Show DEAR DARLING DEAN i by MARY B WOODSON ON copyright I 1 gh t service RED BLODGETT smiled letting F FRED himself quietly into his house A half balf holiday dalice would be so surprised of course he had it all planned out the fun have but a cold stillness like the hand of death was on him the minute he crossed the threshold there gasn wasn t a sound it was desolate dalice there uneasily blodgett called and whistled forlornly he searched no dalice her house dress was on the bed but her hat and coat were gone from a closet a bit bare strange for dalice to go off and not say anything she usually called up suddenly a little green eyed monster who had anva always s lived in blodgette Blod getts heart sternly kept down stirred a bit but how absurd dalice oh of course she and yet she know he was coming home she thought herself perfectly secure savagely blodgett fought the demon into the kitchen and out on the back porch and in again into the bedroom and finally into the tiny den where he had half expected to find dalice pecking away on the wonderful stories she liked to amuse herself with the little typewriter stood open meekly mute the chair turned just as dalice had left it the sight of it familiar and lonesome smote blodgette Blod getts heart shaming him he was fearfully contrite as he sat down disconsolately in the chair the idea of his doubting dalice of his insulting her by even blodgette Blod getts wandering eye fell on the typewriter on a paper in it mechanically he read the words on it and suddenly was on his feet snatching it out of coursel course the logical place to leave a message only with slowly freezing blood blodgette Blod getts startled eyes read dear darling dean dont die dig dig do dean dear dare dig dig dig dig dont dont die dalice dear darling dean who was dear darling dean someone she had left a message for someone coming maybe someone desperate threatening to die why for love someone she oved loved dear darling dean blodgette Blod getts face was very red his eyes glittered cruelly one read of these things but one always fancied they happen to him dear darling dean dalice dizzily blodgett biodgett stumbled back to thi the e bedroom of the strangely empty closet where jealous fury sudden terrible lashed him into murderous pain the green eyed monster had his way with him utterly yet outwardly blodgett biodgett was very calm as he patiently waited for the visitor who might come for the message be a talk calm if possible a thorough understanding a confession and then maybe a murder blodgette Blod getts agile mind had gotten as far as the police polica station with dalice tottering in whitely half crazed with remorse when his overwrought nerves tensed A latch key in his own lock the door opened and blod getts eyes blazed A young man carrying a black bag came quickly in he crossed the living room and passed the bedroom where blodgett biodgett purposely hid going directly to dal ices den he was much at home and the man evidently blodgett biodgett waited until he had seated himself at the desk and read the message closely before he too casually walked in his heart thumping his ribs the young man started awfully as his shadow fell across the desk but he merely nodded coolly and put paper lin in the typewriter evidently to write dalice an answer breathing hard blodgett biodgett touched his shoulder your name is dean he demanded through twisted livid lips dean yeah said the young man beginning to write rapidly dear darling dean sneered blodgett biodgett stopping to tinker with a stubborn n key the young man grinned affably maybe he averred my name happens to be biodgett vouchsafed blodgett biodgett the veins big on his forehead young dean looked back over his shoulder a bit startled oh so he said writing rapidly again perhaps said sa ld blodgett biodgett with fearful tight lipped composure be so good as to explain this message to me he touched it ha tingly with the tip of his finger dean looked at it askance dont seem to be a message he said cheerily what said blodgett biodgett sharply 1 I say it dont seem a message more like dont lie to me thundered blodgett biodgett suddenly young dean got up quickly eyeing blodgett biodgett eyeing the door no use thundered blodgett again we well 11 settle this now all right said young dean dazedly he fumbled in his pocket finally only took out a paper blodgett ostentatiously took out his pistol you ayou know mrs blodgett pretty well he asked with hideous inflection oh yes said dean known her a long time he put the paper beside Dal ices note on the desk and promptly sat down again nonchalantly typewriting again old typewriters getting pretty bum he observed airily with sudden fury blodgett seized him by his collar and whirled him around he dragged him up onto his afeei feet infighting fighting fending calling out hey you tell me the truth stormed blodgett you tell me what that damnable message means you tell me how long youve known my wife how well youve known her you tell me where she is nowr you tell me everything there is to tell he was blind and deaf lost in a maze of mad words that flowed endlessly through a red sea of fury so blind so deaf he hear dalice come in see her even until she tore his hands from young deans collar and shook him blodgett until she woke him fred what on barthl she cried wildly and blodgett turned on her in a tumult of words he poured out his grievance the half holiday the surprise plan the homecoming finding her gone the empty closet the note deans coming but dalice flinch she merely dismissed dean peremptorily over his raging protests then suddenly she picked up the note As she read it she experienced a slight struggle more suddenly she laughed a little unsteadily she pushed blodgett into a chair for heavens sake fred she said at last listen my clothes needed cleaning I 1 took them to the cleaners because well I 1 wanted to kill two birds with one stone I 1 happened to need mr dean so on the way I 1 stopped by and asked him to come here I 1 gave him the key what wait I 1 told him I 1 was going to the cleaners and to come on in hes been here before often yes evidently he wait oh fred hes been here before because ive needed him before and I 1 needed him because I 1 was deep in a story and the id d key stuck on the typewriter and I 1 wanted it fixed right away oh fred hes my typewriter man the note sputtered blodgett hoarsely only idle words said dalice calmly look see I 1 wrote them offhand off hand trying to find what ailed the key I 1 wrote his name just because I 1 was thinking id have to bother to get him again everything begins with a d dont you see oh my dear for suddenly with awful relief blodget had put his miserably shamed face in his hands ages later when everything was clear again and sane and at peace blodgett alone while dalice got dinner found courage to pick up the paper young dean had produced it was an account of services rendered the typewriter 1 I said I 1 wanted to settle this remembered blodgett with hot face and darn it he was perfectly willing suddenly a wry grudging smile came with sweat on his forehead he fumbled in his pocket for his checkbook guess I 1 will he said contritely |