The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-24
Wheys 4 Girl
 MOrries
CHAPTER 443
By ANN LESLIE.

Rathbun uneasily in answer to my frightened plea for information motive. "He might just have. been cleaning a gun when it went off. Those things do happen.
 Did any such thing happen to my brother, Nea1?'' demanded sternly. fcWhy, I don't know, suppose so" replied the Elurse, swinging rapidly away from gle bject to say, Now, you to take a nap? You know if you aren't in good condition when Dr. Norman comes, he's going to sentence you to another day in bed. But first he's going to lecture me-"
 Something in the setness of her face indicated that she expected struggle but proposed to come out tween the sheets whether or no wanted to be tucked. So l gave her the surprise of her life by meekly ac- quiescing. Of course. l didn't feel a 1 of and the shades drawn. But I lay quiet in the dark and drought hard. Evidently Miss Rathbun either truth about NeaPs accident It wasn't easy to reconcile myself | to even a minutes delay. But here I was immured in the country, sick and weak, and miles from the rail | road. In a test of strength, Miss Rathbun would come out victorious. i I couldn't accomplish one thing by nagging at her with further ques- lions. So had to think up some way of getting to Neal
 It wouldn't be possible to live | through the day without knowing l how the dear lad was doing. But there was another anxiety gnawing at my heart. How had Neal come by | his wound? Self-irf1icted it wasn't Neal would never handle firearms so | carelessly that he'd get an acctdenttl | wound.
 | Some person had shot Neal! But | who? And why?
 | As I lay restraining my nervous de- sire to toss and turn l got a vivid memory-picture of the running figure Neal and I had pursued across the moonHt lawn stretching in front of was the second when the man stop ped and swung about for a moment Tn a menacing attitude. I had seen | his face for a brief second. Dark lips slanting mouth so like Dick Vests. The menace in the uplifted arn | NeaPs would. They all wove togeth- CT convincingly in my feverish imag- ination. Yet I had to hold myself still, and quiet until the nurse | thought it was time for me to awak- en- from my nap"
 In the midst of my agony of heln- lessness l saw my way out. It seem ed so simple once thought of 1t that smiled and found myself actually l had to do.
 When Miss Rathbun came to tell me It was lunch time she suggested that it would be wise to have my luncheon in bed and to take the ex- tra rest to make up for my reckless ness in sneaking downstairs I agreed with seeming guilelessness.
 Bring me sTEi ntce t0G beaItv dnnopnoed; i1nop @ I'll eat every crunab. so you can have the credit for that when your doctor , | man comeS''
 Miss Rathbun preened and stretch ed like cat rising from the hearth rug to descend on Q saucer of cream t Then, with an air of great cleverness she asked:
 : And you'n promise not to go snooping downstairs If leave you for minute ?'' she asked.
 "I won't do one single sly, under laughing gay1y.
 So lunchean passed off pleasantly. said nothing about Neal, and Miss | Rathbun seemed to take it for grant ed that was enough of an tnvaIid l to be so absorbed in myself that I'd forgotten all about my brother. When we began to dress In preparation for the doctors coming I shivered a bit
 'Cold, dear?'' asked the nurse anx. tousiy. Maybe you'll better stay ir
 "Oh, no, that will never do: vor, doctor man would think that I wasn'- better. And then he'd lose faith + his nurse," said T. "But wouldn't | be a good idea to let me wear some to look pale and Interesting, yo, know. I don't want to vamp anothe, girls man."
 Thus pleasantly fiattered and re alll my undergarments, instead of ex | pecting me to sit up clad only in . 1 nightgown and negligee.
 | shoes. too, and stockings I beg
 ged. My feet get so cold in my sill, little mules. I'd love to try dress too-and look matter of fact and bus tnesslike."
 "Tm game" said the nurse, smil
 ing at my childishness.
 So when the doctor came I wa
 dressed dres ed. like any ny. healthy os n9rma
 I did after greeting was call his al -t tention to 1t.
 "See. Doctor. the patient is a hi
 lar folks. And, oh, how she'd like d breath of air! But I suppose I can p have that, since Bertha tells me tn a car has gone up to the city" n Miss Rathbun opened her lips ,f protest at my dupI3city, Berth .., hadn't told me anything about th d car. I'd figured it out from the fac g in the ease. But how could the nurs
 tell the doctor she adored that she - been careless enough to let me di
 cover the very thing he was tryin E to keep from me?
 l. Suppose I take you for & drive 1 'u my little sedan?" suggested the Dot
 tor gaIlantly,
 - "Oh, no, you TnusRtn't do tina
 Roger!" cried Miss Rathbua,
 Her checks flushed and her eyt
 grew wide and dark, The wistfI
 beauty I'd noticed once or twice be
 fore swept across her face for a mo
 ment, The Doctor stood staring
 her with an, expression I couldn
 read. Then in a voice unmistak kabl
 in it's eOldness he saidi
 Indeed! Since when do you di
 rect my treatment of patients, Mis
 Rathbun? Please get a warm coa
 and hat for Mrs. Harrison, I'n
 going to take her for an airing
 fTn Re Cnntinuadl