The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-23
When 4 GirL
 M0rries
CHAPTER. CDXlIII.
By ANN LESLIE.

CHAPTER CDXII1. ''Phoebe!" I cried in astonish1n ent- What are you doing in Meals apart nent? Are you-haye you been se- cretly married?''
 heard a gasp. Then Phoebe cried: Its Anne. What shall tell herr" There was blur of sound. Silence followed I rocked the telephone hook nervously up and down. Miss mentary paralysis of amazement and rushed across the room. Now Mrs. Harrison don't excite yourself. Come dear I can't let my little patient tax her strength like this"
 Her hands were over mine. and in another moment she would have broken my weak hold on the tele- phone. But just then I heard the reassuring sound of Jeannie's voice. It gave me new strength and looked up at Miss Rathbun with authority which didn't fail of it's effect.
 "I must ask you not to interfere with mel" I announced curtly. Then spoke into the transmitter:
 "Yes, Jeanie, this is Anne. Will you please explain the mystery? early in the morning?'' I added as if that detail were salient.
 Hello, dear. I'm glad you are strong enough to be at the telephone;
 
 asked Virginia anXiously.
 "Of course,'' I replied irnpatiently. Please answer my questions. What are you and Phoebe doing at NeaPs They can't have run away and been married while I was SO sick-that's iti Neal is sicl1!''
 "Anne, don't be absurd. We came up to town early. And Nea! is hay, Jeanie, with suspicious glibness.
 "I don't believe you.' I cried. There's a mystery. I've felt since yesterday that samething was wrong. wasn't just to keep me quiet. Tell me. Jeanie. tell me! Is my Neal very sick?
 I felt myself growing dizzy and weak at the thoughts which came surging up, giving me cruel two and two from which to make a terri flying four.
 there? Virginia I have to know, Virginia-''
 "Of course not, dear" began Vir- ginia, You're making yourself ill
 Then the telephone was taken firm ly from my hands, and Miss Rathbun spoke into the transmitter:
 Mrs. Dalton. forgive me for stand ing by and not helping. I didn't know it was about anything-you'd entrusted to me. didn't guess she'd phone her brother. Not until heard Mrs. Harrison call you Virginia Don't worry, I'll manage better now"
 Then there was an interval broken by monosyllab1es and brief, non committal phrases from Miss Rath- bun. After a moment or two, the queer conversation concluded with this from my nurse:
 'fNo, there won't be the least need of your coming home. I'll tell her. No, nothing more than that"
 Then she turned to me with elab- crate brightness and said:
 Come on now, honey, let me get my little patient costly back in her own sunny room before she's over taxed her strength"
 All right" said tensely, realiz- ing that nothing was to be gained by insisting on the unimportant point of staying down in the living room.
 By the utmost force of will I kept myself quiet, holding my strength in reserve for the time when I might need 1t. I felt that would come soon. I held back the words which were clamoring to my lips and quietly went up the stairs with the nurse.
 When veg ot to my room we found Hedwig lowering anxiously about my big invalid chair, strengthening cush- ions, batting covers into place with the shamefaced, inpotent air of a, hen who's matched out ducklings Miss Rathbun cast one accusing glance at her and then proceeded to tuck me in among the inviting cush- ions. I sank back into the comfort ing softness of the big chair and then l gasped out pleadingly:
 My brother? Tell me-
 Your brothers all right" returned Miss Rathibun.
 Sensing the evasion in her tone, I fixed my eyes accusingly on hers and called up the strength I'd been sav- ing for our clash of wills.
 My brother is not all right" I nv fnI Fo1I truth about him I'm going to get right into my things and go up to town and see.''
 Don't be foolish, dear," said Miss is all right, and if he weren't, do you think you'd do him any good in your state of health? Don't you see that if he needed nursing he'd be getting Miss Phoebe right there"
 He does need nursing then," I persisted.
 Yes. dear aclsnowledged Miss accident the day he was here to visit you. But he's better now'
 "Better!'' I cried. Better when Mrs. Dalton and Phoebe are there ing? So that's why they haven't been to see me. That's why I've been kept quiet. They were with Neal and the doctor didn't want me to know. So it's as bad as that!''
 Now, now dear, don't excite your self and say it's as bad as anything. Your brotheI had a little accident-''
 ''What?" I asked irY1patientIy, Why don't you tell me what it vas ?''
 ing you. dear. The day he left here-he had a little accident And since you weren't well enough to go and nurse him. and Miss Phoebe couldn't go alone, Mrs. Dalton went with her to take care of him."
 ''Is there a e?'' I asked slowly
 ''No, no, dear. They're taking care of him-just as you would if you were better.''
 ''No nurse. And Phoebe and Jeanie both with him." I reflected slowly and half to myself. "An ac- cident? Miss Rathbun, you can't put me off another accident. What was that accident? ?'
 Miss Rathbun stared at me az gressively for a moment. Then her eyes fell before the challenge in mine.
 He was shot," she said. Mot seri- ously, dear. They thought so at first. hIJA r1o ~|P II.