Show T Telegram Fiction Substitute S Swe Sweetheart etheart S By I n Wayne n BEGIN HERE TODAY Hired to impersonate June ful young step tep sister of Jim Bradley Bradley Brad Brad- ley Icy Ruth Dayton finds I herself in inlove inlove inlove love with her make believe brother The Impersonation was l the eldea idea of Joe and Clara Bradley uncle and aunt a of Jim They had hired Ruth to go with them to Chicago to the bedside of Jim when he was thought to be dying after an auto accident clde June they said was ill and cou could d not go Jim was blinded ed by by- bythe the crash and would not know of the deceit Arrived In Chicago however a series of events leads Ruth to sus suspect suspect SUS SUS-I U that t Joe and Clara are eager ager agerto to to tob b bring ab about ut Jims Jim's death Held prisoner by them she dares not confide in Jim who is too ill III and cannot aMot g get t word out for help NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER TWELVE WELVE Jim was in good humor that after after- ter- ter n noon on He lay in his bed propped up e ever even ex so slightly on the pillows his long muscular frame appearing r rested sted and at t ease Youre better arent aren't you darling darlIng dar dar- ling Ruth asked glad d of the he little rl ruse se that made it quite easy and n natural tural for lor her her herto to call caU him all the dear intimate names she so wanted to call him Bandages off tomorrow tomorrows June Jim said His voice held excitement excitement excitement excite excite- ment eagerness You dont don't mean it delightedly who told you 1 Doctor He said the cuts are arc all aU healing nicely weren't very b bad d to begin with The Tho real trouble seems more moi deeply s 's seated Jim's Jims Eyes He doesn't doesn make any predictions about your eyes None I gue guess he e just doesn't doesn t know v. Its It's a thing that only time will settle Its It's Its all aU on the laps of the gods she June J June me she h thought of herself as June these days hovered days hovered close to Jim She smoothed smooth d back his curly mop or of hair hah almost black against Dont y you yu u worry dear deai 8 she e whispered It will all c come me right You'll see again You just wait walt You'll find that Im I'm right Dear little June Juri Jims Jim's caress caress was wu not brotherly It startled June pleased her sent her sent again the thrill of joy flooding her very being behig You U not leave me me June darling Ill 1111 not leave you Jim Ill I'll never leave Icae you Never Is isa a a long time June Junc June S dear But Ill Til not ot leave you Jim Is Happy back on his pillow His face was wu flushed and nod happy A queer little triumphant smile play played d about his hi lips Im glad June Jim said at last c Tm Im glad Ruth held h his hand Her heart pounded so wildly that she wondered if It Jim could ne hear r it Words couldn't come She was too happy Jim was speaking slowly as though he thought through a maze maz of conflicting g me memories orie s and Ideas going slowly piecing out one step ot the of-the he memory path at a time Remember Re Remember Remember Re member how I used to wish you were really and truly my own sister I 1 remember Ruth said caught in the strange urge almost believIng believing ing that she did remember S Surely rely they had been close together always I just just like JUe th this I I was just 10 when Dad married your mother My own mother I 1 never knew Dad and I had been alone I 1 was glad Dad married again I thought it would be nice niceto niceto niceto to have havea a mother 1 i S j June Tune Yo mother ther theras It was was' nice Your r m m. was as a darling She was like an an own mother to me rue and she he seemed a thousand times times' r nicer when my dad told me rne that thet she had a little daugh daugh- ter Y You u were two years old June Of course you dont don't remember But ButI I 1 was old enough to remember r You sat on my lap and you pulled my hair a and d laughed and called me Boy Y You u were vere th the se sweetest t st dearest dearest dearest dear dear- est little thing Id I'd ever cyer seen in all my life Ufe and andI I loved oved you so much that It hurt I remember that I cried when Dad explained that you weren't really and truly my ow own sister suter S I was disappointed I had always wanted a brother or a sister It broke my my heart that you actually couldn't be my own sister June Junel Patted Jims Jim's hand Go on dear she whispered Instinct Instinct Instinct In In- perhaps told her er that something something some some- thing was coming something she wanted very much to hear Now Im I'm glad Jim said the light of happiness illuminating his face in spite of all the disfiguring bandages Im glad dear that you arent aren't m my sister suter Forgot Patient Pascoe came came hurrying into t the e room I got into a three three-h three handed game Jame of rummy with Mr and Mrs Bradl Bradley y he chuckled almost as asa a a. member of the family might I forgot fargot ot all about having hiving a patient You wont won't have a patient long Jim laughed I have such good nursing when Miss June comes that Ive I've decided to get well A good ide idea Mr Bradley Pascoe Pascoe Pas Pat coe coe said cheerfully Now then bow how about another nap Jim grumbled at the suggestion Im not a baby Y You u seem to think I ne need d. d a nap every half hour Just because youre you're better today Isn't nt any sign that Im I'm letting you overexert yourself so so 50 that you'll be worse t tomorrow morrow Rest now or no visitors this evening Ill take the visitor this evening Jim said sald patting Ruths Ruth's hands O D 0 K 7 O 0 K ic Jim Jim Ruth said bending close to him Jims Jim's voice w was s very low so that no other person could hear not even Pascoe Pasco who who busied himself at the medicine table come just justas as ns soon as you can sweetheart can sweetheart Ill In come just as soon as ns I can Ruth promised radl radiantly But the path was was' not so smooth the future not s so radiant once away from Jim In Ip the presence of the man she loved very dearly it was really easy to pretend Easy to pretend that the real June Bradley sat at his bedside Easy to pretend that she Would be free to accept his love But Ruth Dayton was not free tree to accept It Alone in he her own room Ruth thought over that dismal fact Her position in this house had grown very much more complicated with the Uie realization that she loved Jim Bradley and that he loved her That he l loved ved her The knowledge was radiantly beautiful delicIously satisfying tying But Ruth put it away from her Jim Bradley was in love with the tho girl he thought her to be probably had b been en in l love ve that way all nil of h life lie H He h had d Idealized the little sister his fathers father's new new marriage mar mar- had brought him Illness pe perhaps haps death hoverIng havering close had accentuated that fondness into what he believed wu was love There was little opportunity to think Aunt Clara came to the door insisting upon a visit with Ruth I 1 was the J next t room room- child chUd as you ou ou p know she confessed quite s shamelessly shame shame- a e- e lessly I could couldn't t hear all aU Jim was saying to you but Idid hear ar enough to know that he was making making- love to you Is that true Ruth 7 I dont don't exactly know v kno Ruth con con con- leased I heard ard him say that he was vas glad Klad you really arent aren't his sister It t startled me at first I thought maybe hed he'd caught on You dont don't think that he has do you 7 No NoI 1101 I dont don't believe that he has Aunt Clara eyed Clara eyed the girl keenly Look h here re R Ruth th you arent aren't falling In love with that man ar are arC you And if I am am- am Th There e was no doubt about the sincerity of ot Aunt Claras Clara's advice Take my advice Dont Don't You'll Youil only break your heart if it you doHe do Hes He's a desperately sick man Hes better He thinks hes he's better He really isn't impi improving very much Just temporarily Pascoe says it So does does' Dr M McGuire Guire There are internal injuries Doctor Doctor Doc Doe tor told Joe so this morning The improvement do doesn't nt mean mean any any- ny- ny thing Jim m may y linger several days yet perhaps even ven a week or or two There just isn't any chance of his permanent recovery Clara Bradleys Bradley's words rang with an assurance and a conviction that dismayed Ruth Then lf If that's true why arent aren't you calling oth other r h help There are re hundreds of physicians In Chicago Why employ only one to tome tome me mc as asIf if you didn't want him to get well As if you deliberately hoped he w would die Ruth wo would ld have hays been frightened had she looked closely to see ee the Uie hatred s in Sn Clara Bradley's Bradleys Bradleys Bradley's Brad- Brad leys ley's eyes a pretty broad statement Ruth Mrs Bradley said controlling her anger with an an effort Everything Everything Everything Every thing possible is being done t for r Mr Bradley what you say Ruth was fearless In her anger nger Prove It Prove that you you ar arent aren't nt a a crook Prove that you u arent aren't t atm Go Go to the telephone right night now Call the Cook County Medical ass association Tell them to send up the best physicians physicians clans in Chicago for consultation I 1 dare yo you to do dolt it Il Be Quiet Mrs Bradley voice was trembling trembling trembling trem trem- bling wi with h rage Be Bc quiet you fool tool she hissed D Do you want the whole h house use to hear I dont don't mind If the whole world hears Youve You've h held ld me here her a pris oner Ive I've known it all aU along Ive I've bee been a coward But Im I'm m through now You cant can't keep me any longer Im I'm leaving g th this l minute I I- I Strong hands seized Ruth from behind pl pinioned her her hercl cl close se in spite of her struggles In a flash Clara Bradley was at ather ather ather her from the front You came camen n not t a minute too soon ahe ahe shrilled She was openly defying me Sobbing with anger but fighting kicking Ruth was forced back into a chair and her WI wrists tS tied tightly with a portiere cord To be continued Copyright 1936 for The Tele Telegram am |