Show TANGLED WIVES by peggy shane copyright tor by peggy shane service SYNOPSIS A pretty young woman finds herself in a taxicab in new york IL man w who ho addresses her endearingly gly Y and speaks ol of an awful I 1 hock he leaves leave her tor for a moment and nd she ehe drives on tor for she tears fears him she stop stopa A at the biltmore wondering wonder lne who the she Is iler her memory is 1 gone eone from the evidence 0 of her clothing cloth lne and wedding ring she concludes she Is married to a wealthy man the nameless girl meets a young woman who speaks of her desire to so go to reno tor for a divorce it if the she can get the money the woman vanishes with th the nameless girls 1900 an elderly woman mrs birs oscar du val cordially greets erects the nameless girl addressing her as doris wife of mrs birs du do vals ton son rocky rocky Is abroad and doris bewildered Is taken to the homo home of 0 mrs birs du val and her sculptor sculpt or husband oscar doris tails falls in love with photograph but cannot remember having married him discovering a trademark in her clothing cloth lne she visits a store and nd Is asto astounded unde d when a saleswoman insists she hide from observation sho she returns to the du vals more masti tied bed than ever rocky returns to discover the deception he demands to know who she rho Is and why his bis wife sent ent her to his home she cannot tell him CHAPTER IV continued 8 doris breathed deeply was ail this finally to end in the police court ills his mocking smile came again she registers terror ho he said unpleasantly very good lifelike go to the head bead tt of the class clam lie ile sat down beside her come on caby baby come clean the story she did not answer she was think in ing suddenly of mrs du val your tour mother she said anxiously what about my mother but now his bis face showed slight signs of sympathy a sympathy not for her 1 I cant bear beardo sto have her know what will she think A lot you care he said bitterly poor mother 1 I do care oh please believe me I 1 feel terribly about her you should have thought of that rhon you were tricking her 1 I trick her lie ile meditated ills gray eyes on the pretty carpet youve sot got her 1 d fond of you its awful said doris miserably lie he walked up and down chewing his lip awkward designing little devill devil 1 oh it im not shut up doris was angry you be to 10 frightfully rude no well its a pleasure shut op dp while I 1 think what to do ile he walked up and down doris sat on the edge of the bed watching him dismally 1 I plan this truly I 1 nu no said rocky satirically 1 I suppose it just happened by accident A hot sense of injustice came to doris she rose no really you dont understand As toon as 3 lour our mother saw me she took me in her arms she was glad to see me she olie told said I 1 was tier her daughter I 1 thought she could not go on tears were choking her voice rocky said coldly you seem very good III at falling failing in so arms so Is your friend doris twisting her handkerchief reproachfully she said you seem perfectly heartless about doris its a nice way to talk about your wife im sure and you even write to her while you were away ile he flushed uncomfortably threw himself down on the couch look here its no good going on co like this at least youre decent at about out mother and ashes III nil I 1 care about really mother and father I 1 dont get your conr game exactly but it was intolerable 1 I ha e no game she elie rose and went to the closet 1 I dont have to stand being treated like a criminal she deposited tier her small suit cult case on the bed im pa baking king ile he stood up with a roar not by it d n sight if you think you tan con rope us in like this better think again im going since I 1 dont belong here she walked swiftly to tier her dren dressing aing table gathering up her cold cream her hair brush ills lips looked thin they twisted IN what hat am I 1 supposed to do if you leave leare 1 I dont know and you dont carel care I 1 well ill tell iou miss IM going to go on playing your game came im going to go on playing doris game came lie ile milled buil led were married see sec married dont worry be quite sate safe from my brutal attacks she hushed flushed im not afraid of you youve got no reason to be suddenly doris collapsed in a heap heal of helpless laughter rocky looked at her blankly so funn funny what Is ii this all about lie he sat bai down donn smiling ruefully im berry I 1 guess im a little excited uy my point Is simply that I 1 the face to go downstairs and tell my fattier father and mother that I 1 am not married to you tlajy e crazy about you doris anger aner dripped away 11 1 I am mi rr its a rotten situation ii holp me ew cin I 1 alf tl 9 11 II tr ic he hilli 11 0 to th the ilin dw gift i tul ml it itt 11 II III in I 1 di 1 I i 1 a 1 1 1 il y v 1 i 31 idi L have been nearly so pleased if P he walked restlessly to the dressing table stared at himself in the mirror G d im a fool ile he turned at last to doris with nith n R smile that was slightly beseeching see ching you possibly go on pretending for a day or two longer doris was amazed cut but im an impostor yes but rut but got to find out sooner or later lie ile nodded gloomily 1 I suppose so the real doris the real doris like tie he looked at her skeptically you still maintain that you dont know well maybe you dont but ill say this much that when mother wrote how much she liked ray my my wife I 1 was never more surprised in my life doris stood with averted head bead what IN hat will your wife say when nhen she finds out about me rocky looked at her sharply lets not discuss her right now the point Is im due to walk downstairs with you on my arm if if they guessed the truth there would be a most unholy bust up doris shivered 1 I cant go through with it rocky said well then I 1 think its the best plan to go on pretending it very easy well we might as well be friends rocky smiled ills his face so like that pictured friend of hers II 11 lighted eted up ills white even teeth were a surprise As he be spoke lie he put his arm around doris and lifted her to her feet anger shook her she jerked away Is that your idea of being friends friend sl lie put ills his hand across his mouth patted his lips mockingly then he pretended to cough respectfully my mistake 1 I dont like 1 I know I 1 know doris glared at him you know what what you dont like that then my attitude 1 I going to say that at all she caught a glispie of herself in the mirror she flushed her hair slightly disheveled but that dress the dress did make tier her look nice it steadied her to see herself in it it 1 I was gons going to say that I 1 dont like to go down to dinner with a man who has soot all ever his nose you win its agreed then that were not ring to give each other away not anyway they went down into the dining room the ile candles on the tables beamed joyously sir mr and mrs du val were full of a secret elation that showed shoed in the burning of oscars dark eyes and in the curve of mrs du vals happy lips ah now this Is something said oscar du val with nith satisfaction ne ile slipped behind doris chair with an air of gay eay rivalry rocky held out his mothers chair gallantly the women seated themselves such soup sighed rocky 1 11 I tasted anything as good as this tor for years you been home for years said oscar du val you are a bad son now that he Is married it will be different ali ah yes doris will see that he comes home regularly as a good boy should doris did not dare to look up from her soup rocky changed the subject hows the memorial coming on dad oscar made an impolite noise do not switch the talk like that my boy what do you e care are about the memorial you talk silly tonight we want to hear where you and doris plan to live I 1 do not approve of 0 new york it la Is too noisy the dust Is bad for the chil dren I 1 am right am I 1 not adoree ills his wife was looking at him re fully it was evident that she considered oscar was being far from delicate in alluding to the unborn chil dren doris was so sensitive she had never once mentioned the child to her hei mother in law ob out you are always right sali said mrs du val disgustedly she caught doris embarrassed eye and laughed laughe slightly you should not live in new york no no said rocky loudly dont want to live in new york ills raised voice save gave such an odd effect that both his parents parenti stared at him in astonish moot ills face was red with the effort he was making mikii ig to keep up his end of the conversation in facts fact wove weve just about settled to live in larchmont we e doris larchmont echoed doris in astonishment ment we saw such a dear little house there said rocky per perched clied on the edge of the sound there were roses growing round the door w 1 I should think the salt water would ruin them said oscar sardonically doris laughed hysterically the fisli was brought in and handed round ah said rocky 1 I dont know when ive eaten such fesh the last time you were home perhaps suggested oscar ah doris protect him said mrs du val ills father will spoil the beautiful homecoming with all this sarcasm about how bow long it has been since we have hare seen rocky ile he deserves it said doris sincerely of course he deserves IL it ne he runs away anity and marries a beautiful wife band ald does not even let his father 1 know said oscar morosely then ho be telephones and says oh by the w way ay I 1 have a wife take care of her while I 1 so go to europe she Is a wild one that wife so do not let her get gel away she might go down to the vil tillage and get drunk it if you dont watch nor her very carefully 1 nahl bahl such talk I 1 tell you there Is something wrong with that hint boy rocky to say bay such guch things about a beautiful young girl like doris mrs du vals vala voice mour mourned med doris Is a beautiful young gi girl ra she looked a sly and secret tenderness at doris so you have found a house a nice little house in larchmont you did not tell me doris no I 1 did not tell you rocky spoke its on the sound it has gardens at the back it sounds expensive said oscar du da val your tour business Is looking up op west nest ce pas ills eyes gleamed maliciously it Is too expensive for us its of course said rocky its just one of our dreams tims it doris etim nm said doris it Is such a pity said mrs du val what Is such a pity that doris should set her heart on this nice little house and she have it doris eyes were large with embarrassment ras no that it at all mrs du vals colorful voice sounded founded a diapason of sad tones of course oscar now she Is afraid that you are going coing to give her that nice little house the little house they have picked out together it true hand in hand said rocky please dont say that doris said rocky was especially crazy about the cupida cupids on the bathroom belling cel Cell ling ll you doris of course I 1 oh he tries to tease but all the tha same he be wants that little house oscar you must give them that house for a wedding present rocky knocked over a glass of water just to put us all at our ease mother lie he explained what is that nothing its a stupid loke joke but to change the subject he went on mopping up the water with his napkin 1 I cant tell you how good those warm socks you knit me felt crossing the ocean mrs du vals face opened in a wido aldo smile you wore them naturally what do you take me for having diverted the conversation rocky tried to keep it away from himself and his supposed wife he fie talked about his trip and business conditions in france lie ile told anecdotes and stories feverishly doris cheeks were hot her eyes felt strained and anxious where could all this folly end why had she promised to go on her hand shook as she reached for the salt surely the du vals must see through this could they be blind oh oh doris you have spilled salt that Is bad luck walled mrs du val throw some over your left shoulder that will ward off the bad luck doris shrugged oscar du val said her lind luck Is over since her husband has returned that so doris doris was hating rocky so violently at that moment that she found it difficult to answer why he have introduced his wife nife to his family himself instead of letting them meet in the biltmore in that silly way and now he was thinking that she was trying to force her way in where she belong she had a strong impulse to tell the whole thing blurt it out right now but it if she did what would the du vals think of her perhaps they eien een believe that she had lost her memory they were nice to her now but it if they found out she closed her lips she would have to have time to think about what to do they rose from the table at last and I 1 mrs du val slipped her hand under doris firm arm you must go upstairs right away doris this Is your first night down and you must not it doris felt thankful of the opportunity to filip away she kissed mrs du val thinking tills this Is the last time perhaps that I 1 shall ever do this tomorrow you will find out the truth and hate me goodnight good night my child said mrs du val fo fondly ridly shall I 1 come up with you oh no you must stay with rocky ali ah I 1 know you want rocky we wont keep keel him long though halt half way aay up the stairs dorla doris turned in horror borror what did you say mrs du val smiled rocky will soon come to bed but not but not in my room A shadow crossed mrs du vals face ah you have hare still the small quarrel you and rocky these things blow over I 1 will send the dear boy up to you very soon but I 1 cant sirs mrs du val raised a protesting finger you tire are being a very naughty little girl and tomorrow you yon will be sick again come I 1 will take you upstairs to bed doris was pale and determined if mrs du val came upstairs there would be more kindly nursing than she could stand she would have to settle this with rocky himself it if he thought he was going to sleep in her room he was mistaken all right ill go to bed she fled up the stairs the door was shut she put her bands against her hot face ace what a tattoo her heart was making and her hands were wera trembling she would not undress at ai get in bed she would sit and wait for rocky to come upstairs civi us ua |