Show C I tJ I J y Anne Austin BY NEA SERVICE INC WHAT HAS liAS GONE GOSE DIFO BEFORE E CHERRY UtY LANE LA Is utterly front from her 5 Is tel rAICH who stays Mays at home and ami amid d does all the Iho work ork for tor the thc fam- fam fan tl fam-tl i 1 of siv 61 1 Including her lier mother her lier father u a carpenter and a contractor her brother JUNIOR or Long Lane 21 and JOY 9 D CHERRY Y the flirt Is carry carry- carrying carrying ins carry ing on affairs veldt a dozen ad- ad admire ad mire Including ItT IL formerly a suitor of Faiths Faith's BOB nOB Al R a ayoung young youn architect ALBEIt ERT LT ET T rLEON a married salesman old Mil Ut CLUNY Cherrys Cherry's present employer and WILEY on over I whom a girl has lias committed suicide GEO GEORGE G r FRUITY PRUITT I rich i c h mans man's s son and amateur artist is In loic with raith and the family assumes a umes that sc will trill marry him She warns arns the family that that she sho does docs not love him and will Till not marry him She leaves lencs for a molO motor trip to Sulphur Springs with with Pruitt but her mind Is troubled by bythe bythe the fact that she sho has faun found I u a packed and locked suitcase sc In Cherrys Cherry's erry's closet faith remembers a mysterious mysterious ous OI ant am to Cherry from Albert Ettleson and when George GOrlo and Faith are arc return return- Ins Jug front from an durin during h ch Pruitt had proposed and ami been en rejected Faith sees t Dab Bob with whom hom t Cherry had said she tho had 1111 an engage engage- engagement en ago ago- ment alone an and her fears a are arc ro confirmed bite he hurries harries home to find Cherry Clerry gone tile the suitCASe suitcase which she sho had hael asked Junior to hl hide lo in ht his Ills auto lIutO truck k al also o missing She Sho tries to reach Junior by telephone and amI Is s In- In Interrupted interrupted In Interrupted by l y her rather father Who ho announces the arrival of Mrs Irs Albert Ettleson wife of the theman man mAil with whom ham Cherry Las JaM been flirting NOW GO ON OX WITH THE STO STORY Y CHAPTER Mrs Irs Ettleson Faith echoed In amazement Then her Instinctive unreasoning desire to protect her parents parente from knowledge of Cherrys Cherry's Cherr Ys foolish philandering with a a married mAn and to shield greedy Cherry Cherry selfish lovely little from Cherry Cherry the consequences of ot he her escapade no matter how far It had gone forced an artificial smile of wel- wel welcome welcome wel welcome come to her lips honeyed her voice with false ralso sweetness I Oh Mrs Irs Albert of of J course Ive I've heard Cherry Speak peal of ot you OU Im I'm so sorry she eha isn't n It right now she's now she's out with a friend of the family II family a Mr Hathaway Isn't she Mother Iother Did sho she say lIay when she would be bo back The corners of Mrs Lanes Lane's mouth drew down in the tho Stubborn expression that Faith alth knew so well lIer owning fawning eyes darted suspiciously from front her daughter to the stranger who had certainly not ie come to pay an au ordinary social call I dont don't know when shell she'll l beback beback be beback back she snapped I r dont don't know lenow what all this mystery's about Faith but it If this this-this this this woman woman- woman her her voice was acidly emphatic In- In Insulting In Insulting suiting suiting- has come conic to make trou trou- trouble trou- trou trouble trouble ble for tor err Cl Cherry though I must say it If Cherry knows her or ever heard of her she's kept mighty quiet about It- It ItI It I PI Please case Mother Iother Faith begged her voice smothered In panic panic- I I I think I had better belter talk with Mrs Ills Ettleson alone alone- alone I didn't come here to make malel trouble between a II mother molher and daughter Mrs Ettleson Inter Intel Interrupted her thin hands twisting to- to together together to together gether in painful embarrassment her pale greenish gray the eyes eyes eyes ees of ot a a timid weak woman at last aroused to the fighting point point- point wide with Ith fright and righteous anger But I 1 think your mother has a a 0 right to know Miss Lane that your sister Juts has come bel between me and my husband I have every reason to believe they've run away together toda today In the stunned dreadful ence el silence that followed both Faith and her father moved Instinctively toward Mrs Lane Cherrys Cherry's mother rose rosea a vast ast bulk bulle from her chair her puffed dropsy-puffed hands gripping the tho arms of tho the wicker chair so that the yielding dry cane creaked creaked-a a loud scratching nerve nerve sound in that awful silence Faith on one side of her Jim Lane on theother the theother theother other flung their arms around her herbut but she ahe shrugged shrugs her heavy should should- shoulders shoulders shoulders ers as if to shake off their pro pro- protecting love Jove Youre a liar Her voice harsh and trembling with wrath shattered the tho silence made poor Insignificant little Mrs Irs Ettleson cringe as it if the words had struck her I How dare daro you Get out of my house or Ill I'll kick you out you sniveling whimpering hussy Get out I tell you you- you Mother Please Mother Iother You'll kill yourself yourself Mother F a I t h g d brokenly her arms strain strain- strainIng to pull her mother back Into nto tier chair S She Sho has a bad heart heart e aR tR tl rJ ti t A 4 k I r t y t Rn ef J 1 q j t- t I tj I l f l 1 I J I I i v tI f Vi I 1 J V i 1 4 i r u t l 1 l ll l A 1 I k J A lI rl TIPI Her voice olce ma do e poor Mrs Irs cringe Mrs Ettleson She turned wild Ill I'll talk with you there please ImplorinG eyes upon the frightened Oh Dad she cried shrilly as her woman who was WIlS cowering against I mothers mother's bOdy sagged suddenlY the table Wont you rou OU go o outside lurched heavily y toward d the tho floor doctor fainted I Call the quick quick Im sorry Im I'm sorry Mrs Mr Ettleson Et- Et Ettleson Et moaned helplessly Get some water the water the kitchen kitchen- kitchen I straight back Faith alth panted while i her father rather ran to the tho hall to tele telephone phone Faith never afler afterwards ards ar ls clearly remembered Just what was waa said and done in those dreadful twenty minutes before the tho doctor arrived but tears of shame and gratitude always stung her eyes at the re- re remembrance re remembrance of oC how poor bewildered ered cred little Mrs n had ad risen to the occasion In those twenty minutes she had lost her Identity as asa asa asa a wronged wife assumed with quiet dignity and efficiency the therole therole therole role of ministering angel It was WIlS Mrs Irs Ettleson who bathed the pur pur- purple purple Pie face tace of the unconscious woman while Faith answered Bob Hath Hath- Hathaway's Hath Hath-away's away's promised telephone call It It was Mrs Ettleson who chopped ice In the kitchen to fill till the icecap Ice Icecap icecap cap for tor the stricken womans woman's head It was as Mrs Ettleson who deftly her and eased the heavy bady into a 0 clean night-gown night Bob Faith gasped Into the telephone Can you come come-at come once Something d dreadful read Cui has happened No-Cherry's No No Cherrys Cherry's not not hot sick SomethIng 9 else I 1 cant can't explain Mother has Cherrys fainted fainted Cherrys Cherry's gone oh oh Bob I Ill Ill I'll be lc e right there Faith d dear ar Bobs Bobe voice sweet comforting in III spite of ot the terror In it was like a kiss on Faiths Faith's cold lips As they worked over her moth r Faith marveled for the thousandth time in her life lire at her fathers tather s gentleness and tenderness toward his wife wiCe She was vast and ugly In I t her cheap unadorned nightgown n with her graying thin hair straggling straggling gling gUnS over her pillow her thick purplish lips putting puffinS out grotesque grotesque- grotesquely ly Iy I on her gusts of won hard-won breath brea h But Jim Lanes Lane's knuckly toll hard ened hands touched her thIck freckled arms her heavy beavy sagging veined veined purple cheeks with all ail the reverent gentleness that a bridegroom bride brIde- brIdegroom bridegroom groom would have shown to Ills Is lovely young bride Faith weeping silently as she waited for tor the doctor and for tor Bob Hathawa Hathaway looked at him as if it she had never seen him this before before ratter shy hen pecked hen pecked gentle man who would soon be and old old and real real- realized realized that to him the woman Wh w ha halay lay helpless and fat tat and ugly on the bod bed they had shared for so many ye years rs was the tho girl who had been his bride Ills His l love tovo for tor her had burned steadily through ty five years of ot life of rearing child and poverty and Ill health George would have been like that and that and she hated herself herselt that she could think of her own affairs her mother lay un- un unconscious unconscious un unconscious conscious and gasping for breath They arrived almost together together- together the doctor and Bob Hathaway She had shown just the doctor to her mothers mother's room when Hathaway without knocking opened t the h e screen door of the living room Is she going to die Dr At- At Atkins Atkins kina At-kina kins Faith whispered In terror as the doctor shook his head over her mothers mother's condition I hope not he answered grave grave- gravely gravely gravely ly But nut Im I'm afraid another at- at attack attack at attack tack like this will be the end You must protect her against shocks excitement of any kind Mrs Ettleson rose from her herI place on the edge of the bed I where she ahe had been stroking Mrs lAnes lAne's wrists and hurried blinded with tears from the room Faith It was Bobs Bob's voice calling her in cautious low tones She was so white and ana terrified when she sho came carne walking jerkily toward to- to toward to toward ward him that Bob Hathaway spranG to her side and put his arm around her shoulders What is it Faith Ill I'll do any any- anything anything anything thing in the tho world tell world tell me Bob and Faith raised her head with that sudden proud gesture which he was becoming to assocIate associate associate ate with her this Is Mrs Ettle Ettle- Ettleson son Mrs son Mrs Albert Ettleson She came here ere today to tell us that that Cherry that Cherry has run away with her husband Weve We've got to stop her Ier Bob if Bob it It Isn't too late Oh my God His tall tail body doubled suddenly as it tr he had been dealt a out knock-out blow I wish to God Id I'd never come corne Mrs Ettleson began to weep gaspingly gasp gasp- gaspingly like a child Albert Isn't worth it all If It Id I'd known about abot her poor mother oh mother oh Ill I'll kill my- my myself myself my myself self If it poor Mrs Lane dies We Ve mustn't waste time Faith said sharply because she was so 10 torn between pity for Mrs Ettleson and Bob Hathaway and her anxiety anxiety anxiety ety for Cor her mother and for Cherry Weve got to get Cherry back back- back right away Bob nob The doctor said another attack might might- might site s h 0 choked on a sob that tore her throat Mrs Mn Irs Ettleson wont won't you tell tellus tellus tellus us Just what you know Bob Dob Hathaway sensing Faiths Faith's need and terror got hold of o himself mir mil miraculously Let Lets try to get t at this thing sensibly You may bo be entirely wrong you iou ou know tell us exactly what you know about Cherry your and and your husband Mrs Ettleson dabbed at her streaked tear streaked cheeks with the backof back backof of a thin hand Albert Mr Albert Mr Et- Et Et Ettleson and and I live In Indianapolis Hes He's a traveling salesman for tor the Top Top Tip Gas Lange tange ange Company and he comes to this town once a month I help him with his bis to- to reports re reports ports I used to be a stenographer before I married and they know i me at his office They let me have his mall mail to forward to him or to answer it its it's something I can at- at attend attend at attend tend to There was a a curious ripple of pride in the dead flat tones of her voice About two months ago he gota got gota gota a letter In a girls girl's handwriting hand from this town I-I I I I didn't worry orry her much her listeners knew with an acute pang of DC pity that she had worried terribly terribly because I know enow how how-how how traveling men are Most of the time they dont don't mean any real harm Albert was always good to me-In me me In his way and I had no real caus cause to be suspicious But when when-when when the second letter came I-I I I I steamed It open before forwarding it to him hem How It must hurt her to tell teU aU all althis this Faith told herself sickly It was from Cherry Lane Mrs Irs Ettleson nodded It was was as a love letter leller He lie had promised ta to help her ter go on the tha stage stage-in stage In New York Oh Ohl Faith breathed That ex explained so much Selfish schem schem- schemIng schemIng scheming ing vain little Cherryl She Sho kept harping on the sub sub- subJect subject sub subject Mrs Ettleson went on She believed every word he ha told her Albert talks big she he explained ashamed deprecating lies Hes a good mixer makes mixer makes friends In all the towns on Oft his route lie He goes goCs to New ew York every six months or so The company baa hall Its factory In In- In In but its main offices are in New York hed he'd Hed He'd hed he'd evidently promised her It If shed she'd-If shed she'd It shed she'd be his be his be nice to him Mm she ahe sup sup- supplied supplied sup supplied plied desperately her hel Puritanism locking her lips on the ugly word gether sho had tried to use that hed he'd get her a try-out try In a musical comedy Albert couldn't do anything like that really oho bhe ho hastened to assure them with pitiful apology for tor the tour four she was married mauled to Then what Mrs 1 Bob noh demanded Impatiently his lIls eyes ees were like pits of blue ice ca caught In the frozen paleness of DC his cheeks Faith wanted deeper desper desperately to put her arms about him cradle cradie his head against her er breast There were three other letters Mrs Irs Ettleson went wenton on twisting her handkerchief between trembling fingers I I 1 I sent them to Mm him himI I was afraid not to Then yester yester- day yesterday I was at lit his office helpinG helpin him make out his reports and i found a telegram that had acci acci- accidentally acci- acci accidentally accidentally dentally got mixed with his orders It was from your sister she said to Faith and It-it It It it said she would be ready reLdy to go with him It If hod hed wire her some somo money She had to get some clothes she he said She was to meet him at Dar Dar- Darrow Darrow row Dar row fifty miles from here He must have seen her In between een or had a letter leller from her at some town on his route for tor the telegram didn't say when they would meet But last I night night I was going to race face him with Ith It-he It it he didn't come corne home to dinner like hed he'd promised lie was supposed to be bo home fora tor for a a week between trips you know II II I I I haven't seen him since but I found out hed he'd bought a ticket for Darrow Hed He'd gotten his clothes out of the house while I was shop shop- shopping shopping 1 ping ping- ping Faith 1 Bob Hathaway spranG to his feet teet Weve got to drive over to right Darrow-right Darrow right now 1 I hope to God well we'll be In time for time your mothers mother's sake To Cc Ito Continued |