Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-06-22
CHAPTER 20

"A
telling of Ellen's taking poison,
Marcia hurriedly called a cab
Then she grabbed her hat and,
wrapping herself in her coat as
she went down the hall, she dashed
out onto the street. Whatever had
possessed Ellen to do such fool
ish thing? No man was worth
such a desperate sacrifice; certain
lv death was not the solution to
any problem. 1t was not like
Ellen to try to evade the conse-
quences.
The taxi went up the winding
ramp to the gigantic hospital, and
Marcia was informed that Mrs.
Elliott is still in a coma. You'll
find her husband in the waiting
room on the tenth floor"
Tony must have had his eye on
the elevator, for he came striding
down the hall the moment he saw
her emerge from the silent cage.
II knew you'd come, Marcia"
he said, brokenly. Il didn't know
whom else to call, and I was so des-
Iperate. Tell me, you don't think
she'll die, do you? Because if she
does, it'll be my fault. My own
damn fault, tell your
The man was almost hysterical
with worry and grief. His face
was gray, his eyes bloodshot and
staring. Usually so debonair and
well groomed, he seemed somehow
pathetic in his disregard for per-
sonal appearance in this emer-
gency. They sat wordlessly for a
few minutes, waiting.
It was II o'clock when the nurse
came out. "She's calling for you,
sir" she told Tony. The man
arose like a sleepwalker and went
toward the door of the room where
his wife was lying. Marcia willed
him all the courage she could, for
she felt he would need it in the
crisis that awaited him.
It seemed hours before he re-
turned. The plain faced clock on
the wall actually had licked off
only 35 minutes before he emerged
from the sickroom. 1t seemed
that she had watched hundreds OF
Whitehead nurses, swishing noise
lessly through the barren halls.
Little red lights above the doors
flashed signals of distress and al
most miraculously a nurse ap-
peared to help some sufferer.
Tony walked blindly from the
room, stumbling against the chair
where Marcia waited.
How is she?" She wasted no
words.
"They don't know yet. It'll be
touch-and-go, just whatever way
the good God DECIDES" he said, re-
vealing a strange awe Of the
Deity.
shell pull through. Ellen has
the strength Of 10 women"
Eyes, the doctor said she could"
he said, with emphasis on the last
word. eff only she wants to-"
Rather than see him suffer
silently, berating himself for his
part in the tragedy, Marcia urged
him to talk. Pity was foremost
in her mind as she went over and
sat beside him.
do you want to tell me about
it?" she asked softly.
you'd be too disgusted," he
said miserably.
"Then maybe it would help you
get it off your chest if I told you
I already know part of the story.
Iona Won Brecht told me she met
you on party-before she knew
you and Ellen were married. I
saw Ellen the next day, and I
think know a little bit of what
you were up against" The girl
outlined the story as far as she
knew it.
"Ellen's been fine. I'm crazy
about her, but somehow I
don't know why did it-but when
the old gang called me to go on a
hinge with them one night, I
couldn't resist. Didn't see why 1
should, in fact. I wasn't going
with any special girl; it wasn't
that. Ellen wouldn't go herself
but she got jealous. That was the
beginning of it, and she kept
imagining things until I decided
I'd give her something to worry
about. One night she nagged me
about something I hadn't done,
and I told her if she didn't like
It'd find somebody who did,"
oh, Tony. You didn't do that
to Elem"
But that's not the worst. Right
IN front of her, I went to the phone
and called the first number 1
could think of, then began to fake
a moony conversation with some