The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-18
CHAPTER XLVI

She stared into Con Davld's.
blurred, bloodshot eyes. For some
reason she was not surprised
Nothing would surprise her now.
Cons face came closer, receded.
His eyes were like large black
Goals that burned through her
skull. They diminished into tiny
beds of Jet. His mouth was a red
cash that grew larger until 1t
swallowed his face.
Donna's lips were stiff and dry
"You VIM she mumbled.
clicked you out, did he?"
"No, | left-before he did"
That's what | thought he'd
do. Tough customer, that hus-
band of yours. But if. you'll lis
ten to me you'll forget him and
go back where you belong, A
farms no place for girl like
you. Maybe you're out of train
ing now but you'll soon get your
stride again"
He took her hat from the seat
and sat down beside her. Donna
was not conscious of irritation.
She, didn't care whether he sat
there or not. She felt that she
should hate him, but instead she
had no feeling for him, one way
or another. He had merely staged
the climax of the drama she her
self had written.
wGcing to Chi, I SUPPOSE"
"Yes," she agreed.
"So'm 7. Decided I'd better go
while the going's good. Siddal
might get nasty after he thinks
over what | said
"You chose a bad time to
leave" Donna said slowly, labo-
riously. GAS long as you came
to Lebanon to get Grandfather
Siddal's money you should have
stayed until his will was read"
"Will! What do you mean?"
"He's dead. He died this
morning.
"Fl be damned. So you did
not get ito make good your
threat?"
"My threat?"
81 mean get him to change his
will in favor of your precious
husband"
"No. He didn't change the
will"
Him. Then what are you run
ming away for? Even if the boy
friend is through with you, so far
as he knows you're Madeline Sid
dial and the property is yours.
You can kick him out, you know"
She looked at him, not compre-
hending what he was saying.
"Whv don't you divorce him,
Donna? I'll marry you and there
will be no need to spill the truth
about the fraud. Aside from the
money, Pm strong for you. You
know that! / don't want to hurt
you. l hated like the devil to
threaten you, but it's every fell
low for him self, you know. And
what's the matter?"
She was staring at him in blank
amazement. "He said you told
him the truth. 1t was because of
what you said that he was going
to leave me. If you didn't tell
him I'm not Madeline, in heavens
name what did you tell him that
could turn him against me so?"
The man shifted uneasily. 81
told him the literal truth and
nothing else"
"But if you-how could | get
the money you want so badly II
Bill knows Pm an impostOr?'
"He doesn't know it. | didn't
say anything about the masque-
rade. What | said was the truth |
and he chose to interpret it in a
different way-that's all"
Donna caught his arm feverish- !
". "What - what did you tell |
him."
~ said that I married Made
line Siddal and showed him the F,
certificate. | rather imagine he |
believes that you committed big
amy, my dear. when you went
through the ceremony with him.
ooh, my Godw she cried. "No |
wonder he acted the way he did.
What a scoundrel you are. Con
David! 1 didn't know man
could be so vile! And you knew
that l loved him. You knew!
Pm going back to tell him the
truth-all of it! He'll kill you
for this"
She sprang to her feet, but the
lurch of the train flung her back
into the chair. II
"Wait minute" Con said
quickly. "You can't go back
not for some time, at least. There
is no stop for 100 miles, and |
wouldn't advise you to jump off
the train. Another fall might
not prove as fortunate as the
last one. They might take you
back in a box. Reason this out,
Donna. I didn't tell him you
were my wife. He jumped to
that conclusion himself. Up to
that time he thought that he was
a deceived husband and / was
your lover. That riled! Where
would you be if YOU should 70
back? What good could it do
you? In the first place, you
haven't a chance of convincing
him you're really his wife. He
saw the certificate"
"But the date"
evidently he didn't look at it.
uo COW, +bo pa,,,ac and that was