The Indianapolis times., 1931-06-22

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ducks than you did Of your wife
II wish I'd never seen you'll
wish I'd let Beryl have you! 1
would have served her right" Sn
stopped short Of admitting tha
Beryl had prevented her from
marrying Tommy.
"Yes," Gaylord answered quietly
Il wish you had let Beryl have me.
She's worth a car load Of girls like
you, but I doubt if she would have
had me. I don't think money came
first with her" he added bitterly.
Irene began to sob and Gaylord
went away to send the message that
plunged Beryl into such an abyss
Of self-reproach-
XXTHEN he was gone, Irene was
w sorry she hadn't asked him to
send for Tommy. If Tommy could
be with her now, could hold her
hand for just little while before
they took her upstairs to that awful
room, he'd never want to let her go
again. Shed be sure Of him then.
I'll send for Tommy" she con-
soled herself, "just as soon as it's
over" What she meant was that
she would send for him as soon as
she was pretty patient again.
Presently she telephoned Gaylord
to ask if he'd sent for her mother.
He said that he had.
ffxIyi11 rrO.4 ~ -
ton and bring her here?" Irene
asked. I don't suppose you'd mind
if she stayed at the Brightwell,
would you?"
The Brightwell was fashionable
hotel not far away from the hos
pital and Gaylord couldn't help
thinking that Mrs. Everett might
be more comfortable elsewhere, but
he did not say this to Irene.
He was anxious to have her recov-
er and depart from his life. If
money could speed the time, he was
quite willing to spend it. He had
come to see Irene as nothing but
glamorously pretty little female.
Mrs. Everett was frantic to reach
Irene, but her condition was no
longer one of mock illness. She
found herself too weak and pros
trated to undertake the journey.
And so it was Beryl who was met
at the station by Gaylord and
escorted to the hotel where he had
made reservation for her mother
Irene'S thoughtfulness, however,
designed TO impress her acquaint-
ances and her nurses, was lost upon
Beryl. She gave no thought to
her surroundings. Her one wish
was to get to her sister as soon as
possible.
Gaylord waited in the lobby
while Beryl freshened herself bit
from her railroad journey before
going to the hospital
He was shocked at the change in
her. When she came up to him at
the station while he was looking
for Mrs. Everett he did not know
her until she spoke to him. Her
face was drawn and thin.
Gaylord wondered now if he had
betrayed his shock. Lord, it was
terrible! The VelVetan Girl What
had happened to her? The gardenia
skin and the kind, smiling lips, the
clear gray eyes that laughed or
were coolly serene.
GAYLORD could think Of moth
NJ ing they were like now but
ashes, gray ashes, cooling over
something that had died. Was it
the spirit Of the girl?
He watched her coming toward
him after she had left the elevator
and told himself that she was like
something crushed.
But when they got into his car
and were on their way to the hos
pital he became conscious of an
other change that had come over
Beryl She showed signs of a deep,
all-conSunling fire of emotional un-
rest.
Does Irene know that you are
coming, and not your mother?"
Gaylord asked uneasily, for Irene's
lack of feeling toward her sister
was no secret to him.
mo" Beryl said simply.
Gaylord experienced the odd SEN
sation that she was reading his
mind
Irene and never were real SIS
terS,' she said quietly, "but every
thing is going to be different now"
Gaylord did not answer, but pres
emily he felt he should warn her.
Irene has not changed" he said
bluntly.
Perhaps not" Beryl said, ct did
not expect that. It is I who have
changed, because you see it was
who was in the wrong"
Gaylord flashed her a look Of sur
g ANSWER 8 Finish.