Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-06-19

pCIiSNCd III 1iAo So1AA' wac =
pill to swallow, but, after all, why
should she doubt his own mother
word?
Some people are possessed OF
such self confidence, and such high
regard for their own importance.
that they assume others must share
that faith. 1t is a form of concelt,
and no doubt it is a blessing to the
possessor, but Jerry was not con-
ceited. He was a Undetermined,
modest young man and he consld-
cred himself of very little conse-
quence indeed. Upon consideration
it seemed quite natural that Hazel
should wish to be assured of his
innocence before yielding to her i'm
pulses. Had he not tried her suffi-
GENTLY without putting her love to
this test? He told himself that he
had.
For several days Mary Holmes
remained a very sick woman. In
sead of enjoying her unparalleled
publicity she lay abed weak, nause-
ated, suffering wretchedly. When
at last she was able to lift her head
she eagerly demanded the daily pap
ers and complete account of all
that had happened since she was
stricken, but not until she was
strong enough to sit up did the
doctor permit her curiosity to be
gratified. Then he told her guard
edly that the ''man in the robe"
had been arrested and that the
Ethridge case had been solved. He
did not tell her who that man was
but he prepared her for a shock
She listened incredulously, in a
daze. He gave her the papers and
left her alone DO read them.
He returned to the sick room
after a while to find his patient
staring blankly at the wall. 81
thought you might feel the need
of a stimulant," he said.
Mrs. Holmes did not hear him.
"Did-Jerry do it," she inquired,
stupidity.
"You ought to know. You saw
him."
But they can't-they can't do
anything to him on evidence like
mine, can they?" :
"Why not? It's hard to get a
conviction on purely circumstan-
tial evidence, but yours is direct"
There was a moment of silence.
1.-THE reporters are calling up every
few hours. They want to interview
you as soon as you're able to talk
to them. Everybody is curious to
know what you'll have to say. Yes,
and the Woods girl has been here
half a dozen times"
81 won't see them, nor her,
either. Why does she want to talk
to me? Hasn't she done enough?
I shouldn't think she'd dare show
her face on the street after causing
all this and after everybody knows
what she is" Mrs. Holmes found
the doctor staring curiously at her;
in irritation she flared out: "Why
are you looking at me like that?
What's the matter with you"
YOU'RE a queer creature. I was
wondering how it feels for a moth
er- But you can't be much of a
mother" The speaker shrugged.
"How dare you?" Mrs. Holmes
cried, shrilly. 1.-The idea of your
talking to me like that! Pm sick.
Pm in no condition to-Why, even
the newspapers backyard me!
But how did l know? What could
1 do? l never dreamed Td-that it
was-Jerry I saw"
Without comment the doctor
turned and left the room.
The sick woman raised herself
laboraously, gathered the newspap-
ers together and flung them as far
as she could. A terribly bitter but
impotent feeling of resentment
came over her; tears wet her cheeks
Again she had been fooled. The
world was always against her. Why
did everything she touched go
wrong?Why was she frustrated in
everything she tried to do? So
Jerry had bought an automobile
without telling her about it! That's
where the whole trouble had
started-out of his deceit. He was
not only cold and Indifferent; he
was deceitful. He had been her
ruin, from the very first; now he
had ruined both of them. But he
had brought this upon himself. The
fool! She had never hated anybody
nc che hated him Of thie nonn,ant