Evening Star Newspaper, September 15, 1936, Page 32

DAILY SHORT STOR' GENTLE LIAR By Catheri IT was incredible! Out of this city ©f more than half & million persons « . . she and bob's wife thrown to- gether as nurse and patient! For a moment the lovely dark- haired nurse lost her usual serenity « « . anger swept Marjorie Kennis- ton. Had she been made the victim of some malicious joke? Then rea- son reminded her that none of the doctors and nurses knew about Bob and herself. On the surface there had been little to know, really. A few secret rendez- vous in out-of-the-way tea rooms, a few stolen auto rides. All the joy of their love . . . that was a secret shared by none but themselves. And this had been emergency sur- gery; Mrs. Bob Carter was desperately {ll. Beyond specifying some one com- | petent, Bob probably hadn't known or cared which nurse had been called. | Marjorie replaced the patient’s chart with fingers that trembled; her handsome dark eyes leaped to the white face against the pillow. Here she lay, the object, these many weeks, of Marjorie's gnawing resentment. The wife of the man she had learned to love, of the man who loved her. “But for her .. .” Marjorie's bitter thoughts had run more than once. It was rather a shock, seeing her. The delicately chiseled nose, the soft, almost wistful lips. The girl realized she had been vaguely picturing some sort of feminine tyrant. * ¥ * X AND now it was her duty to try to help Irene Carter to live. Dr. Cline had soberly drawn Marjorie aside as their patient was emerging from the anesthetic. “She has a bare chance,” he'd said. “But she's got to want to live or she won't pull through. As it is she doesn't care somehow. I don’t know what it's all about. See what you can do. She's young, has a fine-looking hus- band waiting down there.” Marjorie had winced mentally. She knew what it was all about. Ah, yes. Bob had confided a fort- night ago, “Irene doesn't know it's you, but she knows there's some one else. I couldn't keep up the farce of pretending . . ."” Bob had said Irene didn't care, but 4t seemed Bob had erred. The nurse faced her patient, felt her brain seething, felt herself trembling violently. A voice within her, the cruel voice of Marjorie the sweetheart, was crying, “Let her alone!” Another voice, the voice of Majorie the nurse, demanded, “Tell her the simple white lie that will give her back her desire to live!™ A desperate * ¥ K % RENE CARTER stirred and opened her eyes. Deep blue eyes, beauti- ful once but tired and hopeless now. Marjorie slipped quickly to the bed- side. She queried gently, “Now you're all set to get well, aren’t you?” ‘The other woman moved her head in a feeble negative gesture. “But that fine young husband of yours down there . ..?” Majorie forced calmness into her voice. Irene Carter's was s weary Wwhis- per: “He doesn't care whether I live or die...” “Oh, my dear, you're wrong! He's been terribly upset! Hanging onto every word we'd tell him about you.” A question came into the blue eyes. Only a question: It could be seen SALT IN NEW ORLEANS WATER DUE TO DROUGHT Low Stage of Mississippi River Held Responsible for Change in Fluid. By the Associated Press. NEW ORLEANS, September 15.— New Orleans citizens complained yes- terday that the drought has salted their drinking water. Engineers for the Sewerage and ‘Water Board said a salt tang has been perceptible in the city’s water supply for the last few days. Baldwin Wood, engineer in charge of the city’s pumping system, said the‘- water was entirely safe, but that an| effort to remove the excess salt would be made, in view of complaints against the taste. He explained that, owing to two years of drought and the low ~'age of the Mississippi River, source of the city’s supply, salt water from the Gulf is creeping up the bottom of the stream He said the percentage of salt in drinking water has increased to an all- time high of 350 parts of salt in a million parts of water. If you're one of those women with an eye for fine quality, prob- ably many of your fa- vorite handbags have boasted the tiny Koret gazelle. Come in and see the new Fall mod- els now on display. Mail Orders Filled | Refinedin USA.J ne Atwood. Irene Carter would not let herself hope. She tried to shake her head. “Only acting doing his duty,” she murmured, making a brave ef- fort at a wry face. * % ¥ % M ARJORIE reached out and laid her hand over the other’s limp white one, “If you could have seen him when he talked to me, an utter stranger! I doubt if he knew who he was talk- ing to, he was so nearly out of his mind. He begged Dr. Cline to save you. Said he didn’t know what he'd do if you ... you went away. That he didn't think he could bear it!” The nurse paused, watching warily. Deep down in the blue eyes a spark was born. Marjorie tightened her fingers over the pale hand, as much to give courage to herself as to trans- mit it to her patient. “He said until this morning when they carried you in here he hndn't\ realized what you were to him. That | these few hours had been a revela- tion. Truly, he was nearly crying! He said no matter how much idle philandering he'd done in the past, he knew now that you are the only woman in the world for him!” The girl stopped breathlessly, pray- ing her little drama was convincing. The woman was gazing at her steadily, strangely. Marjorie watched in fas- cination. And as she watched, Irene Carter's lids fell over that strange | expression and she turned her head to the wall. shaken voice. * % % x IT MIGHT have been 10 minutes or | | half that many hours... how long | she sat waiting the girl could not | | have tald. At last Bob's wife turned | her head. pressed the hand that held | hers. The eyes opened; they were vividly alive this time. She smiled, | almost radiantly. | The nurse returned the smile. | Then she rose, feeling spent but strangely lighthearted. She admin- | istered a sleeping potion and gently | stroked the white brow until the eyes closed in easy sleep. Quickly Marjorie slipped into the | corridor. She must tell Bob. She | would say: “It was the only way, | dear. We can wait. Later when | Irene is well and able to cope with | it we can go to her. She needn't ever | know we'd met before this case!” And Bob would understand. | Cheeks aglow and dark eyes shining above the starched white of her uni- | form, Marjorie paused before the waiting room door. Her hand was| lifted to push it open. But the hand | fell slowly to her side at the sound of | the voice within. It was a desper- | ate, shaken voice which she had not, for a moment, identified with Bob'd | usually masterful tones. It plunged on in its intensity . . .| “Don’t know what I'll do, doc, if she | dies! I didn't realize what she meant | to me until they carried her in here this morning. God! This has been a revelation to me. Doc, no matter how much philandering I've done in | the past, she's the only woman in the world for me. I know that now, and you've got to save her, doc, 50 I can prove it to her!” | Stiffly, looking suddenly very weary, the slim, pretty nurse turned away | from the door and moved back up the | corridor. There was no sound save | the slow, crisp whisper of her white skirts. (Copyright. 1036.) SIAMESE PRINCE DIES SINGAPORE, Straits Settlements, September 15 (#).—Prince Purachatra of Siam died in a hospital yesterday. A brother of former King Prajad- hipok of Siam, he made thre® visits to | the United States. ‘When the Siamese Army and Navy revolted in June, 1932, and set up a constitutional monarchy to replace the absolute monarchy of Prajadhipok, | Prince Purachatra was arrested with others of the royal family. Sweeten it with Domino Domino Package Sugars-clean~ pure cane-rsfined at home $7.50 Others to $25 Phone District 4454 BS 1314 F STREET N.W. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, Special! Pure-Dye Satin Nighties Yes, these are silk satins, as sleek and soft as rose petals! Lacetrimmed or tai tearose, dusty rose, blue, flamin pagne. Sketched gown has a velvet bow. LANSBURGH'S—THIRD FLOOR. Everybody loves a fat purse! 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