The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-20
When 4 Girl
 Murries
CHAPTER 44O.
By ANN LESLIE.

If needed any further motive to impel me to escape from the s-range isolation Dr. Norman and Miss Rath- bun were imposing on me, it was fur nished by this letter which Bertha brought me with my supper tray Under Miss Ra tnbun'S aStOn1shed and appreh ensive glance, I opened the
 envelope and drew out a single sheet
 of ruled paper covered with labor1-
 ous pencil scrawl. l. was misspelled and peculiarly punctuated, but it read approximately like this: Dear Friend Daughter: I been tel ephoning you daily, but the female that answers the phone is a she devil. She won't let me. speak to my
 own girl, saying as how you are sick in bed. In which case accept sympa- thy. Would appreciate seesng you
 soon. An old friend is after me for money which I am owing since some | time back. Kindly let me have same soon. Would appreciate seeing you in regard to same. Must pay up as is ds a debt of honor. Could make a thousand do.
 Yours with love,
 "P. S.-And hoping you are well and can let me have the money, as cause us all bad lot of trouble. "Yours truly,
 When I had finished reading I forced myself to sit relaxed for a
 time with my eyes cast down. could feel a pulse pounding in my head. The sum of which Dad Lee spoke so casually was a fortune And I hadn't i5- Nor had any way of raising it. Everything in my
 apartment is mortgaged and the rent for the first month which I would
 undoubtedly receive in a few days was already bespoken. Frs there were the doctor and nurse to pay And then there was a use to which 'longed to put the remainder Father Andrew had fairly bank rupted himself on his trip to Canada He had spent large sums on Dad Lee.
 This I longed to repay. And l feft there might be actual need of the money. Only serious business trou-
 blo could have called Father Andrew home so suddenly. I 1onged for the
 joy of helping him out. And now rageous demand for a. sum which I hadn't and couldn't get.
 Resolutely I controlled my emo tions. I mustn't let Miss Rathbun discover anything from my manner. I must keep an even keel, so I could think myself out of the ta.Tlgle which seemed to be enmeshing me almost hopelasly. Above all, I mustn't do anything to upset my tiny balance of health and strength.
 Ali ter a minute or two, I began to ge: impressions Ioutside my own
 Nhirling brain which was registering
 
 How dare he ask me for such sum of money? Isn't he costing me enough as dt is? Hasn't Dad Lee any. pride? Is he going to start a chain of demands like his? I can't get the money. Suppose I don't. Perhaps he'll involve us all in some disgraoefu1 lawsuit
 I bit my lipe to control their trem-
 bling. In the silence I was suddenly aware of the tick of Miss Rathbun's S
 watch. I realized the must have come over to my side, and on loolk-
 ing up I wasn't surprised to find her standing at the other side of the ta-
 ble on which my supper tray stood
 She was pleating the edge of the tray
 cloth in nervous fingers as she spoke
 huskily:
 Please don't tell Roger I let you get that letter. He doesn't want you
 disturbed. He'd blame me-but even
 if I could have stopped you by force, I thought you might as well get back
 in touch with things. Don't worry it'll come out all rightL' Thank you,'' I said almost curtly, determined not to satisfy her curi-
 osi 2. There's nothing to worry abcs-t"
 A smile broke over the nurses face.
 "oh. then it wasn't-you haven't T was afraid there was bad news in the letter" she finished awkward ly And pr. Norman doesn'u want you upset
 I smiled frostily.
 Your doctor can't change the course of my life for me. I've only
 retained him to cure a sore throat and I think tha~'s about accom-
 plished. So now. Miss. Rathbun, I'll be very grateful if you'll not try to interfere in my personal affairs After I'd said it. gasped with as tonshiment at my own curtness. l parted my lips to apologize for my
 abruptness but Miss Rathbun rushed l in before l could speak. You readily don't need us any l longer. You could dismiss US. you
 know Only don't tell Dr. Norman l
 said that. He likes you. He likes to come here"
 I could detect the probe of the ! jealous woman in her complacently swered in a way which I felt sure would put her fears at rest without | belittIing me by acknowledging that | I felt them.
 | fe~7 there's no further need of his | ser% cs. And as I don't need cod
 ding, suppose you sleep in one of
 he other rooms tonight. We might 1 call Mrs. Dalton and ask her. i Miss Rathbun stiffened strangely
 and took on her coldest professional
 manner.
 'I'n wait my orders from the doc | with an air of finaEsy. l The next day brought a new ele- l naent into the situation. I was sit l ting propped up in my chair early in ! ;i2e morning taking a sun bath when l the door opened and in stalked He'd wig, the faithful maid for whom Vir- ginia had promised me 0 place at l Dreamwold. Hedwig, however had l been summoned to attend a sick sis 1 ter in the country. And I'd forgotten
 all about her. Now here she was resolute1y marching in with the air 1 of one who has come to right some l wrong.
 (To hc continued