Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-12-18
BY ETHEL LIMA WHITE
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO


Although she welcomed the end OF
every day, as one stage nearer release
the nights were even worse, when she
sat, In her clothes and do1ed, starting
| awake at every creak in the divan In
I the kitchen The man, too. Scarcely
slept, for he was strung up to a state
Of nervous expectancy which exceeded
her own, and which kept him contin-
ually on guard.
Through the day he lay on the divan,
smoking and counting his piles Of new
notes; but while he was obseSsed by
his fortune. his main object was to get
away In safety. He always turned on
the wireless TO get the news. in case
of q police S. o. s.; and he strained
his ears for the movements Of the
porter and other tenants, In order to
, get clue to their time table.
Although he ate Janet's daily rations,
after his first outburst, he seemed in
different to food. At night, he removed
only his boots and slept with one eye
open-his revolver beside him, ready
for instant flight.
Being shut up with him was about as
safe as sharing q confined space with
an internal machine, but Janet en-
dured because Of her confidence Of the
end.
One hot, muggy night, however, when
she was painting for fresh air, this GER
tainty Of release was replaced by new
and CHASTITY dread. Suddenly she re-
membered a picture she had seen at
cinema, when a gangster shot the
doctor and nurse who had rendered
him a service, in order to secure their
silence.
For the first time she asked herself
the question: What Will my own fate
be?"
Meanwhile, the occupants Of the fifth
floor flat were not the only sufferers.
Bevan. too, was feeling the heat acute
" and was more than usually de-
pressed. In his morbid position he
seemed to assume responsibility for
the fact that the criminal who had shot
the bank cashier was Still at liberty.
He feverishly searched numerous papers
for news Of his capture and practically
ceased to eat.
one afternoon, however, he stag
gered Tory by a request for biscuits
with his tea.
'T'm afraid you've finished your tin,
he said: THE miSsus will slip out and
get you some in two minutes"
1T doesn't matter, thanks" Bevan's
voice was nstless. tits very quiet" he
added. 'I suppose everyone on this
"All but the young lady up there"
Glad to change the subject, Tory
pointed to a window set high In the
side of the wall.
"She sits tipping all day" he told
Bevan. "She's so set in her ways, you |
could put a clock by her, for all she's |
young and pretty. My missus shops |
for her, too, as she doesn't get out
much"
Sounds unhealthy yawned Bevan,
who had lost all interest in young and
pretty girls.
Life went on somehow in the fifth
floor flat. Every morning, Janet told
herself: "This can't last another day."
but the hours crawled on until she
vas forced with the torment Of another
night, with its question Of haunting
suspense.
'What will my fate be?"
A week passed, every day Of which
eft its mark upon her. She lost all
pride and stopped looking in
he mirror Because Of her shrinking
Tread Of passing through the kitchen
n order to reach the hall, she did the
minimum of washing.
Whenever she typed. her thoughts
winged on strange journeys. Grad
tally she became kind Of split per-