The Washington times., 1937-12-29

him her report and suggested thai
he come around little later.
RELIvEs SUCCESSES
When she returned Mrs. Tartar
was reliving the successes OF hel
: morning musicales, her receptions
her dinner parties of three decades
ago. 80.
L. And by her bed Karen felt
death standing, waiting. Closer
, now, waiting, waiting.
The girl looked about the great,
high room. How cluttered it was
how crowded with victorian brio
a-brac!
All the chairs had lace doilies
on their tufted velvet backs, there
were little scatter rugs at al
angles on the flowered carpet, the
fireplace mantel was loaded with
photographs in all sizes and types
of frames.
The black walnut, marble
topped tables held more, and
vases, urns, jars and bowls OF
flowers, as well.
Karen's gaze returned to hel
patient. Now a change had
come. Old Mrs. Tartan's pale
face was even paler.
She had stopped talking and
lay with eyes closed. Karen felt
her pulse. 1t was beginning to
weaken.
At last, as if from a long dis
tance, the old lady came back.
Looking straight ahead Of her, at
nothing, she spoke.
"It was you loved, Jim," she
said in a voice Karen had never
heard before. But don't you see,
I couldn't marry you. We needed
the money so, and he offered so
much.
"It meant hospital care fol my
mother, schooling for Nellie and
Roger. I just had to marry him,
jim.
I'm not afraid to die now be
cause, you see, I really died the
day of my wedding.
when Katie hooked all the lit.
tie hooks and eyes on my white
satin gown I said, That's my
shroud you're fastening but she
didn't hear me, you know. Katie
was so deaf.
BIG MISTAKE
''It was a mistake, though, my
marrying him. But I paiG for il
for fifty years. And no one else
has ever known. I've lived use
less, silly, vapid life.
with you I would have been
poor, but I would have had every.
thing, after all. Yes, everything.
For what is there in this world
for a woman but the man she
loveS?"
There was a long silence.
Karen administered a restora,
tive, gave orders to the butler to
telephone for the doctor and Mrs.
Tartan's son and his wife. She
did all that was to be done.
The old lady smiled at her, one
of her rare smiles.
"You have been very kind to
me, Karen" she said.
She closed her eyes. Karen
bent above her. Suddenly she did
not want her to die. With every
thing in her she wanted her to
live.
A clock struck II. Up the road
a car was coming. 1t would be
the doctor.
Mrs. Tartan opened her eyes
for the last time.
my life" she whispered, "has
been an empty cup"
Karen turned away, choking
with tears, as death took the
weary old body.
The room was suddenly the
same again. Karen was alone In 1t
She went to meet the doctor.
"Gone?" he asked as he came
up the stairs two at a time.
EYES," answered the girl. "She
died just now."
where are you goin g? You
seem in rush."
"I have an important call to
make. I'll be right back"
She passed him, hastened to the
telephone in the lower hall. She
must speak to Dick now, now while
she was hearing Mrs. Tartan's
words, now before she would
weaken and lose courage and turn
to the safest thing, the most secure
life.
AS she waited for the operator
to get the number she was aware
of a relaxing of taut nerves, 9
. leSsening Of tension.
And as his voice came across the
wires she saw the curtains Of the
drama that was to be her new life
roll back. She was no longer afraid
Full of expectancy, she smiled.