Show taa TANGLED NG L E D WIVES by PEGGY SHANE copyright by shandi ohaneo alerv sonic ice i 0 SYNOPSIS A pretty young woman finds herself in a taxicab in new york with a strange man who addresses her en dearIn Kly and speaks of 0 an awful shock hock when he leaves her for or a moment at it a drug drue store she drives on for the she fears him she stops at the biltmore still wondering who she bhe la Is her memory Is pone gone from her expensive clothing she ahe conel concludes u des she ehe Js Is married to a wealthy man CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 then the face of the only man site she now knew flashed before her the man in the taxicab tier her reverie ended abruptly she turned into the ladies room saving fervently but oh perhaps perhaps after all that man my hu husband 1 then she saw herself in tile th e mirror and else faded from her mind because though she saw with relief that she was young and pretty that she was well dressed and had an air of smartness not one flicker came into her mind of any kind of 0 recollection she could not even decide whether she had ever seen herself before or not put cut she was certainly feeling better she stood and gazed and razed gazed deep into her own eyes well boull aull know yourself the next nest time you see yourself girlie said a anice 1 but I lit if you anything to do for the lie rest of the day would you let me take a crack at that mirror for a minute slie she turned A girl was grinning at her A rakish dashing girl ith lips a lively red I hello lello she faltered perhaps this girl was her friend move oer butle the strangers violet eyes were ringed with mascara her pretty predty lids were painted blue got something in my eye and this la Is the only mirror I 1 can get close to she edged in and pulled competently at her lashes it a shame said the nameless girl sympathetically she wanted to brout do you know me my name the new girl fished a speck of black out of her eye there that 1 she stood hack back and eyed herself with critical admiration the nameless girl watched with a friendly eye hoping that the newcomers gr greeting eptIng had meant a former acquaintance quain but the girl took no further notice of her for the moment the nameless girl took off her gloves to wash her h hands there was the wedding ring again she thought wedding rings are usually inscribed on the inside she drew it oil off and began to examine it she found the inscription 1 IT I L V to D il 11 slay may 1932 1032 IL L V to D M the bridegroom would he 11 L V and he had bat given the ring to the bride D it and on their wedding day which was may 19 1912 S v she he examined the ring wonderingly turning it in her fingers the other girl spoke again this time tier lier voice held a note of humorous sarcasm youre lucky that way too larky Loor ky yeh yahl I 1 C got nt a ring im that way too her husky voice grew more satirical Lil lucky ky lucky how do I 1 get so lucky you dont sound as it if yo you u liked being married the nameless girl spoke disinterestedly po I 1 look crazy not at all tell me 11 the nameless girl paused she wanted to ask if this talkative woman had ever seen tier her before but it was hard to find the proper words such a question would seem very odd she fingered her ring thoughtfully may nineteenth she wondered how long ago that was do you know the date to day by any chance she elie asked finally po do I 1 know the date ask me 1 I do ask as kyou you she acks me she asks me the date ask me vow now if I 1 can forget IL the answer Is no no I 1 cant she sighed she was rubbing some blue paste carefully irefully ci into her upper eyelid excuse me girlie for inflicting my dismal personal life on oil you but you asked me the date the date I 1 Is s der tax tag get it ilar cpr tag P im afraid I 1 dont you its just one of those thin things irs the day the ille day I 1 say bay goodby good by to all this the day the big fight starts and be lieve roc me its going to be a good oli old war while it lasts the day in words word of one syllable that 1 I go 90 oft off to prison prison I 1 yeh rut but I 1 dont mean what you mean im going gning to be a bird in a gilded cage dearle dearie see gee but excuse me qu ou asked me for the date you its the nineteenth not may not may alay the nine I 1 the talkative girl swung around anti and volt olt her hands on her hips her ex ires slon was a little sarcastic now sten listen no kidding bidding I 1 do you think its december the nineteenth its may the nineteenth girlie and she went on talking but her audience ani no na longer listening she was thinking this was the nineteenth of 0 slay and her wedding day she looked once more into the mirror her eyes were starry with excitement cit ement besides the varnished face of the other girl she looked very young and very beautiful but she was not thinking of that now she was thinking that some of the pictures of tier her jigsaw jig saw puzzle past were beginning to fit in she had been married that day to the man in the cab she hated him the shock of marrying him had bad made her lose her memory and no wonder she was grateful to the strong enclosing walls around her for shielding her from that man she was grateful to the city for being so big and impersonal that slit she could lose herself in it all she needed now was to rest quietly until her memory returned ner ncr action in leaving that man had been purely instinctive but she wa was 9 glad that she had done it still she wondered was it as simple as it now seemed she married a man she hated and then lost her memory because he was so horrible and then had bad left him she was not satisfied it seemed too easy an explanation wily why had she married him she would have to find him again sooner or later and tell him that she must divorce him she could do that at reno for this strange chatty girl to whom she had scarcely boon been listening was talking about reno if I 1 had the dough baby believe me id be on my way to reno right now its easy to get a divorce in reno it it if you have the dought dough 1 but a big if girlie 11 now much does it cost about a thousand dollars including the trip and everything but I 1 know a girl who did it for seven hundred and fifty she had a friend living out there and her living expenses coff her anything it take very long does it it takes exactly six weeks oh ask me anything about reno I 1 know ive been studying up on it like it was the bible you got to go out there and eyes on the bills that were visible in her purse now kow it occurred to her to count them and find how much she ahe had bad As she lid did so a silence fell over the small I 1 room of which the two were for the moment the only occupants there were nine hundred dollars in bills and something under ten dollars in her coin purse site she closed tier her purse and as she did so she was aware of a certain tenseness in the atmosphere she turned her head to stare at the other girl anti and she could have sworn that as she ell did so the woman turned away as it 1 to give the impression that she load not been watching the younger uno one her former friendliness was washed front from tier her face but there was a watchfulness in the lines of the figure that tho the nameless girl could not understand perhaps the other girl did know her perhaps that was why she hail had spoken and perhaps the lack of response in the cn nameless girl had bad offended her so she reasoned not in any way connecting the girls sudden change with the large roll of bills she had bad shown ive met you some place I 1 she said at last halt half timidly nut but the other girl no longer wanted to talk doubt that site she said briefly the nameless girl saw a towel rack and it a row of washstands wash stands in an adjoining room she rose and went in leaving hat and purse on the tiny dressing table her feeling of depression had now completely lifted she was separated from a man slie she hated she was in a comfortable hotel she had plenty 0 of money she would make up a name register under it and try to get a good rest she washed her hands in warm water then she let tee ice water chill her wrist and hands thinking that the shock might restore her memory A cold shower would be even better she thought almost happily she looked thoughtfully in the glass she was completely alone yet tet somewhere surely she must have friends perhaps they were looking for her now she smiled she would remember of course she would remember she turned to go into the outer room the girl was gone abne she went to the small dressing table and picked up tip her hat and fitted it f A ax X 6 rolax al WA A mi 1 0 had the dough baby believe ale id be on my way to reno establish a residence stay there six weeks then file your suit As slie she talked the nameless girl was wondering it was a little fantastic to be thinking of reno keno when she ehe did not yet know for certain that she was unhappily married could it be possible that the man in the cab was as not her husband surely in a few moments she would be able to remember about herself and when hen she did there would be time enough to make plans 1 so its actually the nineteenth of 0 may ay today 11 1 yes there you go again the nameless girl slipped tier her wedding ring slowly back on her finger the pirl girl in the blue coat winked not so crazy about it ell eh well there are a good many like you baby belleve me theres a lot like you that cant seem to see the charm in the old cottage for two stuff with the roses or what have you around the door she leaned over and examined the nameless girls ring more closely its not a bad little item to hock site she said 1 I think ill throw it down the first sewer I 1 come to skid said the nameless girl the woman grew kindly and fervent theres always renu reno she said she became thou thoughtful fitful lit ful it tant cheap skate husband of mine so d n stingy baby theres always reno if you have the dough and YO you seem to have plenty I 1 you mean I 1 could get a div divorced orcel said the nameless girl its easy in reno specially for a girl like you with plenty of cash the womans comans eyes had bad dropped to the open hand hag bag on the dressing table the nameless girl wone wondered worn ered if she could divorce a man whose name she rhe did not know renol flenoi Il enoi said the girl in the blue roat coat gd G d and if you knew what I 1 have got to go through you hesitate she rambled on in a tone that was full of a resentment and self vity pity the nameless girl paid little heed again she noticed the womans comans slowly on her head then she looked for her purse made the gesture of picking it up and found that her fingers slid over the smooth surface of the dressing table only the purse was not there it was not on the floor it was not in the room she walked out into the lobby once more it wv was evident that the girl had taken it but she was nowhere to be seen CHAPTER II 11 when you haie hae just lost your name your family it if any and your whole collection of remembrances of your early life the disappearance of nine hundred dollars does not seem as important to you as it would under ordinary circumstances annoyance was her strongest emotion as she walked toward her luggage it did not occur to her to try to follow the thief ter her mind was still too dazed her consciousness was filled with loss the money seemed only part of the general wiping out of 0 possessions but now as she neared her bags she saw that a fat little woman was apparently parent ly trying to take possession of them waving pudgy little hands in the air she was addressing the bellboy in charge of them t I 1 iem but naturally I 1 will fat take ce charge of the baggage I 1 the womans comans voice was low and commanding and it had more than a trace of a foreign accent she shrugged her round shoulders as she spoke in a way that none but a F reach french woman could do oh ob my G d but he Is stupid I 1 the bags must go immediately med lately to my car the bellboy was wag unwilling to let them go the girl hurried forward im sorry she said to the little foreign woman but I 1 believe the bags are mine I 1 TO DE BE CONTINUED |