The Washington times., 1938-04-14

words were cutting through her
brain like the thrusts of rapier;
"Oh, no cold-blooded murder, my
dear :" Say, some sort Of
accident that would be convinc-
ingly real" "Have you ever
stopped to think that maybe they
weren't accidents. that maybe
they were murders!"
Marcella sprang forward like .
woman Of the jungle. A cry Of
fear of binding pain =.
caught in her throat. IF Tommy
dies, I'll kill him!" she said, in a
muffled whisper. "I'll kill him!"
"Marcella!"
She swung around and faced
Gloria. "It wasn't an accident.
How could I have thought for a
moment it was really an accident?
Tommy wasn't struck by any hit
and-run driver!"
"Marcella, what are you say.
ing!"
81 know! I know" Marcella
said, quickly, her breath short UNI
der the words. Hans tried to
murder Tommy. I know it! He
told me he was going to do it -.
he told me :"
you don't know what you're
saying, Marcella. No man in his
right mind would tell his wife he
was going to murder the man she
loved"
Hans would! He did! I didn't
believe him. I thought he just
wanted to torture me to make
every day of my life a hell L. . to
make we wonder from morning
until night is this the day he's
going to do it?' But he meant it,
after all. He has tried. And per.
haps. perhaps he has succeed
ed! I can't stand it, Gloria! I
can't stand it. I've got to know
how Tommy is. I've got to know
what's going on behind that doorI"
THE BARON ARRIVES
At that moment, with a sharp
click, the door across the hall
swung open. A hurrying nurse
came through. Hes all right, so
far!" She flung the words to the
two women waiting there and sped
down the corridor. Behind her an
orderly and three nurses wheeled
their ghostly carriage through the
door. Marcella's eyes chung to the
human freight on that carriage,
to the shapeless mound beneath
the dinginess of cream-colored
blankets.
She said, and her voice was
scarcely a whisper, Tommy
live for me, darling live for
me :" And then she buried her
face in her palms and leaned
against Gloria, who was, at best,
fragile and trembling support.
Gloria was thinking: "Marcella
was hysterical. Some crazy obSeS-
sion must have gotten hold Of her
for a moment. She didn't know
what she was saying. Now that she
knows Tommy is through the
operation safely has a chance
to live she'll be normal again"
For a long while they stood
there like that, clinging together.
Marcella Sobbing softly. And then,
quite suddenly, Marcella went
rigid. She stepped back from
Gloria and her face worked con-
vulsively. Gloria did not know that
Hans Won DreyfusS stood in the
corridor. She did not know that
he was there until he came up
beside them and curved an arm
about Marcella'S waist.
He said: There, there, darling
stop that Sobbing." And to
Gloria he said: Il Just read Of the
accident in the papers, Mrs. Kent.
came as quickly as I could. Is
there anything I can -do-any
thing? I want you to feel perfect
ly free to call on me. Surely
there must be something I can do
He went on talking, softly,
gently, a voice rich with SYM
pathy. "A tragic thing" he said.
land just two days before the big
fight, too. Why on earth did he
break training to come back at a
time like thiS?"
Gloria thought miSerably, eyes.
why did he? Why was he on that
Lake Road?"
And now Hans was looking
down into Marcella's eyes. He was
saying: There, there, darling. .
know that anything that hurts
Gloria affects you terribly" He
turned back to Gloria. I've never
seen such devotion. But it's sweet,
isn't 1.-THE way she loves you.
Mrs. Kent you and yours"
To BE Continued