The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-04-26

WHAT SORT OF A WOMAN is
SHE" SHE ASKED.
looking after him till he had disap-
peared down the long flight of stone
steps.
y Then she went back 10 the room.
and covered. shivering. over the fire.
Nigel dead, Dolly dead.
Mary found herself wondering il.
somewhere on the other side of the
mystery we call death. husband and
wife had met
Such a few days had measured their
separation. after all. and yet-they
had never loved each other.
She rose stifiy when the fire had
quite died out and crept TO bed
Directly she woke in the morning
she thought of the papers. Surely
the truth would be known now.
The little maid brought them to
her. Mary opened them with shaking
fingers.
But only last nights news. with a
few added details, was printed.
But as the day dragged away fur
Their details crept out. A brief list OF
passengers and crew was published
at the Offices of the shipping company,
where Mary. waiting YEARLY, hour aft
er hour. watched the slowly added
names with haggard eyes.
Somehow all her anger and bitter
ness against Nigel's wife was vanish
ing-wiped out by the merciless hand
of Death.
And then she saw her name, and
that of the man she had married. go
up at the end of that short, incom-,
pleteU list: Durham Tor Dunham),
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert-drowned."
She never knew how she got out
of the Office. She felt as if she were
walking in space.
For the moment Mary's heart was
dead and incapable of further suffer
ing. She felt as if she had reached
the emil of her tether Of endurance.
and nothing mattered any more
There were letters waiting for her
when she got back to the fiat, but
she let them lie on the table un-
opened. She had forgotten David
Bretherton and her own miserable in
decision in the horror of this fresh
tragedy.
It was only hours after their arrival
that Mary opened those letters. One
was a. brief acknowledgment from the
owner of the fiat in reply to her own
intimation that~she wished to leave:
and the other-Mary turned il over
DULY. She did not know the writing;
but the postmark-
baaf VtfIa 70 -
saw that. She broke open the flap.
The paper was expensive, and en-
bossed with a heading-"The Red
Grange"
MY dear child Dit began)-"David
tells me that he has asked GU to come
here and live with us. so / am just
writing 10 assure you of my very
hearty welcome, both for your own
sake snd dear .Nigel's We will both
do our very best to make you happy.
and try and help you forget your
sorrow.
Come as soon as ever you like 1
am having Nigel's room prepared for
you. - thought you would like to
have it
Perhaps you have not heard of
MS DuL from what DdVld~ mas TOTO
me of you, 1 am sure we shall grow
to love each other, and such is my
sincerest wish.
Believe me. my dear child.
Yours affectionately.
''NigeIs Aunt Florence"
Aunt Florence. Nigel had spoken of
her so cfteH. He had loved her dear
~. Tow goos of her to writel
So they really wanted her. There
was something in the simple warmth
Of the letter that felt like kindly hands
outstretched to grasp her own.
Nigels room, How dear of them to
think of that
But, of course, ii could never be-
Now she would have to finish that
letter t%David which she had begun
only yesterday. and tell them the
truth.
She folded the letter from the Red
Grange. and thrust il out of her sight
in a blotter She resoiutely walked
from the room, determined to forget it,
But the insidious voice of tempta-
ton walked with her. whispering. al
ways: why not? Why not?"
CHAPTER XVIII
An Exnax.iunanf