The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-24

wrong?"
'Tel him to go awayl Tell him
1 can't come down."
Mrs. Wethering repeated this
message to Bob in no uncertain
terms and he was obliged to accept
it as final. He left the house in a
bewildered state of mind.
What could have happened? Had
Helen repented their reconciliation
so soon after vowing that nothing
ever could part them again? It was
unbelievable?
But illness need not have pre-
vented her from sending him a word
telling him when to return-unless
her condition was far more serious
than Mrs. Wethering had admitted.
The thought drove him to beg his
mother, when he reached home, to
telephone Bramblewood and inquire
about Helen.
Word came back that she was
sleeping. No, there was nothing to
worry over-just slight indisposi-
ton.
Grossly the housekeeper hung up
the receiver, and hoped the Ennis
family would not disturb her again
until morning at least.
The next day Helen came down
as usual to breakfast, her eyes pur-
pie trimmed in tense, white face.
She went through the motions OF
eating, but what food passed her
lips was tasteless and unwanted.
Mrs. Wethering lowered in the
background, watching over her,
genuinely concerned for her health.
why, she looks as if she had a
dead spirit in her body" the woman
calculated to herself when first she
glimpsed Helen that morning.
She was not far wrong. Helen
felt as though her soul we're dying
within her. It was ali so hopeless,
so black, whichever way she turned.
She did not doubt Bob's love and
faith, but she could not bear the
thought of letting him sacrifice
everything in the world to prove
his loyalty.
And she dared not tell him of
Brent's cruel alternative. He would
never let her marry Brent. She
knew that. He'd believe in her and
want to fight to save her. And
there was no hope of victory.
Her night of torture had con-
vinced her that Brent was right in
saying the world would believe her
guilty with him in the plot to gain
possession of the Cunningham mil
lions.
She had no defense. She saw
now how easily she had been con-
WINGED that she was the Nellln
girl. She had been SO secretive at
school. Who would accept her
story that Shs had not known who
her parents were? Would they not
all think that she had been con-
cealing the fact that her father was
a nationally known crook?
A CROOK! She, the daughter of
Aa crook-a man of crime! The
iron of infamy went deep into her
heart with every thought of him.
But Brent hadn't proved it, He
hadn't proved that she was Helen
Pagel
With this declaration she sought
to encourage herself-to feed the
only hope she had But she knew
Brent too we'll to believe that he
would have done this thing with
out the proof he claimed to have.
1t was & false hopes and she knew
it.
What would Mrs. Ennis say?
What would any mother say if her
son wanted TO marry a girl who
was stigmatized with crime?
Brent'S cruelty had warped
Helen's judgment, caused her to
view all aspects of her situation
with doubt and despair. All but
Bob's love. 1t was the one. thing
she believed in unquestioningly.
All that day she lived in a panic
lest he come to her and demand an
explanation of her refusal to see
him the night before. How horri-
bic to have him think she did not
love hiin-that she was so tickle
she could change toward him over
night.
And he must believe 1t. What
else was there for him to believe?
Oh. why hadn'taShe instructed Mrs.
wethering and Ashe to say she was
not at home? That would have
given her time to find a way to
treat Bob less callously.
Too late to think of 1t now =.
but surely there was something she
could do : something besides