The Indianapolis times., 1929-06-05
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IRIS must nave DcCn sure OF
that; if not. Crawford himself.
standing over Iris and censoring the
letter she wrote, had taken no
chonces.
ne had not even dared suggest
that her husband get divorce, for
fear he would jump to the conclu-
sion that she wanted legal freedom
in order to marry another man.
And how cleverly the letter had
been /worded, to appeal to every
generous and chivalreus instinct
of the deserted husbands naturel
mo man could have been better
husband than you, Jack, 1t is not
your fault that l do not love you.
But it isn't mine either. is it? DO
one last generous thing for me,
Jack
Oh. the bitter, cruelty of her -
holding his love, making demands
upon it, even As she flung it back
at him as burden she could no
longer bear
ATORGAN'S swivel chair creaked
1VI as he Strengthened his bowed
back and squared his shoulders
slowly, like a man adjusting HIM
self to receive and carry an intol-
crably heavy load.
The faint sound aroused Nan from
the Welter Of emotions and specula-
tions into which IriS's incredible
letter had plunged her. She stepped
softly to the desk. laid the stiff
sheets of notepaper upon the edge
Of it, She must say something, of
course. 1t was to his friend,
not to his secretary, that he had
shown the letter.
"Im-sorry Mr Morgan" Her
voice was husky and rough with
tears. rs theip-anything I-can
doc I'm 5o-terribly sorry Nan
hated words then; they were such
silly, futile things.
If only she could touch him, hold
his head against her breast, so that
he could feel her heart throbbed
with compassion and love But that
was silly. too Only one WOman'S
arms and love could comfort him
now.
Thank you. Nan. Thought
you'd-better know. Sorry to dis
tress you" He did not look at her
as he spoke. in a fiat, dead mono
tone I'm afraid there isn't any
thing - you can do - just now.
Good night, Nan.
The ache to touch him VAS too
great to be borne. His right hand
lay clenched upon the desk, the
knuckleS cleaning Whitley through
the tightened skin. and before dis
crction could stop her, her own
hand went out. fell gently upon his,
her little cold fingers pressing
tight for breath-taking instant.
She was about to withdraw her
hand after that fleeting contact
when Morgans fist unknotted and
his long, thin fingers reached up
and imprisoned hers.
There was no spoken words be-
tween them. as Morgans hand clung
to Mars, the grip of his fingers al
most crushing hers, but if the man
had only known it, one woman was
dedicating her heart and her life
to his service. while he was striY-
ing to realize that another had dc
serted him.
When his clasp was loosencd,
Nan withdrew her hand gently and
slipped from the room.
She knew he wanted to be alone,
but when she was putting on her
hat she realized that she could not
leave him yet. 1t would be like
leaving a man to sit up alone with
his dead.
She removed her hat. then tiptoed
silently about her Office. If he
found her working he could not be
so very angry with her for staying.
The court Stenographer's tram
script Of the prosecutions teSti-
mony against Lois Downs lay on
her desk. She stared at it for
long minute. her fingers pressed
into her throbbing temples.
What tremendous discovery had
she been upon the verge of making
when Iris's letter had come? The
Lois Downs case seemed vastly un-
important and far away now, but
her conscience ierked her up
shortly-not unimpOrtant to Lois
Downs! Tomorrow morning John
Curtis Morgan would have to go
into court, to fight for the life of
the pretty young nurse accused Of
poisoning her patient.
There was, after all, something
that she could do. She could help
him go into court certain of vic
tory His work and his son we're
all that Iris Morgan had left him.
Eagerly Nan drew the bulky tran
script toward her and began to
read. pausing occasionally to jot a
memorandum upon her notebook,
and at other times to dash tears
from her eyes.
A T a little after II the door OF
"a Morgan's Office opened and
Nan looked up, startled and appre-
henSive, to see him standing in the
doorway.
Twice. during her career as pri-
vate secretary to Morgan when he
had been district attorney, Nan Car
roll had seen convicted murdererS
receive the death sentence. One man
had sunk to his knees after the aw-
ful words had been spoken. and had
been half dragged. half carried, SOB
bing like a hySterical woman, from