The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-10-03
When 4 Girl
 M0rries
By ANN LdSLE
CHApTER CCCLxxv.

dips toward the river between Mdsou Towers and the Harrison place. got there just in time to spy a figure | scurrying out of sight in the dusk or | the path. |
 "Evvy-by all that's certain!" Jim exclaimed. Now. why should she pc spying around here when were over | at her place? I'll bet that silly little mother of hers isn't such simple 1 ton after all, and that she held us up | so long purposely in order to glue Evvy a chance to carry out some | scheme of hers. But what! l
 What ?'' I echoed.
 "You can't make it out either can | you?" asked Jim. l
 Some impulse of sex solidarity, some feeling of loyalty to the woman before Jim all my fears and doubts and suspicious. Lane wasn't here yet. How he'd act couldn't surm1se. And what sort of influence Jim indeed, the big brown bear could be swayed, I didn't know.
 Well, nurse or no nurse, I'm going in to see Va1.' declared Jim. ''If Evvy's gotten past the attendants and
 in to Val. the poor thing will need us."
 ''Td better not go in. Val doesn't want me. She ordered me out of the room yesterday. I'd only aggravate her. You go alone. Jim" Nonsense. oure coming rlgnI III with me"
 Please. Jim-I can't. Val doesn't want me-
 ''Don't be petty. Anne. You aren't capable of sitting in judgment on woman who's been through all Val
 "But I'd annoy her. Val doesn't want me-
 "A sick womah's fancies. If you | have soul. Anne. now's the time to
 Jim seized my wrist and led me up the hall toward the blue room. He knocked at Vafs door. But there was | no response.
 ''Naturally," said Jim, consulting his watch. '"This is the nurses sup per hour, and poor Val may be too done up by her interview with Evvy 1 to answer. You go in and see how l the land Ees.''
 "Please, J:m"-I began. But something in the nervous force of his manner sflenced me told me there would be no use arguing with him. so I pushed open the door of the room where T was sure I'd be thoroughly unwelcome ! an entered.
 Val was cuddled under the covers heaved suspiciously.
 Wal" said alrrhost p1eadingly, Wal it's Anne, Can I help you? Jim spite of orders we are heres | With amazing force the covers heaved back and Val bounced around by tears and SC was still in the | throes of great serging sobs. She | stared at me for a moment, blinking | back her tears and gulping down the emotion that shok her. Then 1 strange look came over her twisting ! face. It was something like triumph. | Malice at the least.
 "And now are you satisfied she you one thing you're better off for knowing? Are you any happier for making me so much more miserable than I need to be? Jim-Jim!' she cried, raising her voice
 | Jim strode into the room. She held | out her hand to him with the air of a poor frightened child wandering | in the dark. The change in her man desperately, and I could see that the trust and the affection she suggested 1 were pleasing to him. Everything in her suggestion of helplessness and faith were calculated to f1atteF any | man-most of all my Jim. l "Oh, Jinrnie-boy. Jimmie-boy! If you've any pity at all, if your friend- ship for Lane prompts any tender ness for his wife, won't you make Anne leave me alone?" she moaned. | "She hates me and suspects me of all | the despicable things in the world. And she comes prying in here all the
 
 It's driving me mad! It's more than I can bear. Won't you keep her out | of here? Won't you make her under stand that I'm going to be free of her surveillance if I have to insult | her In front of the nurse. For your sake, I don't want to do that. But | she's driving-sihe's driving me to iti"
 Humiliated and outraged I shrank from the woman I'd been trying to 1 protect. I wanted to cry ont that
 hadn't a suspicion that would by now have been clear to everyone, if I had not done all in my power to l cover her tracks. I wanted to defend myself from the missiles that were being hurled at me before the. eyes of my Jim. felt sick at what he must think of me and the face Val lwas putting on the mater.
 There was a breathless moment of tense silence. Then I started toward the door, too hurt, too cowed to say l Q word A great surge of bitterness rose in my heart against Jim who had forced me into the room where mited Val to play injured innocence and to paint me as an evil-minded harpy who was bounding her in her sick and helpless state.
 "I told her vest terdav never to darken my door again!'' screamed Val. I'm not in a condition to en- dure her prosecutions. Jim, Jim, don't let her take it out on me! Don't 1 let her ruin my whole life! There seems nothing a which she'll stop''-
 I closed the door. I could stand no more. I heard Vafs voice going on and on-hurling invectives and re- ! breaches at me no doubt. She was l misinterpreting for her own ends every kindness I'd tried to render her, reading suspicion into my de- sire to protect her. All I'd wanted | knowledge for was to protect Val
 from the consequences of her own deed-from Evvy first of all. And
 now this. I was shamed before Jim. And Jim didn't defend me.
 I covered against the door. Hoping | against hope. I waited for Jim to come to me. minute passed , Another. Still Jim didn't appear. I crept down the hall to my room and
 flung myself face down on the bed fearless but utterly misera ble.