The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-13
CHAPTER XIII

Bill was sitting by the win
dow, staring out at the falling
snow. He did not turn when
Donna entered. She crossed the
room and slowly began to re-
move her dress. She said, 81
told you a lie tonight, Bill" O.
az know you did"
81 went to town."
az know that, too. Why?
at didn't occur to me thai
you would object" she evaded
II don't know that l did OBJ
iect. Not to your going tc
town" ''
"You deliberately tricked mt
into lying" she said holly. "That
was obiecting." " ...'~
"Why did you lie?" He rose
and come to her. How small she
looked and how pale The heal
thy bronze of her circus days wa:
gone and her features looked
pinched and tense. There were
shadows under her eyes and {
pathetic culver about her lip.
that made his heart ache. Il
only she would offer some ex
Notwithstanding that woulc
convince him that domnable let
ter was a lie! But even as sym,
pathy swept over him the stag
gering thought that perhaps she
was suffering because she loved
another man made his voice
harsh and cold. "Why did you
lie?" he repeated.
Observation-Disclosures | could see
you mistrusted me-and you had
sworn nothing-nothing coul d
ever make you doubt me again.
/ wanted to see-to see if
YOU"
His laugh cut like a rapier.
Testing me, Ell? Thanks. After
giving me a couple of rotten
house visioning you freezing to
death in the snow you think it's
Sporting to test my trust.
Thanks"
BILL.
Next time won't waste my
anxiety. but i would like to know
what made your change your
plans. Or didn't you intend to
go to the sAdamses when you
left?"
She did not answer. Slowly she
reached for her nightgown and
went into the tiny dressing room
adjoining. Sobs were tearing at
her throat. Her heart was pound
ing in a way that made her sick
and dizzy. She heard the creak
of bed springs, and the fear that
Bill would desert her that night
disappeared.
From a closet she took out
blankets, spread them on the
couch in the dressing room and
flung herself upon them. Every
bone and muscle ached as though
she had done hard manual labor.
She felt she would never sleep
again, but outraged nature re-
belled and soon she was asleep.
Bill lay awake, reviewing his
life with Donna. Little incidents
that had seemed of no import
ahce took; on new meanings-the
strange antipathy between Made
line and Mrs. Planter, the sud-
den exit Of the housekeeper, the
telephone call that had upset
Madeline So. Had Mrs. Planter
written the anonymous letter?
Who else? 1t would be charac-
teristic of the woman to strike
back in such a fashion, but even
Mrs. Planter must have had some
basis for such statements.
He thought of the letter Made
line had written Con David that
had been returned. Other let
tiers, too, that she had received,
supposedly, from her partner.
Suppose ..
There was one thing Bill could
do. He could find out if the cir
Gus performer was in Lebanon
and what had brought him there.
After that Madeline would have
to make an explanation or-he
,groaned and dug his head into
the pillow. Suppose he learned
she was unfaithful? What would
he do? -
Long before Donna awakened
Bill was up and dressed. Minnie
had not yet arisen when he de-
scended to the kitchen. He made
coffee and drank it, black and
strong. He mixed the mash for
the cattle and filled pals of
"slop" for the hogs. Then in
rawhide boots. cap and coat, he
piodded through the snow to the
stables. .'
The storm was over. There
were huge drifts in the farm
yard, but a streak Of crimson in
the sky gave promise of sunny
day. The car Donna had used the
day before had not been taken
into the garage and was com
pletely snow-covered. The radi-
ator must be frozen, and prob
ably the engine was water-soaked.
Bill felt bitter resentment to-
ward the machine. D." But for it,
Madeline could not have made
that trip to town. .lH
- After he had fed and watcred
the animals he got out the sleigh
and hitched the horses to it. He
was going to find out whether
Con David was IN Lebanon or
not. .
!, Breakfast was being served at
the Commercial House when he
hitched the horses in front of
the. building. A drummer who
had to catch an early train, the