“TOO WISE TO MARRY”

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 7

“TOO WISE TO MARRY”

Instalment 25.

(By Alma Sioux Scarberry)

Synopsis of Preceding Instalments: Sterling Lord’s wife gets a divorce when Bomanza is 4 years old. Lord becomes New York’s foremost divorce lawyer and Bomanza, at 23, is a member of his iirm. Justin (Dusty) Bhodes. whose father was Lord’s college mate, gets a job with a rival law firm- At the Lords’ Long Island home he meets Aliah Sandell, popular radio singer, and Dr. David Tree, a neighbour, already famous as a surgeon at 32. Bomanza wins a divorce for a husband whose wife Dusty represents and Bomanza’s picture appears in every paper. Aliah retains Dusty in a suit for divorce from honest Jim Sandell, wealthy contractor. Jim goes to retain Lord but in his absence tells Bomanza Aliah’s evidence is a irame-up and agreed to her handling his case. Previously I rank Tainiadge. young Sandell employee, had shot himself at Aliah's penthouse door. At the hospital he tells Komanza Aliah vamped him into planting a woman in her husband’s room at his club, then laughed at him. Frightened now, she Offers him 10,000 dollars to disappear but he says he will testify for Sandell who took him out of the bread line. When Bomanza pleads with Dusty to drop the crooked case he refuses angrily. To refute his jibe that her beauty is her best court weapon she dresses like & “ schoolma’am” the day of the trial. Bomanza produces damaging evidence about Aliah’s early life but Talmadge admits his father died in an insane asylum. The judge decides in Aliah’s favour. Bomanza has a dinner date with Dusty, the loser of the case to pay the check, but faints in her office. INSTALMENT 25. It was David. When he got no response from his knock and saw there was a light burning in Bomanza’s office he turned the knob and went in. He called her name again. A worried little frown gathered on his forehead when all was silent. The dressing room stood open a little and he crossed over and tapped on it softly with his knuckles. “Bomanza,” David called anxiously, feeling suddenly frightened. Bomanza —it’s David.” Then David pushed open the door. He gave a little cry when he saw Bomanza crumpled on the floor, face downward. In two strides he was kneeling beside her, his heart almost ■topping with anxiety. “Bomanza —darling!” He lifted her head gently. There was a deatniy pallor about her face, etching blackly the dark circles under her eyes. David felt himself trembling when be leaned over to listen to her heart. Thank God, she was alivel David went over Bomanza carefully for signs of foul play. When he saw there were no bruises or wounds, he decided she had just fainted. Or perhaps had a nervous breakdown from overwork. Tenderly he picked her up and carried her to the couch in the outer room. Then he got a towel, and wetting it with ice water from the drinking fountain, went back to bathe her face and wrists. For several minutes he worked over her, stroking her wrists, trying to get a little of the cold wator between her blue lips. When she showed no signs of reviving he considered the best way to handle the situation. It was difficult, with Sterling Lord out of town. He’d be at dinner in Washington, no doubt. And no telling where he could be reached. It would frighten the father almost to distraction if he knew his daughter was ill, and he could not help her.

It was a tremendous responsibility. But David felt anything he decided to do would be all right with Sterling Lord. It was too far to her home to take her there in her condition. And they hadn’t the facilities for taking care of her if she should be seriously

In a hospital Bomanza could be kept quiet. And quiet was the one thing in the world she needed. Absolute rest and natural sleep. She looked as though she hadn’t slept in days and nights, and he was sure she had even neglected to eat properly. That, and the strain of suspense and hard work preparing the Sandell case had been too much for her. He had been afraid Bomanza would fold up after it was all over. That was why he had rushed to her the minute the evening papers blazened the headline: “Aliah Sandell wins divoreq.” David, when he had made up his mind to taek Bomanza to St. Luke’s Hospital and hide her away in a private room for a few days, decided to make one more try to revive her before they left. He went into the dressing room for more ice. While he was rubbing Bomanza’s thin wrists her eyelids fluttered. “Bomanza, dear, it’s David. Wake up, darling. ” he said anxiously. She shuddered —and her eyes opened slowly. For a few seconds she did not seem to recognise the doctor. Then she smiled weakly, and closed her eyes again. “It’s—you—David?” David applied the ice to her head. “Yes, it’s the old medico himself. I dropped in just about the time you dropped out, I guess.” “You’re sweet,” Bomanza said tiredly, and opened her eyes again. Then sh remembered Dusty and tried to sit up. David held her back ently. “Where—what time is it!” “After eight.’’ “I—l nust get dressed—change my j clothes.” Bomanza tried to raise up again. “I’ve got —a dinner engagement.” “I'm sorry,” David spoke soothingly, as if he were talking to a little

child, “I can’t let you go. You’re—ill, Bomanza. You must let me take you—home.”

He decided it was best not to mention the hospital. She might object and get herself all worked up. “I—can’t go home,” she s aid, stubbornly. “I—must get dressed. Dusty —is coming at seven o’clock.”

David was afraid Bomanza was getting delirious. She looked at him wildly out of feverish eyes. He put his hand on her head then, and realised she had a temperature. He smiled humoringly. “ Something must have delayed Mr Rhodes. We’ll leave a note for him.” Bomanza’s head turned from the doctor in a gesture of despair. “He’s—going to stand me up. I know. He’s laughing—at me. Everybody’s laughing.” “I’m not laughing,” the old friend tried to reassure her. ‘“And you just imagine other people are. You must buck up. Bomauza. Everybody has to lose sometime. I’m told you fought a brilliant fight. The evening papers are very flattering.” Bomanza’s mouth curved a bitter smile. “It—it’s very noble of you to say so. But —I failed—” She closed her eyes again. David waited, hoping she was going to sleep. If she did, and he could carry her out without her waking, it would make the situation a great deal easier. She’d fight like a tiger if she knew he was taking her to the hospital. Then David realised Bomanza was unconscious. Ho could tell from the uncertain beating of her heart. In her weakened condition she was very likely not to come too for several hours. He hoped he’d have no trouble in getting her out of the building. At that hour, in a district of office buildings, he might not be stopped for inquiries, if he were lucky. Gently David picked Bomanza up. and was shocked to feel the burden so light in his arms. She had lost pounds in a few weeks. Hardly daring to breathe, he carried her into the corridor. Here, he decided, it would not da to take the elevator. Lord and Lord had offices on the sixth floor. But the doctor carried tb© unconscious girl down the long flights as though she were a baby. He breathed a sigh of relief that there was na one in the lobby. Without stopping to look to the right or left, David hurried with her t his car in front of the building. The street seemed deserted when he lay Bomanza in the back seat.

David broke all speed records in getting through the heavy theatre traffic. Once he leaned from his car to ask an officer to clear the way. “I've a very sick girl I must get to St. Luke’s,” he explained hurriedly, and when the policeman saw the Bed Cross emblem on the front of the machine he touched his cap and opened the traffic lanes. Several times David glanced at the girl huddled on the back seat in her miserable tweeds, and saw that she was in no danger of roiling to the floor. Bomanza was too completely unconscious to realise anything of what was going on. The doctor had never been so glad to see St. Luke’s in his life as he was when he raced up to stop at the side entrance. The night superintendent. Miss Barnett, was standing in the door for a breath of the cold Decembi* air when she saw Dr. Tree lift Bomanzafrom the back seat. She opened the door hurriedly. ‘ ‘ Good evening, doctor.’ ’ ‘l’ve a very sick girl here, 4 ” David said quickly. “She’s a personal friend, and I don’t want her registered. I’ll explain' later. Never mind getting a stretcher.” Miss Barnett hurried along beside him. “There’s a room on the seventh floor—down an empty hall. We’ll take her there. ” She rang for the elevator. David held Bomanza close, and looked anxiously into her face. In a few seconds the elevator door opened and closed on the trio. The operator was so used to emergency cases he took no interest. Dr. Tree had a habit of seeing personally that his patients got to St. Luke's. In room 711 he placed Bomanza gently on the bed. “Have her undressed at once, and get Miss James, if possible.” “She's off duty to-night.” Miss Barnett said as she picked up the phone. “I’ll call her/and undress the patient myself.” David nodded gratefully and went out to pace the hall. Bomanza, there was no doubt in his mind, was a very sick girl. It would be necessary to wire her father at once. (To be Continued.)