hers can meet us. We'll dine some
 where first. Then later on we car
 find place to dance. Come, what dc
 you say to it?" T faint flicker of interest shone ir Miss Shirley's eye. She was young, anc
 very much alive-and in the last few days she had been so miserable. An other solitary evening in the White Cot. !; tage, with dreary imaginings for solt ;. companion. would surely drive hei
 crazy. Yes, she would go, She intimated so to Burke. He beamed at her. You can spend the night with m1 , sister. after the festivities are over : Or if you'd rather, I'll run you hom' 7 again. in my carr"
 Shirley shook her head She wantet , no intimate motoring tete-a-tete witt , her would-be lover. "rll stay with Mrs. Arnold if shel
 have me-"
 Then I'll phone through and fiji
 things up," said Burke. well pleased.
 AFTER THE THEATRE
 At luxuriously decorated table il
 an ultra-expensive London restauran
 sat Miss Shirley Marsh, bewilderingl. D, pretty in an evening frock of pales
 yellow.
 She eyed the other guests in inter
 ested fashion. Mrs. Arnold-the chap