The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-11-02


been Mrs. Rocky Du Val
She finished her breakfast slowly.
At the end of the story was ii
paragraph which said that Mrs. Du
Val was the fourth wrong Diane Mer-
rell to have been discovered.
HWhy couldn't one of those girls
have been Diane Merrell instead of
me?' she thought as she got out Of
bed.
She would ask Beatrice to get her
some old newspapers. She would like
to read about Diane Merrell.
She was bathed and dressed when
Beatrice came back.
I'm afraid I've been long time,
but there's such lot to do" There
was busy little frown ON her broad
brow
II wonder, Beatrice II you could dig
up some old newspapers for me to
read"
"Of course"
They went downstairs together to
Beatrice's pretty little room. done In
lowered chintz.
"This has been my own special place
since | was sixteen" said Beatrice
I'm sure there are some newspapers
In the basement. I'll send them up"
A few minutes later, an elderly maid
came In and put down huge pile of
old newspapers on the table.
Doris rose unsteadily. She felt
little faint AS she put out her hands
to touch them. Here lay her own
story-or did 1T Would she have the
courage to read it7
The first paper was recent, and
yielded nothing AS she continued her
search with beating heart, she came
upon great glaring headlines:
"shoots Groom After Wedding. So
cIety Girl Kills New Husband and Dis
appears. Note Found"
She read feverIshly. She had been
married at an afternoon wedding on
May 10 to man named Howard Val
cry. Immediately after the wedding
reception, which had been at her IA
theirs home. she. had gone out by
side door where her own motor was
parked. loaded with her luggage. The
groom had been with her. AS they
were about to step into the car she
had shot him, and driven away
As she read, stronger and stronger
feeling of antipathy for this girl Diane
Merrell developed Was 1t possible
that she had ever been girl capable
of all this? She was heartless, cold
hlooded criminal. For the note proved
that the crime had been premeditated.
She studied the note again. 1t had
been found In the pocket Of the poor
boy whose body was discovered
spraWled against Towering lilac
bush. It read:
HOWARD:
This marriage can't 60 ont cannot.
You must be crazy. / don't want to
kill you.
Do something about 1t for heavens
sake
=.
Could any girl have written such
note and forgotten 1T Surely, surely
II she were Diane Merrell. she would
remember something now. But not
faint glimmer of recollection enlight-
ened her.
Could 1t be that she had two sides
TO her nature, and that that other,
darker side was hidden from her now,
sleeping quietly? Some day 1t might
wake again. and she would find her
self killer she would be capable OF
shooting somebody she loved-capable
OF shooting Rocky.
She was sick and frightened. She
lay at full length on the gently sway
ing couch. Then she propped her head
on her hands and took up another
paper.
Diane Merrell had driven herself to
New York. Her car had been found
parked on Forty-sixth street the day
after the murder
She saw large picture of herself.
Yes, 1t looked very like her. There
was no doubt about that.
She went back to her reading. There
was description OF the wedding. 1t
brought back nothing at all.
Doris tried not to think any more
about Diane Merrell. Surely Rocky
would discover something that would
help her. He must be nearing Nor
ristown by now.
She went to bed early. The next
afternoon would bring Rocky back
That would have to settle her fate
Now she felt numb and exhausted
In spite of everything she slept.
CHAPTER X