The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-03

WIEN they were gone Nan sat
w idle at her typewriter, her
frightened eyes fixed on the little
desk clock. Had she committed an
unforgivable crime in not warning
Morgan that his wife was leaving
him for Crawford? But, as she had
told Willis Todd she would rather
have died than to have shown him
that letter of Bert Crawford's, which
proved that Crawford was not only
thief but Iris Morgans lover. And
as Willis had pointed out to her,
NIorgan's knowing would not have
stopped Iris, and, if it could have,
Morgan would not or should not
want her. But Willis didn't
know how much Morgan loved her
The minute hand Of the clock
moved slowly and ineXorably. Train
time! Too late now! Five minutes
pas train time now. John Cur
tbs Morgan and his child, happily
innocent Of the fact that they were
deserted, would be turning toward
the movie theater now, Curtis shril-
ling excitedly about his police
dog.
"Will he know tonight! Did she
! leave a letter? Surely she wouldn't
just go away, leaving no word be-
hind. I wish I could work! l
feel as if I'm going mad" Nan
1 uoaned.
At last she forced herself to con-
centrate on the Lois Downs case,
which had opened that day in
Judge Trimble's court. 1t prom
/ ised to be one of the hardest fights
that John Curtis Morgan had ever
waged for the life Of an accused
murderer.
Nan knew that District Attorney
Brainerd was as convinced Of the
guilt of the pretty young nurse as
Morgan was sure Of her innocence.
The crime of which Lois Downs
was accused had been committed III
July-six months ago. Mrs. An
drew Ward, 81 years old, a wheel
chair invalid, who had not walked
for three years, had died at o'clock
in the morning of strychnine poi
soning, and her nurse, Lois Downs,
had been Immediately arrested on
q charge Of murder.
Mrs. Ward, a multi-millionaire in
her own right, had married, at the
age of 40, a handsome young ne'er-
do-well of &c.
Living in the home of the ill
matched couple were two spinster
daughters Of Mrs. Wards by
previous marriage.
Three years before her death Mrs.
Ward declared that she was para
lyzed from the waist down, and set
tied herself luxuriously in a wheel
chair invalidism, requiring the con-
slant care of a doctor. a day nurse,
a night nurse and her young hus-
band.
After her death by strychnine
poisoning, Mrs. Wards daughters
told the district attorney and police
detectives that their mother had
beeen insanely Jealous of young An
drew Wards attention to the pretty
night nurse. Lois Downs. telling
them that she believed Ward wished
! her dead so. that he could marry the
girl
Because Ward had q perfect alibi,
and because Lois Downs had been
the only person with the invalid the
night of her death, the nurses ar
rest and indictment for murder had
followed.
Morgan had listened to the girls
story, had believed her innocent and
had, with Mans enthusiastic help,
worked up the defense which Nan
was reviewing the afternoon of Iris
departure for New York.
u ECOMTNG absorbed, she worked
- steadily until o'clock, then
went out for dinner at a restau-
rant in the neighborhood. But her
anxiety for Morgan made it impos-
sible for her to eat.
She left a tip beside her plate of
almost untouched food, paid her
check, and ran through the cold,
windy business street to the Office
building. She could stand it no
longer; she must know something
The telephone was ringing with
shrill tnsistence when she reached
| her Office. Her suddenly icy hands
fumbled unfortunately with the key
and lock, but at last she was at the
instrument painting.
"Hellol Hello Obi Yes, Mr..
Morgan! =. Yes" She was al
most sobbing "Nothing's the mat
ter. Just out of breath. Ran to
answer the phone. e. Yes I've just
been to dinner. I thought I'd work
on the Lois Downs case; refresh my
mind"
I'm coming down. too" Morgan's
deep, pleasant voice was saying.
TITS rather lonesome at home. with
Iris gone. But I promise not to
keep you late. There are one or
two points. -.
n