The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-12
Wolf in VANS Clothing

room over my shoulder and then.
without attempting to enter, closed
the door behind me.
Drue was standing beside the
window.
II is strange, really, that women
deck themselves in silks and jewels
and furs. There is nothing that sets
off beauty like the simplicity and
whiteneSs Of nurses uniform. The
white, starched dress outlined the
slender curves Of Drue's figure. Her
white cap rested lightly on her hair
with its gold highlights, and framed
her face like coronet. stately and
yet with a kind of plquance.
| went TO my patient and there
was no change. Drue said, Thanks
for what you said TO Conrad Brent"
perhaps in the morning -"
"No. He won't change his mind
again. I've only tonight"
Only tonight. And Craig Brent
unconscious and drugged, and for
that night lowering in the nebu-
lops, incalculable margin between
life and death.
Presently, Drue said, I'm going
now. I'll try TO sleep. I'll take over
at twelve" and went away.
1t was then nearly six o'clock
with rain coming now in gusty
squalls against the windowpanes,
and the house was very quiet
| had plenty to think Of as mo-
ments dragged along, and / must
say | didn't at all fancy the sum
total of my thoughts. For, any way
looked at it, Drue wa fighting a
losing battle and yet she was de-
termined to fight il.
The trouble was, Of course, Craig
Brent had done nothing at all to
find her again. In these days, told
myself, fathers don't deal out auto
cratic commands to their sons. The
sons won't let them. They say in
effect, Okay. Pa, III go and dig
bitches il ! have to, but I'll marry
my own wife and support her, too.
Craig Brent had done nothing
like that. ! was thinking that,
watching him. when he moved lit
tie, sighed. and tucked the hand
Drue had kissed under his cheek.
He did it without opening his eyes.
without really waking. He sighed
again like a contented child and
dropped back into sleep.
Well, time went on and | wished
l had my knitting. Nobody came
near me until Beevens silently
brought my dinner tray and, half
IAN hour later, returned as silently
to carry it away again. Somehow.
| half expected Alexia or Maud
Chiyery or even the doctor, but as
far S ! knew no one so much as
approached the door.
The night had turned stormy and
colder, with gusts Of wind and rain,
and it wasn't very pleasant sitting
there in the gloomy bedroom with
the wind blowing wisps of smoke
back down the chimney now and
then, and shutter somewhere flap
ping. began to watch the clock a
little nervously. Once, overcome by
distinct impression that every
body else had gone away, vanished
mysteriously into the night, leaving
me and my patient alone in the great
and somehow forbidding house. |
got up and looked into the corridor.
My first glimpse of the long,
night-lighted corridor all but con-
frmed my fantastic notion, it was
so completely empty. But, as |
watched, Nicky came out Of door
down toward the stairs and on the
right, glanced along the corridor,
saw me or my white cap, paused for
fractional second and slipped
back into the room from which he
had just emerged and closed the
door. He wasn't wearing a dinner
jacket; he was still in a checked
coat and brown trousers; / was
sure it was Nicky.
ITO be continued)
Copyright By bisnou O Ebsrh,r;
pnuibuIsd b. kinE fssIureI Syndicate, la