New Britain herald., 1929-07-15

scarcely nave known Hlln, so SpleH- didly healthy and happy and nor nal he had become. She had brought father and son into such close companionship and congeni- ality that an editorial writer for woman's magazine would have burbled with joy as he described the two, She had worked on his cases with a brlliance and zeal which not even the old Nan of pre- days had dreamed pos sible. And for reward she had exactly nothing.
 Oh. of course-Nan reminded her self bitterly-he appreciated her work as housekeeper, mother and praise. And of course there was some nourisnment for her starving heart in seeing him slowly lose the tragic shadows from his deep-set black eyes, in seeing his lean body become less lean. Oh, yes, she had given him peace of sort, content ment of q sort, and he was obvious ly grateful. But what had he given her? Well, q chance to serve him, Once that would have been enough for Nan, but now it was not enough. She had earned more everything And since his love for Iris could not die, he had no coin with which to pay his debt to her. To his credit be it said-Nan reminded herself with a bitter smile-he had not tried to pay in counterfeit
 "Slaping away, dear?' Morga- interrupted from the doorway See any loopholes in the case: Want 10 be in court in the morning when the case opens?'
 Nan bowed her head lower over the papers. so that he might not seq the traces of her tears. 'I-be- lieve not, John" She could no: explain that the jovial, teasing at. titude of her husbands legal col. leagues toward the great criminal lawyers partner, wife was unbear. able to her. If she had been his wife in fact, as well as in name. she would have gloated over their pleasantries. . The case looks watertight to me. I see you have the last of the dispositions from Riverside, California. Bassett doesn't suspect a thing, does he?"
 NO, and neither does Nina Blackhull, so far as I knew" Nor gan answered. his deep voice throbbing with triumph. If noth- ing slips up. Nan, we'll get a dis missal of the indictment against young David Blackhull and new in- dictments against Nina Blackhun and Bassett before another week has passed into history. A fine Christmas present for young David, kunh? ? Let's see: about this time last year I was maneuver- ing an acqulttal as Christmas present for Bert Crawford. Time seems to drag endlessly, and then all of sudden you wake up to realize that it hasn't been dragging at all, but flying"
 His voice trailed to constrained pause. Nan knew that he was thinking not only of the anniver- sary of the opening of the Crawford case. but also of another anniver- sary that was hurting inevitably toward him - the anniversary of his adorcd first Uife's assertion. Was there any wonder that he had no thought at all for the signifi- canoe of the date, so far as he and she were concerned? lie had not indicate by word or glance that the twelfth of the month meant anything. Perhaps it didn't to him, since the marriage was not really marriage, and there was room in his heart for celebration of only one wedding anniversary.
 i've often wondered about Craw- ford,' Morgan went on, his voice almost normal again. You know. it's rather hurt me that he has never written. After all. I did get him out of a nasty situation. .. By the way, 1 got into conversation the other day with new vice presi- dent of the First National Bank. He brought up CraWford's namo: said he'd heard about me defending him on an embezzlement charge, and thought I might be interested to know that Crawford had been living in Paris. He saw him there about six months ago, playing about with a woman so beautiful that she was he talk of the town. Up to his old tricks. I suppose h. added, with a wry grin.
 Mans heart stood still It was ghastly 10 hear him gossip with such appalling innocence of the man who had tricked him into de- tending a crook and who had stoler, his wife A hundred times Nan had wondered if Morgan had had no suspicion at all of the sham eful
 AllI@Illc ot tllt tNo NllO ildu v'ronged him so deeply She was answered now. He had not the faint est suspicion that the woman so beautiful that she was the talk of the town" was Iris Morgan
 Morgan took his seat on the op- posite side of the flat-topped desk. and reached for the thick sheaf of papers which Nan had been pre- tending 10 study, His hand touched hers, inadvertently, then closed over it
 "Why, Nan dear your hands like ice'' hc exclaimed, instantly solic-
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