The Washington herald., 1921-08-06
CHATTER CEXXN-sONLY your

All afternoon the STEADY GOWN
pour had persisted. Across the
drive the tender new green leaves
dropped with the heayiness of the
raindrops. The Palisades were in
distinct in the grey mist
Anna drew the curtains and laid
a fire in the library at o'clock and
turned on the light under the prim-
rose shade. She drew the couch
to the IRE and wheeled In the tea
wagon
shall you be expecting any
one for tea this afternoon? she
asked as Nancy came into the room.
Not on such q wretched day as
ward the windows where the rain
beat q steady tattoo. I'll have to
make out alone
But she smiled gayly and sat
down to her tea. She was wearing
the gown that Gerry had sent her.
There had been a smile in her heart
since. the DAY Anna had found the
unopened parcel in the bottom of
the hall closet.
The telephone rang and she un-
hooked the receiver without having
to rise from the couch.
"Oh hello, Connie" she said in
answer to the voice over the wire.
Have some tea? I'm just pouring
out q cup. Isn't the telephone an
invention on a day like this? I'm
plying the poor Victorian ladies
who had to sit at home and talk to
themselves whenever it rained''
Nancy" Comics voice was brist-
ling with excitement, have you
heard the news?"
What news?'
Comics sigh OF relief that she
was not too late to impart the It'd
ings was So explosive that Nancy
laughed aloud.
TT must be rather dreadful or
you wouldn't be so keen about be-
ing the one to tell it."
'Langwell." Comics voice was
portentously solemn. 'Langwell
killed himself this morning in
Chicagor'
Nancy dropped the receiver. 1t
dangled against the floor, the sound
of Comics voice issuing ludicrously
small and strident from the extend
ed wire.
Nancy got 1t back to her ear.
What were you saying, Connie?
didn't quite hear"
Il said: Curtis has Just phoned IL
so I don't know all the particulars,
but the whole club is buzzing with
it. My dear, IL was the most dra-
matte thing. 1t seems that some
awful scandal was about to break
something terrible about that FIeu-
rette person. Langwell wanted her
out OF the way. He had to have
her out of the way to save his repu-
tation and he hired that man you
told about to take her driving and
wreck the car, but he didn't complete
the job so LangwelI had to pretend
10 patch her up. But he didn't
With the assistance Of some nurse,
he really let her die. 1t was all COM
ing out and the man went 90 Europe,
and the nurse managed to warn
Langwell. but instead of him run
ming away, what do you think he
did,"
Connie paused for breath and
Nancy said family: Yes? What did
h~ 80"
Well, he performed an operation
this morning, one of the most dan
gerous and skillful operations
known TO surgery. At the crucial
point of it, IL seems that he had to
use a deadly serum put up in a little
glass tube. And. my dear, he de-
hberately crushed the tube. HE
CRUSHED THE TUBE"
Nancy uttered a little cry.
Did you ever hear of such nerve?
Such a splendid way Of kicking on?
They say he just looked at the as
sistant surgeon and the nurse who
were struck dumb with horror and
he cody picked the glass segments
out Of his bleeding hand and said:
I have just twenty minutes more of
life left 1 can finish the operation
in that time. Oh, Nancy, what
courage. what splendid bravado.
o. Connie said a great deal more, but
Nancy was not listening. She hung
Up the receiver mechanically when
Connie had talked herself out.
She pushed away the tea table and
sat back staring into the fire.
What courage! What bravado!"
Connie had said.
Langwell had died as he had lived.
cool. daring all things, matching
fate with his cleverness, losing at
the last. but losing game"
The curse Of II was that the MEM
ory of him dead was more potent,
more terrible, more irresistible, than
She wondered il he had counted on
this very factcr with that diabolical
cieverness Of his?
Far away in France, Edith woulo
be striving to- find surcease for her
aching heart unaware of the fact
that she was a widow, free Of the
bondage forever.
Suddenly IL seemed to Nancy that
the room held a presence.
The twilight was lightened only
by the fitful flames; no street noises
came through the heavy curtains
drawn at the windows: there were
shadows beyond the radius Of the
frelight- shadows that moved.
And suddenly II seemed that
Langwell was there. smiling, COM
placent, ironicai. as he had always
been. and there was the little
gleam Of cruelty in his eyes.
around his sensual lips.
Anna" she gasped as she ran.
Anna Where are your"
But no maid answered her in her
panic, to get away from the phan-
tom that her overwrought nerves
Imagined in pursuit, she flung open
the door into the corridor.
A tall man in n dripping raincoat
was standing there. his hand search
ing his pocket as II for a ker ~
-"Gerryw srieked Nancy and
fung herself into his arms
There were no explanations.
As she clung to him, her head
buried in his wet shoulders. she