Show t by MARY A A A ir about j thrilling mystery story a t t man who w ho lost his courage and the ROBERTS j girl who helped him to findig it again t RINEHART J i CHAPTER continued 20 when you go away she said at last 1 I want you to remember this im going to do my best K you havo have taught me all I 1 know all my life ill have to overlook things I 1 know that but in his way palmer cares for me ile he will always come back anil and perhaps sometime P her voice trailed off far ahead ot of her she saw the years stretching out marked not by days and months but ty by palmers halmers Pal mers ivander wanderings lags anivay ills his remorseful morse ful returns do a little more than forgetting K said try to caro care tor for him christine you did once and your strongest weapon its always a wom ans strongest weapon arld and it wins in the end 1 I shall try K she answered obediently but he turned away from the look in her eyes harriet was abroad she had sent cards from paris to her trade it was an innovation the two or three people on the street who received her engraved announcement that she was there buying new chic models for the autumn and winter afternoon frocks evening gowns reception lon dresses and wraps from martial et armand nad and others left the envelopes casually on the parlor table as if communications from paris were quite to be expected so K lunched alone and ate little sidney came home at half past two came delicately flushed as if site she had hurried and with a tremulous smile that caught katies eyes at once bless the child 1 she said theres no need to ask how he Is today youre all one smile the smile set just a trifle katie someone has written my name chi out on the street in chalk its with nith doctor wilsons Wil sons and it looks so silly please go out and sweep it oil off im about crazy with their old chalk ill oo do it after a while please do it now I 1 dont want anyone to see it Is Is mr K upstairs but when she learned that E K was upstairs oddly enough she did not go up at once she stood in the lower hall and listened yes he was there she could lear hear him moving about her tips lips parted slightly as she listened christine looking la in from her balcony saw tier her there find and seeing something in her face that she had never suspected put her hand to her throat sidney oh hello chris wont you come and sit with me 1 I much time that is I 1 want to speak to K you can see him when he comes down sidney came slowly through the par tor lor it occurred to her aai all at once that christine must see a lot of K X especially now no doubt he was in and out of the house often and how pretty ch christine ristine was I 1 she was unhappy too all that seemed to be necessary to win K X s attention was to be unhappy enough well surely in that case how Is max bias still SOU better sidney sat down on the edge of the railing but she was careful christine saw caw to face the staircase there was f 1 1 1 N 14 1 4 d q tm im not going to marry him at all chris silence on the balcony christine sewed sidney sat bat and swung her feet feel idly doctor rd kd says max bias wants you to tc give up your training and marry him now im not going to marry him at all chris upstairs K s door slammed it was Q pao 0 QC als tailings fallings that he slammed doors I 1 harriet used to be quite disagreeable about it sidney slid from the railing there lie he is now 11 perhaps in all her frivolous selfish life christine had never had a bigger moment than the one that follon followed ed she could have h lye said nothing and in th queer way that life goes I 1 K might have gone away froli froia uie the street as empty of heart as lie he had come to it ge be very good to him sidney she said unsteadily lie ile cares so much CHAPTER K X was being very dense for so long had lie he considered sidney as unattainable tai that now his masculine mind a little weary with much wretchedness refused to move from its old attitude it was glamour that was all K said sidney bravely but perhaps said K its just because of that miserable incident with carlotta that the right thing of course but max has told me the story it was really quite innocent she tainted fainted in the yard and sidney was exasperated exasperate do you want me to marry him K KT K looked straight glit ahead 1 I want you to be happy dear they were on the terrace of the white springs hotel again K had ordered dinner making a great todo to do about getting the dishes they both liked but now that it N was as there they were not eating K had placed his chair so that his profile was tu turned toward her past K s profile sidney 1 see the mag magnolia nolla tree shaped like a heart it seems to me said sidney suddenly that you are kind to everyone but me K 11 lie ile fairly stammered his astonishment why what on earth have I 1 done you lou are trying to make me warry marry max arent you she was very properly ashamed of that and when he tailed failed to reply out of sheer inability to think of one that would not say too much she went hastily to something else it Is hard for me to realize that you that you lived a life of your own a busy life doing useful things before you came to us I 1 wish you would tell me something about yourself if were to be friends when nhen you go away she had to stop there tor for the lump in her throat ill want to know how to think of you who your friends are all that he made an effort he was thinking of course that he would bo be visualizing ual izing her in the hospital in the little house on its side street as she looked just then her eyes like stars her lips just parted her hands folded lievore her on the table 1 I shall be working he bo said at last so will you does that mean you wont have time to think of me 1 I believe im stupider than usual tonight you can think of we me as never forget forgetting tiu you or the street working or playing Illa claing irig of course lie he would not work all the time and lie he was going coln back to his old friends to people who lad had always known him to girls lie ile did his best then uc ile told her of the old family house built by one of ills his forebears tore bears who had been a kings man until washington ila biad put the cube for the col colonies onles and who had and gien himself and his oldest son then to the cause that lie ho made ills his oun oa lie he told of old servants who nilio had wept when lit hij decided to close the house and go away anay when she fell silent le he thought thou glit lie he was interesting her but a terrible tiling thing was happening to sidney side by side with the wonders he so casually she was placing the little house what an exile it must have been for him wh when 11 K trying his best to interest her and to conceal hla his own heaviness of spirit told her of his grandfathers old carriage she sat back lit in the shidow shadow Fear fearful fut old thing said K regu I 1 lar I 1 can remember yet the family faintly rows over it when I 1 was a child said sidney quietly and a carriage drove up and stopped on the street I 1 always knew someone had died there was a strained note in her voice K whose ear was attuned to every note in lier her voice looked at tier quickly my great grandfather said sidney in the same tone sold chickens at al market ue ile do it 1 himself but the facts there it jc K was puzzled what about it he said go on said claspy dully tell ine ie about the women you have known your friends the ones you liked and the ones who liked you IC was rather apologetic ive always been so busy he confessed 1 I know a lot but I 1 dont think they would interest you they dont do anything you know they travel around and have a 0 good time rather nice to look at some of them cut but when youve said that youve said tt it all nice to lonte lank att at I 1 of course they would be with nothing else to think of dinall in all the world butof but of how they looked suddenly sidney fult felt very tired she wanted to go back to the hospital und and turn the key la in the door of her little room aud and lie with her face down on the bed would you mind very much it if I 1 naked you to take me back lie ile did mind lie he had a depressed feeling that the evening had railed failed arid and ills depression grew as lie brought the car around ue ile understood lie thought she was grieving about max after all a girl care as she had for a year and a half and then give a man up because of if another woman without a wrench do you itally want to go home sidney or were you tired of sitting in that case we could drive around for an hour or two ill not talk it if like to be quiet being with K had bad become an agony now that she realized how wrong christine had been and that their worlds hers and K s had only touched for a 3 J 4 I 1 1 Z he almost crushed her time but she was not disposed to skimp as to agony she would go through with it every word a stab if only she might sit beside K X a little longer might feel the touch of his old gray coat against her arm id like to ride if you dont mind K X turned the automobile toward the country roads K 11 lye yes was there anybody you cared about any girl when you left home 1 I was ivas not in lovo love with anyone it if what you mean you knew max mas before you yes you know that it if you knew things about him that I 1 should have known why iby you toll tell me 1 I do that could I 1 anyhow yes T 1 I thought everything would be all tight light it seemed to me that the mere fact of your caring for liim him that was shaky ground lie he got off it quickly K was suddenly aware that sidny sidney was crying she sat with her head turned away using her handkerchief wealthily ile he drew the car up beside the road and in a masterful fashion turned lier her shoulders about until 1 I 1 6 she he faced him now tell me about it lie he said its just silliness im im a little bit lonely aunt harriets la in paris and with joe gone and everybody aunt harriet ile he was properly dazed for sure and with you going away and never coming back 1 ill come back of course hows this ill promise to come buck back when 3 on oil gra graduate cuate and send you flowers you wont K be back with your old friends girls who ho have been 0 fry here and have lovely clothes clot lies and v iho bo wont know a T bandage from a f figure ure eight I 1 there will never be anybody in the v orld like you to me ine dear ills voice was ivas husky you are saying that to comfort me to comfort you youl I 1 I 1 who lave have wanted you so long that it hurts even to think about it I 1 ever since the night I 1 came up the street and you were bitting there ou on the steps oh my dear my lay dear it if you only cared a little I 1 because lie he was afraid that lie would get out of hand and take her in his urnis arms which would be idiotic since ot of course she did not care tor for him that way he gripped the steering wheel it gane gae him lt a curious appearance ot of making a pathetic appeal to the windshield 1 I have been trying to make you say that all evening 1 said sidney 11 1 l love you so much that K wont you take me in your buur arms anus take ber in ills hla arms ilo ile almost crushed her ile ho held her to him and muttered until she gasped it was as it if lie he must make up for long oil arrears of hopelessness ue ile held her off a bit to look at her as it if to be sure it was she and no changeling and as it if lie he i anted her eyes to corroborate her lips there was no lack of confession in her eyes they showed him a new heaven and a now new earth it was you always K she confessed 1 I just realize it but now when you look back dont you see it was ilo ile looked back over the months when arlien she had seemed as unattainable as the stars and he be did not see it he shook his head bead 1 I never had even a hope not when I 1 came to you with everything I 1 brought you all my troubles and you always helped her eyes filled she bent down and kissed one of his hands he was so happy that the foolish little caress made his heart hammer in his ears 1 I think K that Is how one can always tell when it is the right one and will be the right one forever and ever it Is the person one goes to in trouble 1 I ile he had no words for that only little caressing touches of her arm her hand perhaps without knowing it he was formulating a sort of prayer that since there must be troubles sue she would always come to him and he would always be able to help her and sidney too fell silent she was recalling the day she became engaged to max and the lost feeling she had had she did not feel the same at all now she felt as it if she had been wandering and had come home to the arms that were about her looking into his steady eyes she knew that she was safe she ifould never wither for him where before she had felt the clutch of inexorable destiny the vi omans fate now she felt only his arms about her her cheek on his shabby coat 1 I 1 shall love you all my life she said shakily his arms tightened about her the little house was dark when they got back to it the street which had heard that mr le moyne approved of night air was raising its windows for the night and pinning cheesecloth bags over its curtains to keep them clean la in the second story frame room at mrs mckees Mc Me Kees the baritone slept heavily and made divers unvocal sounds he was ni as hardening his I 1 throat and so slept with a wet towel about it down on the doorstep mrs mckee and mr wagner sat and made love with the aid of a lighted match and the pencil pad the car drew up at the little house katie had heard it and now she came heavily along the hall A woman left this for mr K she said if you think its a begging letter better keep it until hes bought his new suit tomorrow almost any moment hes likely to bust out cut but it was not a begging letter K read it la in the hall with sidney kidneys Sid Is eyes on him it began abruptly im going to africa with one 0 f my cousins she Is a medical missionary perhaps I 1 can work things out there if I 1 caused death I 1 did not mean to you hilll TV think that no excuse but it is true in the hospital when I 1 changed jhb th bottles on miss aliss pages medicine tray I 1 dill did nut not care much what nhat happened but 11 II was dif terent with you you dismissed me you remember I 1 had been careless about a sponge count I 1 made up my mind to get back at you you remember the packets of 0 gauze sponges we made and used in the operating room there were twelve to each package whon when we counted them as wo we got them out we counted by packages on the night before I 1 left I 1 went to the operating pe rating room and ad added led one sponge every e overy here and there out ot of every dozen packets pa ckola perhaps I 1 fixed one that had the next day I 1 went away then I 1 was tei rifled I 1 was so frightened that I 1 went down sick over it when I 1 got better I 1 heard beard you had lo 10 lost a t a case and the cause was being whispered about I 1 almost died of terror then I 1 left the city I 1 stand it it I 1 was afraid to read 9 newspaper I 1 am not goina to sign this letter you ehnow who it la Is from and I 1 am not going to ask k your forgiveness or anything of that sort I 1 dont expect it it but one tiling thing hurts me more than anything else the other night you said lost your our faioli in yourself this Is to tell you that you need not and you said something else ise that anyone can como bade back I 1 wonder K stood lu in the alie hall of the little house bouse with the letter in ills his hand just beyond on the doorstep was sidney waiting for him ills his arms were still warm from the touch of her beyond lay the street and beyond that lay the world I 1 arid and ata a mans ans work to do work and ralth to do it a good ft so omans comans hand in n the dark a providence that made things right in the end are you coming K coming lie he said and when ne lie was beside her ills his long lone folded to the short measure of 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