Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-03-31
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And then Joyce hung up her owl
receiver, breathing a sigh of relic
at her escape.
Hardly had she leaned back il
the chair, when the bell rang a
gain. She listened anxiously, 4
rather coarse feminine voice replied
to the maids quiet "Yes?" saying
'How's Mrs. Packard this morn.
ing, Roxie? Con l speak to her:
Tell her it's Kate Belmain."
Sorry Mrs. Belmain, but Mrs
Packard is sleeping and gave order
not to be disturbed"
"Oh, well, I'll call again later
=. Say, Roxie," in a converse
tional tone, wasn't she the lucky
girl not to get smashed up in a fal
like that? l felt sick when l heare
about it. Didn't break a thing, die
she?"
mo, ma'am, she hit her head
but | guess it wasn't a bad blow
"Well, I'll tell the world She!
lucky! Well, tell her l called, will
you, Roxie.
"She seems on intimate terms
with the family. Her voice sound.
middleaged and fat
uncultured," thought Joyce, crit
cally. II wonder who else will cal
up? All l need to do to learn who
are the friends of Mr.. and Mr.
Neil Packard is to sit here and is
ten to the telephone conversations
Pm finding things out anyhow,
l know now THAT the maids name
is Roxie and that Matt is Mr.
Maitland and that there's a couple
named Art and Kate Belmain."'.
She continued her explorations
| which disclosed three more bed
rooms, each with its own bath
one decorated in green, one in or,
child, and one in pale yellow. elm
lucky there aren't any guests If
the house." she thought thankful.
ly, finding nothing but unoccu.
pied rooms. "I'd hate to run into
somebody staying right in tho
place. Well, I'll go back to m,
boulder and see if l can dig up any
more news of what the charming
Frills has been perpetrating. Wish
I could discover what the date i
and how long it has been sinceA
|. I left Philadelphia
She sat down on the chair a,
the desk again and pickle dup one
of the letters. The postmark On
the first was too blurred to deciph
er, but the second one was clearly
stamped. She stared at it bewiid-
cred, a sudden feeling of faintnes'
Selling her. "Why, l left Phil
adelphia in November Tha,
means Oh, it can't be posi-
Bile! April-nearly two years!
Where have l been all that time:
lOh, I can't understand it, j,
lfrightens me. 1 don't like it
-. Oh dear. Oh dear. . >
Suddenly her overweight ner-
yes gave way, and slipping to he,
knees in front of the couch, Joyce
buried her face in her arms and b.
gan to sob desperately, terror and
loneliness possessing her entirely.
When Joyce awoke, she lay TO.
some moments collecting hel
thoughts.
So it had not been a dream. I,
was something actual and inescap-
! able which she had to- face.
She sat up on the couch, wide
awake now, and soberly tried te
! decide what to do next. AS she
stared about the room, she realized
that the sun was no longer shin
ing in. How long had she slept:
There was no clock in the room
She remembered having seen, how
ever, among the contents of the
blue leather case on the dressing
table a small diamond-set wrist
watch. Returning to the bedroom
she caught sight of herself in the
mirror. Her dress was badly
rumpled, her hair stood up in cur
ly confusion and her face wa.
streaked from the tears she hae
shed.
Four o'clock. 'Phew, what a
long nap! I feel a lot better, any
how. I wonder if anyone else call
ed up. Oh dear, that Belmain
woman said they were coming ovel
this afternoon. They'll probably b.
here soon. 1 think I'll put on
different dress and see if l can gel
anything to eat. Pm perishins
with thirst, too."
She pulled the crumpled dres
over she head and went to thu
closet door to pick out somethin;
L. ~ who, c,JIan111 Oh,