Show MEDUSAS MEDUSA'S HEAD b by Josephine Daskam Bacon Copyright by I D. D Appleton and Company Service CHAPTER VI Continued VI-Continued Continued G 6 6 Gills ills His eyes drooped There Is only one thing to do doDOW doDOW 00 DOW x he said his voice olce guttural with fatigue The head must be shaved and a i iwhite white wig fitted and she must go home lome and make a n clean dean breast of or everything and clear us from rom God knows what suspicions Mr Wells We did our best best no no one on earth can do more Why certainly Doctor Schaffner Anybody would agree with you you assured him But why give ghe en everything r up Cant Can't all wear off orr grow off orr She Is young she has hns superb health nature Is s on her side Why by a while white wig She Is six forty-six years old said Schaffner quietly It Is s no use The game Is played A A ah a ah I 1 Motherwell whistled slowly The deuce you say I He sipped his coffee That That that makes a difference doesn't It Iti he be said It makes such a difference ce Mr Wells returned slowly marking each word on the palm of his left hand with the fingers of his right that Mr Cr Crandall White will never lay eyes eres on his wife again If you wish my opinion 1 Oh Ob come now Schaffner you mustn't talk like that Schaffner shrugged his square shoulders I only say what I think he said In her place with things' things as they are I believe I should do the same I Motherwell regarded him thought thought- fully You mean menn- mean I mean that she looks at all this from a businesslike point of view Mr Wells She knows her husband very ery well of course You cant can't deny that I J Well she knows what he be married her for That's all Oh said Motherwell I see She uShe has told the professor how howIt It stands and he has told me I dont don't talk with her much you see Hes He's devoted to her Mr Wells Theres There's nothing he wouldn't do Just think what she has bas done for him I He says he owes ev everything to her herand herand herand and and In a way he does He might never neer have hae got his chance without her Lots of people dont don't you know know knowl knowlI I II IIII I III know As liAs she put It to him would Mr White that could have hn married an anybody anybody any any- body practically In Europe or America have hae picked out a woman of thirty-nine thirty with gray hair That was what she was you know Its It's hard to know how any man would take such a blow but blow but a man like Ilke that She couldn't face It How many women could I III dont don't know said Motherwell I I dont don't know Schaffner honestly 1 I Exactly You dont don't know The doctors doctor's voice grew thick and drowsy Well she does know And shed she'd rather he remembered her She's all through She says we cant can't do anythIng anything anything any any- thing and she's right we cant can't It grows so deep over the forehead forehead- you take her awn away nothing away nothing can affect affect af af- feet her skin now you now you cant can't live ve on op coffee coffee- He was drunk with fa fa- tigue As Motherwell studied his worn face In silence half scornful half pitiful of or his closed eyes a clumpIng clumping clump clump- i Ing step rose on the wooden stairs Schaffner Schaller asleep now heard nothIng nothing noth noth- ing but Motherwell listened through the open door and looked with InI interest in- in Interest I ter terest st at the hairy foreign man who had peered out at them from the ground floor He stood over In the i doorway one arm In a black oilcloth wristlet extended Enfin he cried In a rough excited excited excited ex ex- cited growl mol moi ca I I Ia Iare a ave are e set In his hand dangled a long tress of horrid emerald hair Half Its Half its I length was fit for Medusas Medusa's own head but the lower half was pure dead white What you sink eh eh he asked and showed It proudly to the young man Motherwell stared vaguely at It then at the sleeping doctor Shaking him gently he tried to rouse him Wake up doctor wake up I 1 he said Youre wanted 1 I As Schaffner opened his bis eyes reluctantly reluctantly re re- the man shook the parti part colored tress before them In silence The doctors doctor's eyes focused slowly upon it his whole tired face lifted and lightened as ns If by magic White 1 I he cried Incredulously Good G G-d G d hes he's got white I Do you see that Do you see it t Leaning Loaning from his chair he snatched the tress and ran down the hall to where the professor sprawled In his Ws uncomfortable chair sunk in sleep Wentzel I Wake up I See what weve we've got 1 he called In his ear Look at this Hes He's got white 1 In a Hash flash of recollection while the drowsy pian struggled in his chair Motherwell saw himself at It a restaurant table and heard that voice Man If It we could get White It would be worth a n million to us I Ilie He lie chewed his lip The German stared at the tress blinking A slow smile spread over o his face Ah 1 I he said slowly Dots goot 1 I Ferry goot goat I 1 Ho Is goot Boot boy buy Dolph Delphi 1 Come now und and go down Bring her down Schaffner went Into the bedroom and the Ule professor with swimming bloodshot e eyes es like the eyes CS of ot a asick asick sick Newfoundland dog Motherwell thought stared at nt him and talked brokenly He Be seemed to think he was addressing some old friend and fellow student You see he be began confidently Id vas CIS only seventeen enteen volumes- volumes how could I know v Id act so ao She Is unique dot You know she hass bass not noton von on drop Yes No Vot Tot Is dot for pores Und her her- healthy If she rubs spoons or forks or no matter matter Id Id all comes black on her hands Idiosyncratic Idiosyncratic cratic yes Chemically cratic era tI c. c Out of ot tIle the door came the nightmare night nightmare night night- nightmare mare woman that had been Clella White the beautiful leaning on Coggeshall and Doctor Schaffner But what good will It all be she was complaining In a fretful broken voice voice the the voice olce of a woman woman wom worn an no longer young and sick with anxiety and fear Much goot much goot the professor professor professor pro pro- fessor urged and there was real tenderness and hope In his voice drust now to old Wentzel of old d Wentzel who would gif gl a n handt o ohis off his wrist to help you I 1 Now come und and you ou vill vIII see It viii not be s so 80 0 dreadful any more 1 You wait walt here here It it wont won't be long Schaffner threw V back at Motherwell Motherwell Motherwell Mother Mother- well over oer his bis shoulder and th the e strange tired procession crept down the hall and disappeared CHAPTER VII M MOTHERWELL lit a cigarette e and stared at It the empty chair in front of him shaking his head hend unconsciously He had seen some strange sights this young man hu but t never an anything quite like this Tragedy he could understand comedy comedy comedy com com- edy he could appreciate but appreciate but but what was this A grim little Jest perhaps per per- haps but haps but there was a flavor of death in It all the same He smelt It t In in the air That strong sense of the Infinite and In life that realIzatIon realization realization tion of Its wild possibilities of permutatIon permutation permutation per per- mutation and combination which had peculiarly thrilled him from his early bo boyhood bood and led him Into adventures ad nd- adventures ventures like this welled up fresh within him D n D n it he muttered Its queer I It might have ha been an hour be- be fore he heard any sound In the house beside the soft dull thud of the pump In the cellar Then came a hurrying womans woman's step and Cog Cog- Coggeshall strange because of her dark flushed ed face and tight pressed lips ran past him Into the room returning returnIng returnIng return- return Ing with an nn armful of clothes Hairpins I hairpins I he heard her muttering to herself Lord I must have hairpins I He caught her as she bustled out Is it all nil right he be asked She looked at him stupidly with an odd effect of trying to remember who he was Just to think of It she said slowly to lito think of it Jt 1 She hurried down do the hall and ten minutes passed As soon as he heard the sound of shuffling feet Motherwell l threw away awny his cigarette trod It carefully Into ashes stood up and waited for them They came back In n the same order In which they left him the slim leaning woman between Schaffner ner and the maid the professor I walking behind The two men looked positively el cheerful relief from the worst had cleared their drowsiness away As for tor the woman oman she was was' more like lice a 0 size life Ivory statue than an anything else Motherwell could Imagine Her colorless face was set In soft waves wa of hair as white as the white silk fringe that dripped from the waist and shoulders of her dress a sort of classic robe of creamy wrinkled crepe Its texture was curiously cu- cu curiously curiously cu cu- like her skin which soft and fine as a childs child's was at the same time delicately amazingly wrinkled from the widows peak on her low forehead down n to the base of her throat where milky laces hid it Her ner lips were barely barcly pink like the Inner leaves of a her eyes wide open and fixed far ahead of her a pale hazel with not nota a hint of the co color or that he had seen In her portrait She was like a snow woman with milk Instead of blood In her veins She stopped at nt sight of him and turned to Coggeshall When did this doctor come she asked In a soft broken voice Have e I seen him My lj name Is Wells Mrs White said Motherwell 2 stepping forward with a slight bow I came down to see If I could be of any use Oh Olt I And you brought Coggeshall Coggeshall Cogges Cogges- hall halli He bowed again I am glad to see you looking so sowell so sowell sowell well he be ventured meeting her eyes frankly Her lips quivered a little I shall never look well she answered an nn- answered simply You know that Doctor Wells Oh Olt madam youre you're lovely I Coggeshall cried bravely And allIn all allIn allin In white like that It lIt doesn't matter she said quieU quietly qui qui- eU etly really Never mInd It please How Bow many other things did you bring me Coggeshall Only a n few madam but you have everything at home you know know know- She looked at nt the maid smiling slightly and at that smile the womans woman's woman's womans womans woman's wom wom- ans an's eyes widened and filled with tears Oh Mrs White 1 I Oh no aol I she cried and Motherwell watching that pole pale remote creature felt asIf as ns asIf l If a little cold wind had blown over his heart henrt She passed into the room and sat satIn satIn satin In a low backed chair Her head hend headIn hendIn In her ber hand she seemed to slip away from them all nIl Into the deep gulf of her thoughts They watched her doubtfully But Motherwell ell roused himself and looked warningly at them Cant you rou find some tea and and and- and something to eat for Mrs White he asked the maid Tm rm certain it would do her bet good after this strain She nodded and hurried away The two doctors glanced at each other then at Motherwell and stepped out on a common Impulse r r h ha a Ar She Drew Back Staring at His Moved Face He drew a chair near hers and leaning forward took her hand In his Mrs White he said listen to 11 me I know what you are thinking but you should not Cant Can't you pity that poor man whose heart you are going to break Cant Can't you think of your our husband She smiled again and again he felt that little chill You dont don't understand quite Doctor Doc Doe tor Wells she answered and said no more But I 1 do he be persisted I III do un un- un un- un Its It's you who dont don't un un- Just because you dont don't t feel the love lo for him that he feels feel s for you you dont don't understand ho how w you will hurt burt him If It you did did did- If I did she Interrupted In n that sweet quavering qua voice If I did 1 How foolish you ou are I love lo him more than anybody and ever everything In the world put together I I would black his boots boots If If I could live near him I would shovel the snow off his steps in winter winter winter-If If he would be bekInd bekind bekind kind to me when he walked down them I 1 Love him 1 She looked scornfully at the manIn man manIn manin In front of her You couldn't unde understand stand she said I III love him t too o much to break his heart Mine doesn't matter Motherwell studied her a moment His eyes snapped with excitement He drew his his hand back with a careless careless care care- less movement I I I didn't understand he be be- gan You are right I supposed somehow somehow- Yes Everybody did she said gently But It wasn't true He Is the only thing In the world I have ha ever er loved And so I know know know- She stopped Of lOOt course said Motherwell slowly vly eyeing her that Is different If you feel that way to him it might be better not to see him for he has changed a great deal Hes He's been Ill and that and the anxiety about you has hns aged him bIm I hear It might be he a shock to you you you-be he was such a young looking ng man She looked wonderingly at him Ill she said Poor Cran I 1 Yes he would be Then her pale lips drew down scornfully It Is quite plain that you never loved anybody Doctor Wells Yells she said A itA shock t to me meI I And do you really think that I loved ed my husband for the way he looked You must be a fool I Iner Her ner voice was er very quiet I III loved him for what he was she said not for what he looked like I Motherwell rose and put a strong browned ha hand d on each of her ders And did you never know that a aman aman aman man can feel the same he Ire said sternly If you didn't then It t Is time you learned MrS Mrss White for you jou are arc the fool I SI She c could not grow paler but her face seemed to turn cold and wan and her mouth drooped as she stared at him coy You You mean you mean you mean I mean that Its It's not your hair- hair Its It's not pink cheeks Its cheeks Its It's not not good good heavens Its It's you he loves 1 I Its It's you She seemed not to breathe Two large tears rolled down her cheeks but her eyes never ne left his He shook her slightly Lord I he said sharply If I were a woman I r wouldn't dare Insult Insult In In- sult a n man so sol I Id I'd be ashamed ashamed- ashamed I She shuddered a little then I dropped her face on his hand hund und 1 cried After a mo moment he leaned down to her go to him he said softly Ill Ili go and go-and and see I she whispered whispered whis whis- sobbing Coggeshall's cup and spoon clinked In the hall and he beckoned her In good goodhe he said appreciating ing her filled Oiled tray see that she takes plenty And get a n heavy y cont coat from the doctor We ou ought ht to be leaving soon Ill I'll do a little telephoning tele tele- phoning Burled Buried In fur ur i the she he sat between them In the curtained car Hanson anson and one of or the ot other r men disappeared disappeared and their chauffeur did not speak beyond a n brief Yes sir to his orders Motherwell ell talked easily with comfortable pauses during the Journey journey Jour jour- ney the two women made but hut brief answers Why did you frighten us so with those Jewels he asked quietly you sou realize we would naturally suppose you had had had- bad had gone away with them Jewels she repeated vaguely Oh Ob yes I Why I Why I had them with me me-I me I was taking them to Glen I had only one key to the safe I thought It would be better I didn't mean to stay at the doctors doctor's Her voice sank You shouldn't have ha thrown the Medusa away you know he said sold suddenly after another silence I III threw It as far as ns I could she answered quickly Into the mud I 1 Under the wheels I A hideous cruel thing I And yet she was beautiful he heI I said quietly She caught her breath and looked up at him so touchingly that he found her hand and gave It an nn assurIng assuring assuring |