The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-07-30

able to talk-she had hardly been
able to breathe.
And she had tried to smile 1t him
tried to take his face in her hands
1t had only made his eyes
wilder; made him tell her not TO
trick him-made him sway her back
ward-made him whittier with q queer,
drained 1ook-thc pistol against her
chest
She had . blurred, distorted pic-
ture Of the office in her thoughts:
Douglas knecling on the floor, stoop-
ing over that hulking shadow. The
shadow was RamOn-RamOn was
dead.
50 they went stealing away and
left him to be found by the janitor
and unmourned.
Sandy turned her face until it was
hidden in the pillows-cowcrine be-
fore these bleak, forlorn images
unable to release her mind from the
suffering in his face rs he had last
Looked at her. She could still feel
Ramon reaching down for her hand.
turning It slowly. wondcringly in his.
asking in that humble, appealing
way: DO you care for me 81 eli,
Sandy? Do you not care a little 2"
Oh, we'll, it was past now. Ramon's
pain was past allcviating. Terrible
to have anguish like this; 70 need SO
piefcingly another's soothing hand:
even to ask for it and be denied.
She. wondered achingly who had
cared for him; IL he was buried yet;
Il anyone had wept. Who had folded
his hands and smoothed the tan.
thick hair? How tcnderly she would
have done these little things for him
who had done many kindncsscs for
her!
And she felt no bite rncss at all
for her own tragedy. She remember
cd crushingly that she had gone moan.
ing and creeping along the floor;
remembered Douglas seeming to stag
ger as he went down those miles Of
steps; remembered his young, dear
lips half sobbing against her cheek yet
telling her it was all right-shc was
safe now
No ono saw them. Douglas said
mo one saw them. Yet, lying in bed,
Sandy had vivid images Of men COM
ing for her. They would find =
picture Of her in Ramon's pocket,
perhaps--one of those snapshots he
had taken in the islands
Or they would find some letter she
had written him-somc letter he had
kept
Again and again she said to Judith:
Someone must have heard-the noise
was terrific. The janitress spoke to
me when ! was going up the steps.
She said: "My, it's windy out to-
might. She was . little old lady with
sad. brown eyes. noticed them"
60 into his room. The papers say he
committed suicide. That's all.n
Sandy held her hands before her
face: 1T wouldn't matter il I was
brought into it. Nothing matters
now. Others would care-they would
care terribly"
( "Yes-others would care. You
won't be brought into it," -
Where does your mother think
you are Isn't it strange for you
TO be away from home, Jude? And
taking care Of me I"
my mothers away and Maud
thinks I've taken trip with you
I. s. long trip"
"l'm better-l should be sble to
get up soon Jude. it is odd for
You to be taking care OF me! II
enyone saw Douglas leaving that Of
Their Judith s almost angrily an
sandy-no one saw hint"
At 6 O'Clock Douglas went down
|town-blow into the office and find
out II anything more was found up
there in that room. He was beside
himself with uneasincss. He thought,
savagely: "f4l give myself away yet
they always dol"
/ He went into the local room. New
ton, the police reporter, was the Gen.
ter OF small. excited group They
were looking at = picture.
Douglas went up and leaned over
Newton's shoulder. A chill ran to
his heart. Dark, haunting eyes look.
ed Up at aim-aandy's eyes.
Chapter %.
!. pair of eyes shaded with yer,
long lashes and straight fine black
'brows that curved shghtly and I'M
.expectedly upward 1T the temples. ].
Just the eyes and portion Of tho
nose looking up from an enlarged
. A snapshot OF these eyes had been
. s.S' in ~ R:5sa Sesf WIN WIZ Ies 1sa
. paragraph clipped from ! letter
written BY . woman. Douglas knew
1t for Sandy's writing !. and erinred
seeing . fellow he despised picking
fConttnued on paeo seven.l
r y -