The Washington times., 1937-10-30

overdue, and a general feellr
was in the air.
Marcia Ware had been doing
her valiant best to stem the
mounting tide of ire, trying hard
to keep sweet and calm and pla'
eating, when all the time tenn.
pest was raging in her heart and
when all she wanted on earth to
do was to bury her face in her
hands and sob aloud her grief
and despair.
The day had started out so
happily, too, with every promise
of being the very incest day of her
life!
Hadn't DR.. Crane telephoned
her as soon as she reached the
office in the morning and asked
her to save time for dinner with
him at 6 in the evening?
Hadn't he told her there was
something he wanted very much
to talk to her about? The usual
quiet control of his voice was
gone. 1t was as eager and
impetuous as the kiss he had given
her last night.
To be sure it had been a very
brief kiss. Then a phone had
rung, and no sooner had the party
hung up than Johnny Billings,
the druggist from downstairs, had
rushed in on them with the an
nouncement that some car had
overturned on the highway half
a mile north and a badly bruised
man and woman were clamoring
for attention.
SWEET MOMENT
No time for a second kiss, no
time even for words, but Marcia
hadn't minded that. It had been
such a sweet, rapturouS, all reveal
ing moment, and it had told her
something she had wanted to be
told for a long time. Bill loved
her!
1t wasn't just the kiSs-but the
manner of it, and the look III the
mans eyes. He must love her
just as she loved him.
There could be no other reason
back of that kiss, and when he had
phoned her early in the morning
she had been so sure that this
was what he wanted to tell her.
Then, about two in the after.
noon, the blow had fallen. She had
been busy making hospital ar
rangements for a patient when DR.,
Crane came in.
He was earlier than usual, and
when he came over to her desk to
glance at his appointment book
she had been surprised at the look
of elation on his strong, fine face
He gave every evidence of having
received some great news, but when
he spoke his voice was cool and
impersonal. He seemed to be actu,
ally looking past her instead OF
at her!
II am expecting Mrs. Wilbur
Crane at any moment" he said
when she comes send her in to
me at once, no matter who is
ahead of her"
just that and no more. No ex.
PLANTATION of any sort before he
turned and went straight into his
office, closing the door after him
Mrs. Wilbur Crane That
must be the woman who had once
been his wife a school romance
a marriage right out of college, a
few months of happiness, and
then
She went by the name of Nancy
Crane now and sang and danced
in Swanky flight clubs in the East
-. There had been a child, a boy
-. She had taken him with her
when she went away That had
hurt, Marcia knew Bill had
mentioned it but once.
Even now after two years it was
rather because of the things Bill
left unsaid, than the things he said
which led Marcia to suspect how
much he had cared and how bitter
had been his disappointment and
pain Now Mrs. Wilbur Crane
had returned and that fact OF
itself had seemed to transform
Bills face.
DETERMINED MANNER
Marcia had watched the woman
when she came into the office, a
slim blonde woman who carried
herself with a reckless arrogance.
She had the manner of a woman
determined to wbip life into the
shape she desired.
And behind her was the boy!
Bill hadn't mentioned the boy. A
small, tow-headed youngster of 6,
with a thin, pale face and enor.
nous brown eyes. He was cling.
ing to large, placid woman who
was obviously his nurse.
An hour had passed now, and
still the little family group was
:lo6eted behind closed doors. Was
this the beginning of a permanent
reunion? Had the bright lights
2aled for Nancy Crane, and was
the coming back to recapture Bill?
Fifteen minutes after the con
terence had started DR.. Crane hao
called Marcia over the private
wire between his inner room and
aer desk. He asked her to tele
phone Marsten, his butler, and tell
MIN that there would be three fn1