The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-08-24

repeated phrase, "at such Time" was
/ clear. She looked with startled eyes
at Mrs. Du Val. OF course. She might
have known that was 1t. All those
little worries about her exercise, her
/ diet, taking care of herself, all those
SLY little looks: she was supposed to
be an expectant motherl And OF
course she was not going to be a
mother. OF that she was certain. Now
the meaning of Rockys words unrav-
eled: mo need to worry about Doris. !"
Did Rocky, too, think she was going to
have child7
She opened her mouth. am not"
but the French woman's little hinged
hand was already over her lips.
| you must not say another word.
You are too excited"
Doris eyes, big and full of anxiety,
looked at Mrs. Du Val. What was the
use of trying to tell anything now
| She would only be thought over
| wrought. Sooner or later she must
| straighten this thing out Tonight
there were other things she wanted to
| find out.
"But about this murder"
mo, no. No more talk"
In silence Doris allowed Mrs. Du Val
| to tuck the covers about her chin. She
was thankful when the light was
| turned out, and she was left alone.
She tried to think why 1t WAS that
she had never before thought of this
explanation of Mrs. Du Walls solicf-
tude. But how could she have sup
posed such thing about herself7
Now she sat up in bed clutching at
throhbing temples.
II this were so, then she was not
Rocky's wife. Rockys wife was some
other forlorn walt. In her frenzy she
pictured this other woman as d sort
of Biltmore ghost walking, walking
through the big lobby looking for a
Mrs. Du Val that never came. The shapes
and shadows In the room were assum-
Ing gr0tesque outlines, pointing accus-
ing fingers. you are not Mrs. Rock
we'll Du Val. You are not Rocky's
wife at all. You belong to the man In
the cab
She tossed all night, not quite know
Ing whether she slept or dreamed wax.
Ing nightmares At dawn she rose
with painfully contracted heart and
knelt down before the picture OF
Rocky.
In his pictured eyes she tried to read
the truth about her relationship to
him, He had grown so familiar to
her that she could not believe that she
had never seen the real-man. Even
though her mind conjured up M recol.
lection Of him that went beyond that
silver frame. she still knew that Image
so well that she believed him to be
| her husband.
You must be. You must be- she
whispered. Fate could not be 30
cruel as TO give you to me only In
believe.
The breeze coming I'm from the
open window was sharp. She sneezed.
and shivered. In the long mirror she
caught glimpse of her slim figure In
Its thin lacy nightgown. Her eyes were
bright, her cheeks flaming unnatural
ly. She took hold OF the corner OF her
dressing table to steady herself. II
must have little fever" she muttered.
She crawled back under the covers
and fell asleep.
She awoke to find Mrs. Du Val
standing beside her bed. Mrs. Du Val
looked anxious, and she knew she had
something wrong with her. Her head
felt hot and unnatural.
ut Is nothing said Mrs. Du Val
cheerfully, you have a little touch OF
grippe. You must stay In bed. You
will be all right"
For the next few days Doris lacked
the energy to bring up the subject OF
her supposedly approaching mother
hood. Mrs. Du Val, like many fussy
and worrying women, was at her best
when there was actual illness to COM
bat. She was miracle now OF opti-
mlsm, as she nursed Doris.
Doris lay for hours listlessly watch
Ing the shadow OF the leaves make
changing patterns In the sunshine that
came In through the long windows
Her hands lay clasped In front OF her.
Once she took daisy from the
bunch OF flowers that had been put
near her bed, and pulling the leaves
went through the familiar ritual Of, "he
loves me, he loves me not" The mes
sage Of the flower was, ''he loves me
not" She did not like 1t. Supersti-
tiously she felt that 1t proved that
Rocky was not her husband.
Il suppose | really am slightly
crazy" she told herself despondently.
She fingered the ring which curled
around her finger with tender reassur-
ance. She had never taken 1t of since
the day In the Biltmore. Now 1t sud-
denly occurred to her to look at the
inscription inside again. She slipped
1t of.
H. L. v. to d. M. May 10th. 1882.
d. Nj. That was Doris? She did
not yet know what her maiden name
had been. And III. l.. v. wns-now
panic overwhelmed her Rocky's In
itials were r. ID. v. She was not mar
ried IN Rockv She rnust he married