The Washington times., 1931-08-12
LOVE BLIND
CHAPTER Al

Thre days went by. Lael did
not improve, and Tony at Dee's
,insistence called in doctor.
The sudden change Of clim-
ate, the physician said, had
been bad for the child. Mrs.
Curtis should take her right
back to California. He was sure
she would get better in a
warmer climate, but something
must be done Immediately be-
fore Lael was too i'll to travel.
He prescribed some medicine,
too, but from the shake OF his
head, when he left the i'm
provised nursery, Dee knew
that Lael was very i'll.
Tony would not hear OF Dee
leaving. Now that he had her,
he was not going to let her go.
They would get another doctor,
a better one. Perhaps in a few
months, they could both man
age to get down to Havana, and
spend some time there. At pres
ent time, he could not leave
Cleveland.
Dee wept, pleaded, but could
not move him. Two more doc
tors came that afternoon, and
a trained nurse. The baby had
been in her charge since Mr..
Curtis had left California. She
had done her best. In a few
days, the child would get well.
Mrs. Curtis didn't need to have
these doctors, this nurse. They
wouldn't do any good.
The girl didn't listen. She
was half crazy with fear, and
after the doctors had gone, sat
by Laers crib and looked down
at her pale, thin child. Lael
was very quiet, too quiet, Dee
thought. If she would move,
cry, scream, it would be better
than this. If only she would
thrash her little arms around,
open her brown eyes.
Without Mercy
Tony was killing her child.
He was without mercy. When
he came into the nursery to
tell her that dinner was wait
ing she looked at him coldly,
and said she would stay with
Lael. Her dinner was sent UP
a few minutes later but she left
it on the tray untouched.
Lael was sick, perhaps dying,
and Tony had refused to do
what the doctor had asked.
She touched the baby's hot
still fingers, and a tremor
passed through her body. She
must do something. She could
not sit this way, helpless, in
active when Lael needed care,
had to live.
In the three days she had
been with Tony she had been
a prisoner IN his house. True
she had taken walks around
the snow-covered garden in the
moments when Lael was asleep.
The servants had been kind,
too kind. One afternoon she
and Tony had taken a long
drive, Tony wished her to go.
She worried about Lael every
minute she had been gone.
Many times when she had
been alone in the downstairs
room she had picked up the
telephone only to find it dead
in her hands. Disconnected.
Tony had managed very we'll.
She could not even compuni-
cate with Dennis.
Now, though, she knew she
must. Dennis or Phil. They
were the only ones who could
help her.
That there was another tele-
phone in the house she knew,
but could not find it.
Tony had been gone part of
the time. He droYe away in
the car nearly every evening,
and came back at dawn. She
never asked Whers he went, nor
what he did. He never con-
fided in her.
The Worst Is Expected
The nurse was taking Laels
temperature. Dee looked eag-
erly at the small thermometer
when she finished. Looked and
trembled when she saw what
the slender thread of mercury
read.
Worse, isn't she?" she whsi-
pered.
"The temperature is worse.
I think we'd better call the doc
tor back this evening" The
nurse answered gravely. She
was so efficient looking in her
crisp white starched dress,
apron and little peaked cap.
Her hands were so cool, her
fingers well tapered, beautiful.
After she Sterilized the ther-
mometer she hung it. again on
the chain at her belt.
n