Show The Great Thrill 0 J By William Francis Dugan and Gladys Shaw Erskine n n Copyright 1 1925 Thompson Feature Fot Service SY Inc Continued from yesterday Her voice answered him Hello Elizabeth this he said Is s Armand Annand Have you found Mozella came her frantic question Yes he answered Im speaking speaking speaking speak speak- ing from her boudoir She's here herein in bed now Has she seen Horace started Elizabeth Dont ask me any questions now he Interrupted but come over here at once Is Dave there h he finished No No Try and get hint him on the phone Imm immediately h ho he went on rapidly and have him bring Horace here heredo peredo here pere do as I tell you and get over h here re reas as quickly as possible He hung up the phone and paced the room From her bedroom suddenly came a low babble of words Her voice voice voice- starting In a jumble of ot meaningless meaning meaning- less Jess words and gradually growing louder more more distinct Emille Emilie came to the door wringing frightened hands I Oh she ehe he cried I zink Madame is ver sick Tre malade eta as tae tle sounds grew In volume Can you not come she said Bald He walked Into the bedroom Mozella l lay her upon her pillows covered cov cov- covered ered by the silken coverlet Her eyes y s were wide open open glittering glittering her cheeks were flushed with fevers fever's blow You must understand she ahe babbled bab bab- bab bled called caned Emille Emilie Emille she Bring me th the silver sUver frock frock frock-am am I beautiful she questioned then for fora a moment her hands plucked nervously nervously nervously ner ner- at the silken spread Fire Fire firel fire she shrieked k d and shrank back upon her pillows Vs In exhausted fear He talked to the flames she cried Armand knelt beside h hT her r bed holding one fluttering hand in n his to which he constantly laid laid his lips Sweetheart Sweetheart art he called gently what gently what have I done to you what you what have hav I done to you Im going to the Thompsons' Thompsons she announced in a conversational tone her eyes eyE'S drooped for an Instant in instant instant In- In stant then flar flared d wide open again Armand Im I'm so frightened she said said breathlessly For a second there was a stillness then Always thinking about a dead woman she muttered a a dead woman woman woman-a a dead woman sh she reiterated her voice again rising to a shriek Quick steps came through the boudoir into the bedroom Elizabeth came around the bed beside beside beside be be- side Armand Annand Oh what is It she gasped what has l happened to h her r Did you see Horace What hat made her like this Have you sent for the doctor doctor doctor doc doc- tor He ignored all her rapid ques ques- Did you get Dave h he asked tensely Mozella's voice rose again Horace Horace Horace- she walled wailed plaintively then lying she said harshly She made a fool tool of ot m me once She turn turned d her hr head restlessly from side to side upon the pillow Daves gon gone to get him Elizabeth Elizabeth Elizabeth Eliza Eliza- beth said to Armand She looked down at Mozella Mozena with tears streamIng streaming streaming stream stream- ing from her eyes The poor dear dear the dear the poor child she kept re re- re Mozella Mozena mumbled some unintelligible unintelligible gible words then her speech cleared again The stupidest of ot men she sha said firmly and clearly Then she laughed softly and sang sang- Ah Moon of ot my delight The stupidest of men she repeated gleefully Armand bowed hs hIs head upon her fumbling hand Oh God help me God help me he prayed For a few tew minutes she sank Into a stupor stupor remained remained utterly still stUl I They watched her with scarcely drawn breaths breathe P Perhaps she's gOue gone to sleep Elizabeth whispered Lets hope tope so so Armand mand whispered whispered whispered whis whis- backI back I wonder what's keeping the doctor doc doc- t tor r she breathed in n the same hushed voice Armand tiptoed d into the next room again phoned true doctor only to be told that he had bad left Jert the Benson Denson home on a call He tiptoed back Into the bedroom again knelt as before at ather h r side and he an and ElIzab Elizabeth th waited staring at her with bated breath Suddenly Mozella Mozena turned Into the center of ot the bed sat er erect ct and stretching out her arms anns screamed Horace Horace The Th piercing cry reached Horace as he and arid David entered the house Horace stopped as though he had been shot then soot then he tore up the stairs like a n. man gone mad As h he entered her boudoir he forced his pace to slacken and en entered entered entered en- en the bedroom quietly wrenching cry Yes dear he answered it Im here He crossed quickly over to the opposite side of ot the bed from Armand Armand Armand Ar Ar- mand and Elizabeth and bending over he tried to take her rigid body in his arms As his arms touched her she glared glare up into his eyes beat with her clenched fists against his chest Please Armand she pleaded please let me me go home then home then I dont don't love you you you- she repeated Armand Annand she screamed U- U then Un n In Ina Ina ina a throbbing tone of f fear ar a cry for help Horace Horace she called brokenly broken broken- ly Horace came the heart- heart body he held directly into Armands Armand's eyes A threat lay in his own Mozella Mozena spoke again agarn brokenly I adore ador you Mozella Mozelia she said For Forgive Forgive Forgive give me for tor frightening you ou for trying to keep you here Armand glanced up rat at this echo of his own words ElIzah Elizabeth tb quietly quiet quiet- ly b left the room She went on Cold cold she laid aid ald why wont won't the car stop Horace Horace Horace Hor Hor- ace doesn't love me she asserted He never sp speaks speaks- aks- aks Fire sign I need love love love-love love her voice rose ag again ln to a scream Sudden tears smart smarted d against Horaces Horace's eyelids He had never dreamed that she felt like this He Her r recalled called all that David had told him Acknowledged to himself that David had spoken the truth that the blame blam lay with him in his gruff grutt I ways his l lack ck of ot words I Then in quiet grieving voice she said Without your love Mozella Mozella- I shall never write again She ceased her babbling and sagged down hi in Horaces Horace's arms Gently he be laid her back upon the i pillows She had dropped into a sleep of ot utter ex exhaustion Across her silent slumbering form the e eyes es of ot the two men met In Armands Armand's lay the cl clear r look of truth and a poignant pleading for forgiveness Horace he the said gently we both love Jove her but she belongs to you She loves you ou In Horaces Horace's sunk sunken n eyes lay the look that comes after atter a sOl wrack soul wrack l-wrack- in ing struggle and the dawn of t a alight alight alight light of ot complete understanding Continued Tomorrow |