| Show 1 Telegram T Fiction m SUBSTITUTE SW SWeeTHeaRT BYJ By Wayno Priscilla s BEGIN HERE TODAY Ruth Dayton who is 18 and very pretty has has' become innocently in involved involved involved in- in in a plot by which her employers em- em hoped to murder Jim Bradey Brad- Brad icy ey young millionaire and gain control control con- con rol of ot his estate Ruth is In love with Jim and he with her Those involved in the plot are Joe Joeand Joeand and Clara Bradley uncle and aunt of ot Jim and Pascoe accomplished crook Pascoe posing as a nurse has been slowly poisoning Jim who has been injured and blinded in an auto accident Ruth has been hired by Joe and Clara Bradley to impersonate Jims Jim's stepsister June Bradley Ruth resembles resembles re- re June so greatly that Jim apparently has been fooled by the substitution and dupe they fall all in irs love Jim insists they be married and a fake wedding is arranged arranged ar- ar ranged by the conspirators Ruth had md been persuaded to impersonate June to comfort Jim who who the the Bradleys told her was her was blind and dying June was ill and could not go to him she was told But Ruth learns that the Bradleys Bradleys Bradleys Brad- Brad leys had sought her out because they did not dare return to Jims Jim's home without June who had been in their care She learns of the plot to kill Jim but is held prisoner and cannot get help She learns that the Bradleys and Pascoe have forced a doctor who Pascoe knew had been guilty of ot violating the drug laws to agree to sign Jims Jim's death certificate When Dr McGuire rebels rebels' and fights tights with Pascoe she helps him revive Jim and afterward sees him killed by Joe Bradley She locks herself into the only room in the house where o the telephone is not disconnected and calls police The Bradleys and Pascoe escape and Ruths Ruth's brother Jerry Dayton who had just found her in her mansion- mansion prison is by the fleeing Bradleys and forced to aid their es escape es- es cape In jail Ruth wins the confidence confidence confidence con con- of Robert Reagan Jims Jim's at at- torney He checks her story and finds it true obtains her release and takes her to the hospital where Jim has been asking for her NOW V. GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER 29 Then well we'll drive to the hospital now Mr Reagan saidI saidI said I promised Jim that Id I'd bring you right away Hes He's too ill to arguo arguo ar- ar gu guo with so I could only say yes and done be-done with It it Im glad Ruth said quite truth truth- fully I want to do everything I Ican Ican Ican can to help him get well I re reproach reproach reproach re- re myself all the time that I didn't get away from that awful house somehow Now that I In Im away from all of t them em it seems per perfectly cowardly that I could have let that thing go o on day after day Robert Reagan nodded There seems seems' to have been every reason for you to be afraid of them They were a a. desperate trio The w way y they dealt with poor Dr McGuire proved that No o one could blame a girl for lack of courage in the hands of ot such an outfit Its It's an almost unbelievable unbelievable able abI story A girl held captive anda and anda a man being sl slowly wIy poisoned to death in the hands of ot three vicious persons Its It's so weird that it seems it just couldn't have happened in real life Ute I Guarded Doors But it did Mr Reagan I 1 cant can't get away from the horror of ot it I Ican Ican Ican can close my eyes and see all aU of them again guarding th the doors I Child you mustn't think of it any anymore moro more than you have havo to And dont don't I mention it to Jim Ho HOI is very ill It will ill be days before ho realizes I I fully everything that is happening around him J And that part of th tho story too is stranger than fiction He thinks that he L Ls married marrie to a a. young and I girl In every conscious period period pe pe- pe- pe nod that he ho has has- hashe h ho he asks for his wife And I must pretend to be his wife Yes Ruth It can only be for a afew afew afew few days at most Hes He's getting better better better bet bet- ter very quickly Just as soon BOOn as ashe ashe ashe he is strong enough so 50 that the shock will not be too serious he can be told the story i Perhaps Ruth did not realize the distress her voice indicated And then lit Robert Reagan old in exp experience wise in tho the ways of human kind merely smiled Not being married married mar mar- ried ned child is a drawback easily drawback easily remedied remedied rem rem- for for- fora a man and a girl who care very much for each other Jim Cares think that Jim cares cares' You cares a happiness indescribable flooded Ruths Ruth's heart at his wor words s. s Of course I do If It Im I'm any judge of ot affairs of the heart heart and and I ought to be Ive lye been married to one woman woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man for almost 40 years and I love her today more moro than the tho day I marr married mar mar- r ried ed her I If that makes me any judge then Jim Bradley loves you It doesn't matter that your name is different it doesn't matter that youre you're really a different girl than the girl he thinks you are arc Youre You're the girl he loves They entered the great stone hos hoe pital Mr Bradley has a suite on the fifth floor Theres There's h. h a comfortable waiting room connected with the suite Im I'm afraid you'll be obliged obligee to spend most of your time there I dont don't mind If It I can see Jim part of the time They passed a door marked No Visitors entered the door next to toiL it Ruth found herself in a but comfortable corner room There were tables with magazines several comfortable chairs convenient reading reading reading read read- ing lamps S At the Hospital Better just take off your wraps and make yourself at home Robert Robert Robert Rob Rob- ert Reagan suggested This will probably be your home for tor the next two or three days Im I'm not sure but I I. I think perhaps arrangements can be made for you to sleep and have your meals right here In the hospital Well We'll talk to tho the nurse Jims Jim's nurse came in a few minutes minutes min mm- utes later The- The very first sight of this older woman oman in her spotless cap and apron comforted Ruth re reassured reassured reassured re- re assured herI herI her I UI take tale it youre you're Mrs Bradley Mr Reagan covered the awkward conversational gap and tided Ruth over over her momentary confusion I 1 told you that Id I'd Id bring her Miss Wheeler Mrs Bradley wants to stay right here hero or close to the hos hoe pital pita We can make arrangements Miss Wheeler shook hands cordially cordial cordial- here ly with Ruth Im lm glad youre you're Ive I've been having difficulty explaining explaining explain I ing to Mr Bradley why you ou did not come Miss Wheeler watched Ruths Ruth's face tace carefully This whole situation seemed very peculiar she kept telling telling tell teU- ing herself The wealthy man had been brought into the tho hospital almost almost almost al al- al- al most dead with a slow Blow poison and I here was his young wife Looked like a sensible honest girl at that Well Miss Wheeler decided after all that part of ot it wasn't in her hands bands Mr Bradleys Bradley's just awakened He had hada a nice nap after his bath this morning He feels much stronger I wonder if you ought not to go in right now and visit with him a littie little little lit lit- tle tie It Id like lik to so much Ruth wondered wondered wondered won won- dered if the quiet efficient nurse who seemed to know such a very great lot could hear the pounding of her heart Let me go In first for a minute and warn him that youre you're coming Robert Reagan was smiling as he turned to Ruth Listen to me child are ara you willing to take an old oldmans oldmans oldmans mans man's advice Yes oh yes Ruth wondered what he would say Hoped he might say the things that were in her heart Help Jim He did Ruth youre you're a pretty girl and youre you're a good girL Ive I've had you all checked up Jim Bradley Bradley Brad Brad- ley Icy would be a lucky man It if ho lie won you and youre you're a foolish girl if you dont don't go in that room and help him win You think that I should should- should should- should should-If I think that you should walk walle into the Uie room of ot your dearly bel beloved beloved be be- l loved Ved young husband Love is the loveliest thing in the world Good Goodluck Goodluck Goodluck luck to you dear And then Robert Reagan did an impulsive thing on his own account He stooped and kissed Ruth D Dayton just as he would kiss his own dearly dearly dearly dear dear- ly beloved daughter when he ho gave her advice on the most precious things of life He wants very much to see you you Miss Wheeler reported You mustn't be too shocked at his ap ap- ap- ap Remember that hes he's been very very ill Hes He's definitely on the upgrade now Mrs Bradley So you be too worried Your courage will help his courage Poor Dear Jim But It was vias not an easy thing to follow Miss Vh Wheeler eler nito that room and up to the bed where Jim lay ver very very quietly He seemed then then unbelievably thin and his face tace had the chalkiness of one long and seriously ill His dark eyes piercingly Intent In spite of their blindness seemed to search through Ruths Ruth's face to her Very heart Was Was' It only her wistful hope that made her believe she had seen a quick gleam of ot recognition in those eyes eyes She put the thought away Instantly Shadows only shadows She breathed more easily when Jims Jim's quick restless hand on the coverlet gr groped ped for hers here June June dear Right here Jim darling she whispered every word a triumphant paean of love Right here darling right here June its it's been a long time I wondered wondered wondered- You wondered why I hadn't come cometo cometo cometo to see you Yes dea dear Getting Better They wouldn't let me some little demon in Ruths Ruth's mental makeup grinned at that very true yet misleading misleading mis mis- leading statement They wouldn't t let me You were very wea weak But now youre you're getting better etter Now Im I'm getting better There was a decided note noto t of joy in the sick mans man's voice N Now w youre you're getting better we arent aren't going to talk too much about II It Were We're just going to be very quiet Tithe Timo enough to talk when youre you're all well again Right now youre you're going back to sleep and Im I'm going to sit here and nd hold hoId your hand and pat your shoulder and and and- And kie me sweetheart And kiss you sweetheart oh t-oh t oh I kiss kis's you many times Ruths Ruth's voice vIce I Iwas was husky with emotion She bent over Jim Made good her promise Robert Reagan had been standing at the I doorway watching the little scene Como Come out hero here a minute his voice own voice nurse he said he-said said softly own husky with emotion Young Love They went vent into back the little waiting room Nurse N Wheeler closed the the- thedoor door softly stood facing the attorney Oh I envy them I envy them the calm little nurse was saying and strang strangely ly enough her eyes were filled with tears Love young Love young ve-young young love is the sweetest thing in all the world You know nurse nurse nurse- He died in the Argonne Nurse Wheeler said after a V. little making a wad of her tear-dampened tear handI hand hand- I kerchief We Va had ad been married only six weeks when he sailed I 1 never saw him again Robert Reagan turned away Somehow he wanted to see his own Ruth who had been his loving wife wife for almost 40 years He hoped with all his middle middle- aged heart th that t the young folks would make a go of ot it Love Is the sweetest thing To be continued Copyright 1936 for tor The Telegram I |
