The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-09-21

take. You could not stand the
dentist, could you, today?'
Doris looked at her thankfully.
"Whatever happens I'll always love
you and be grateful to you," she
said.
"Such thoughts!"
II mean it. You have been won
derful to me-"
Whatever happens she says
You must not worry so. You are
going to be all right"
Doris looked anxiously at Mrs. Du
Val What did she mean by that?
She spoke as if she knew Of the
strange thing that was hanging over
her. Surely she could not have
known that a salesgirl would. push
her into a closet and call her a poor
child.
Doris found herself falling back
on her old hope: tomorrow she would
remember. She had had shock to-
day-that ought to bring memory
back.
Oscar met them in front of the
house. as on the night Of Doris ar
rival He was delighted at their re-
turn. His first words were: II have
good news for you. Tonight there
will be a stadium broadcast. It Is
very good. Do you like to listen to
Beethoven. DOris?"
Doris said she did. Mrs. Du Val
looked pleased.
Doris felt unreasonably happy.
Here she was secure and loved. The
salesgirl had called her by name.
so she could be sure she was all
right. It must be that Rocky's cool
ness sprung from something she
had done in her past to ALLEVIATE his
love. But she would win It, back. In
the future she would be a model
wife.
These feelings were still in the
ascendant when she unsuspectingly
sat down in front of the radio after
dinner. AS Oscar Du Val turned on
the dial to find the concert there
was a preliminary buzzing. A mans
voice spoke with startling distinct
ness. 1t doomed its message through
the room-a frightening monologue
that set Doris arms clenching the
sides of her chair:
diane Merrell, the girl wanted
for murder in Morristown, New Jer-
sey-"
3 Doris was staring into space with
wide CLASSY eyes. f..
twas reported seen in Detroit,
Mich, at four-thirty this afternoon.
The police are" ..-
Mrs. Du Val gave a low scream.
Oscar switched the radio off. Doris
had fallen back In her chair in a
half daze. Wave after wave of black
emotion was pulling her downward.
The radio voice had spoken from
her past and dragged her back to
the no mans land Of threatening
circles, and menacing purple rings.
Mrs. Du Walls fat little arms were
around her, trying to embrace her.
"At such time you should not be
listening to murders!''
She fell forward in her chair Ii a
dead faint. r,
Doris came slowly back to Der
senses. She opened her eyes: the
white canopy met her gaze. She was
in bed then, but what was this
frightening trouble clutching her? =.
She turned her head. Mrs. Du Val
was sitting at the bedside leaning
over with anxious eyes. Behind her
the soft rays from pink lamp fell
on Rocky's picture, sent out CLEANS
from the silver frame.
snow, now, you are going to be
all right" whispered Mrs. Du Val
soothingly.
Then Doris remembered. She had
been sitting at the radio. Some
thing had been said, something hor-
rible. ''What-what was it they were
saying over the radio?"
'Now, now go to sleep, my Doris.
1t is all right"
Doris sat up and looked at Mrs.
Du Val a little wildly. "But you've
got to tell me. It's very important"
Now, now Doris. Remember. At
such time you must not be think
ing of murders!"
Murders! Doris fell back against
the linen covered pillows. Murders!
What had she to do with murders?
She knew that her past had yawned
for one terrible second while the
radio announcement was being
made. And now her mind had turned
away from it again.
She was thinking that the reason
she had forgotten her past was be-
cause it was too agOnizing for her
mind to dwell ON. Her loss of men,
DRY was a veil which nature in her
great kindness had dropped across
her life. Behind that curtain lay
something dreadful which she could
feel, even if she could not remem-
Der it. Now that she had had that
one backward glimpse she felt that
she could never be happy again.
r1IN -t,o