The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-05
BILL GOES WILD
CHAPTER XVII

moment, exactly how crazy Bil
 was to be. She never guessed
 either then in the restaurant, 0
 later, after midnight, when her ca
 pulled up in front of Mrs. Larkin
 boarding house, how appalling wa the situation that awaited her.
 A light burned in Mrs. Larkin' parlor. Martha, tired after the fiigh from New York, her head aching gave it no thought as she Starte, up the stairs to her room.
 'tIs that you, Mrs. Marshall? called 8 voice from the kitchen The door opened, and Mrs. Larkin 1n a bathrobe, came into the hall SI was just making some coffee.
 was waiting for you. That's wh. I've got the parlor lamp on"
 Waiting for me?" Martin; turned, and went down the stair
 again. She saw now that the olt woman's hair was tumbled, he eyes heavy with sleep. AS if sht had retired and been rudely awakened.
 "Oh, Mrs. Marshall" Mrs. Lar kin walled. Your husband wa! here! In his uniform. He rang anc rang and rang-it must have beer only an hour or two ago-and hC carried on something fierce wher l opened the door. He insisted or going upstairs. I couldn't make il out. He wanted to see if youl clothes were gone!" She wrung her hands. q never saw a man ir such state, Mrs. Marshall! He was it to be tied!"
 My husband? Are you sure?" The room seemed to be whirling dizZily. Martha put her hands up to her aching head, and sat down quickly on the sagging sofa. What did he say? What was the matter? { don't understand"
 "Oh, Mrs. Marshall! All I know is, he was talking wild. Ringing and banging on the door and then asking were you here. said no you didn't come home. He asked me if I knew where you were How would know? He just kept trying to get me in a corner, as if I weren't telling the truth!" Righteous indignation asserted itself. Mrs. Larkin's breast heaved, her eyes snapped. T got so mad I wanted to call the police. He bust in, ran up stairs, yelled he had to get in your room, had to see if you'd left your clothes
 "Oh, why? Why?' Mart h a walled. What on earth - the fool! The crazy fool!" She couldn't t think, her mind was @ jumbled chaos.
 Mrs. Larkin asked sharply Swhere were you, anyway?"
 Tn New York. I flew = the office"
 Anal" cried the old woman. '~That's what he said! I thought he was out of his head. He said you were in New York and he wanted to find out about your clothes!"
 Martha sat bolt upright. "He knew I was in New York? Then he must have gone to the of1ce!"
 Swift understanding washed over her. Bill had received her note. He knew she was in the office. And he'd come here. Someone there must have told hin-she trembled with rage at the idiocy of it-someone must have said, Mrs. Marshall's in New York with MT. Elliott"
 She thought of the phone girl, and choked. That's who it was! It has to be! She'd put in the long distance calls, she was the one, all right. T could kill herr
 Who, dearie?" asked Mrs. Lar kin. Her indignation had faded somewhat. She had her teeth in a juicy little problem, and she was enjoying 1t. So you were in New York. and they told MT. Marshall. An, see"
 But that must have been this afternoon, before the office closed" !" Martha said painfully. Why did Bill come here so late tonight? What could he have been doing, here in town?"
 Another thought nagged at the back of her mind. This was Tues day. Never before had Bill se- cured a pass for overnigh leave on week day. Maybe he came here to apologize, to beg me to go back Maybe he got special
 Her realization of Bills regret at their quarrel - the knowledge that he'd come all the way from camp to see her at the office, per- haps to beg her forgiveness, to make it up - smote her like a blow. And wasn't thereI That moron St the switchboard told him I was in New York with Paul."
 'Yes," she heard Mrs. Larkin's voice speculating. "Yes, he must have been at the office in the day. time. Where was he till he came here? Do you reckon he was out among youir friendS-finding out if you told anybody anything? Ask ing them what they Knew?" The shrewd old eyes gleamed with sud- den malice. His getting SO ex- cited about your clothes looks to me like your husband must have thought maybe you were running awayi"
 For moment, Martha huddled there on the sofa, misery shaking her. Then she caught at the old woman's words. My friends asking them Suzanne! That's where Bill wentl He must have. There was no one else. He must have gone to her house to find out if she knew whether Paul and T. Paul and r." Her throat closed up, convulsively. Suddenly she was galvanized into action. She leaped to her feet, her body stiff with dee cision. "Excuse me, Mrs. Larkin. for = for telling me. must 90 out now. 1 - goodnight, Mrs. Larkini"
 Her landlady stared at Martha As # she had suddenly taken leave pg her senses. "Tt's o'clock in lhe moFningl"
 But Martha was opening the lFont door. An instant later, the