Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-12-23
Mary Comes Into the Case

"Bless her little loyal heart
muttered Malcolm Starmount as he
hung up the phone, and it was not
of Alta Van Eisen that he was
speaking.
To him the little, futile act OF
Mary Devlin in buying up those
newspapers, hoping to protect his
name, really paid him for all he had
done for her.
Men always love women who do
ilnpulsive and erratic things for
them no matter how foolish they
are.
I wish I had talked to Mary in
stead of Alta tonight he thought,
and the idea stayed with him so
persistently that he was just about
to take off the receiver and ask
long distance to get Mary on the
line when the bell rang,
Long distance wants Mr.. Star
mount"
'This is Mr.. Starmount.
"Wait' minute. There you are.
Go ahead" T."
rs it you, my lords"
"Of course it is, dear child. ;"
There was an unwonted eagerness
in Starmount IS voice. "What do you
wantf How are you feeling"
ooh, I'm feeling all right. l
want you to let me come into the
city tonight"
"But Mary, you are not well
enough. You have not been at all
well lately you know. 1t is much
better for you to stay up there for
a while"
"No it's not. Ny lungs are all
right. / have not coughed at all
lately, Eddie is getting along just
as fast as he can and I want to
come into the city even if I have
to come back here right away. I've
just got to come for l don't think
/ can stand another "a hours with
out talking to you, my lord"
"Why, what have you got on
your mind, dear4"
II can't tell you over the phone,
Let me come down, please. This is
the first thing | have ever really
asked of you"
"Why of course you can come if
you want to, but / warn you that
you will not be very happy here.
The weather is beastly, the house
is big and lonely, aud / shall be out
a lot all this week. / have very
pressing business on hand,
eyes, know, l know. That is
the reason l want to come. May
n"
"Sure you can. Tell Miss Jeffries
to come with you. Mulchay will
meet you at the station. You might
get some clothes and make arrange
nents to take some singing lessons"
ooh! Am l going to learn to
ing, my lordR"
"Well, don't know about that,
'ut the doctors have prescribed voice
ulture as a part Of your cure. 1t
5 a new theory in strengthening
he lungs. You had better take the
lay train tomorrow, Mary. Do not
ry to come down tonight. 1 may
lot be In the house when you get
ere, child, but I will have the ear
t the station and Mulcahy will not
all to be on hand. Good night,
ear"
1t seemed to Starmount that he
card little sigh of content just be-
ore the phone was hung up.
From that moment the world
'oked brighter to him for although
e did not realize how he had
rown to depend upon the sight of
larry as a part of his day, the mere
act that she was now going to be
| the house with him, had changed
Nothing could make
i'm unhappy, nothing could make
i'm impatient, for before his eyes
as the little white face and utteri
trustful eyes of Mary Devlin.
Parker was still out on soma mys-
'rious errand but Starmount got
at the shore and told him
come in for the evening train
Ic next day,
Once or twice Starmount read over
lie details of Nadia Courteney's
ory, with its disgusting implica-
ons of an affair with Mary Dew
4. "God, if l could just get my
lnds ON her would squeeze her
reat until her lying tongue hung |
it of her, mouth. I'd give her a
Sc against me-" Abruptly he got
his feet, pacing back and forth
patiently. Everything was for
tten except the one desire, to face |