Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-01-26

B~ Gf099

IN Paris, that Leclerc womanl II
seemed to be saying to me: You
wicked, unnatural girl-you are
denying your own brother in his
hour Of greatest needl" Oh, it's all
! Imagination, / know!" brokek off Pat
rather wildly, i1terrupting her own
vivid recital. I realize 1t is just
over-wrought feelings-the suspense
and and everythingl But, when
that man-that awful Maxwell
grinned at me In The doorway there
II just went a little sick. I think"
She smiled again, something like
her old natural, wtnSome smile.
III be all right now, I'm sure"
she said bravely. But the too-bright
eyes continued q little too bright
and the strained look around the
lips that had lost some Of their
ruddy coloring. still remained.
A sensation OF forboding born OF a
depressing silence seemed to settle
gradually down on the heart OF each
one Of that little aSSemblage. No
n could think Of anything TO say.
And SO no n said anything.
Some sound from the next room
would come to them occasionally;
an indiStinct murmur Of words; an
ejaculation quickly hushed. The
suspense was nerve-wracking to the
members Of that waiting quartette.
ballard wondered how the man out
in the hall was taking it. Not a
sound had come TO them to indicate
his presence there. In the X-ray
room all was still. What had DR..
Gardner found? What would the
X-ray picture show? What trick
was being worked by the old
schemer out in the corridor?
A low mumbling came to their
ears; a quick little cry from the
woman and the hum Of voices
pitched too low to catch the words.
Then suddenly came a sound like
that OF choked sobbing. The next
moment the door opened and DR..
Gardner emerged.
Pat, standing suspiciously close,
glanced through the opening into
the X-ray room. Her eager gaze
fastened instantly upon the nurse
who, with an arm around q
shoulders Of her charge, was Just
opening the door OF the exit into
the hall. The young man was SOD
bling like a whipped child. Then the
door closed, shutting them from
view. But in that fleeing moment
Pat had caught sight Of the young
mans face. Her heart seemed 70
lump up into her throat. She turn
ed her head and her glance en-
countered that Of Or. GGrdner. he
looking at her with an odo'
questioning light in his Keen eyes
grave. She caught her breath. a
premonition Of evil striking her
heart like the blow OF a hammer.
Yves. Observation-Disclosures Is itP
she articulated chokingly. What
did YOU" She stopped. Her throat
seemed constricted-to be closing
up. He stepped quickly toward ner
and took both of her hands in his.
MY dear" he said, a SUDDEN
gentlenesS erasing the grave look
from his strong. kindly race,
know-of course I know you nave
been honest In your Belief But
patricia, child, you have. ~nevertne-
less. made a very serious, a very
serious mistakel" -.
'Mistake!" She grasped out the
word and with its utterance ner
shoulders suddenly sagged IN a
strangely pathetic, helpless manner.
Her too-bright eyes looked up mt
those Of Rex ballard. A great thron
OF pity gripped his heart as he read
the agony written in those DROVE
aMistake." She whispered 1t again.
Then: "What-did you-find, doc
tori" she asked hoarsely.
GWhv. / found" DIR. Gardner
hesitated for Just an instant and
then went on: Il found the same
scar with the same peculiar. I'M
mistakable markings from the m
lection giving it the look Of a double
crossl Then in the light Of the
X-ray / found the heart fun Two
inches to the right Of the sternum.
I found, in fact, Jimmy Blair, your
twin brotherl" -
For thirty seconds following the
announcement OF Dr.. Gardner no
sound broke the stiffness of the
room save the ticking OF the CLOCK.
IL was ballard who spoke first.
There's something very strange
herel" he said. in slow, even tones.
Something devilishly stranger"
Il don't understand, sir, what you
mean by thatl" raped out the
Cleveland doctor, a stern look strik-
iEg out the former SoftneSS from
his r1lroed features aaThn unnInr