TANGLED
WIVES
By
PEGGY SHANE
Copyright by Peggy Shane.
WNU Service
CHAPTER IX—Continued
w— Gi
Doris took her hand shakily.
“You're awfully sweet,” she said.
Beatrice sat down. “Then let's talk
quickly, because I can see you're tired
to death. Rocky has told me every-
thing. You know Rocky is just like
my brother. We spent all of our vaca-
tions together as children, so I hope
you won't mind his having told me. I
don't think anyone else should know—"
“Your father—" began Doris,
“No. I don’t think so. I'm sure he'd
approve, but if anything comes up, it's
better If he doesn't know. [ have a
small sitting room with a porch of my
own downstairs. You shall spend your
time there. I have everything planned.
You need see no one except Mary, a
mald who's been with us a long time,
and is practically blind besides. And
Rocky shall go and see your people.”
“But your wedding—" sald Doris.
“Yes: I'm afrald I shall be rather
busy. I won't be able to see as much
of you as I'd like. But it's not until
Saturday. That's four days, and that's
oceans of time for Rocky to get to
New Jersey and back. He'll take the
train. he bishop Is arriving Satur-
day morning—so he'll be in time for
the wedding rehearsal which is to be
at eleven on the day of the wedding.
And Friday night my bridesmaid is
coming from Mount Kisco, and several
friends of father's are coming—the Du
Vals, of course, will be here”
“Oh I don’t think we ought to stay,”
said Doris. “But we'll get away long
before the wedding.”
“Oh no! You must stay for the wed-
ding.” ’
Rocky shook his head gravely. “I
will have to get Doris away before
then. She'll be recognized.”
“That's true, isn't it? But surely
you'll have everything cleared up by
then.”
Doris said: “If 1 do stay, couldn't
I write letters for you—or do some-
thing useful?’
“That's an idea. I'll have about a
{million letters to write. You are an
angel™ She rose. “Now you must
sleep. This is Wednesday night. Rocky
will get a train in the morning and be
with your family—if it is your family,
which I doubt-—by tomorrow night. He
ought to be able to get back here by
Friday, and you can leave then, if you
feel you must.”
She took Rocky firmly by the arm.
“We must go now. And let the poor
child sleep.”
“1 don't know why you're all so con-
siderate of me,” said Doris, who was
trembling on the verge of tears. “It's
Rocky who needs rest, really. I've
dozed in the car a lot, and he's been
at the wheel since three o'clock this
morning.”
“Yesterday morning,” said Rocky.
He stood for a minute looking down
at Doris when Beatrice had left the
room. “Good night. I probably won't
see you again until I get back.”
His curt tone startled Doris. He
was biting his lips nervously, His jaw
twisted unpleasantly.
“What's the matter?” said Doris in
astonishment,
Rocky held out his hand. “Good.
night,” he said in a businesslike tone,
Doris bent her head. “Good-night”
As the door closed behind him tears
sprang to her eyes. He had been so—
not exactly unfriendly—but so matter
of fact. She hardly knew what she
had expected him to do. But certain.
ly she had not looked for this abrupt
impersonal good-by.
She crept between the sheets for-
lornly.
The sun was streaming in her room
when she woke, Beatrice was stand-
ing beside her with a loaded tray.
“It's ten o'clock,” smiled Beatrice,
“and I thought you might be hungry.”
Doris sat up, opening and closing
her eyes. They still smarted from the
strain of her long drive. “Oh. You're
nice to bring up this—but aren't you
terribly busy?”
“Busy calming the maids. You'd
think each individual one was being
married herself!”
“Has Rocky gone?”
“Yes, quite early—I have to run now.
But I brought you this.”
She gave Doris the morning paper.
Doris read it as she drank her coffee,
At first she didn't notice the story
though it was on the front page. Then
the name “Diane Merrell” caught her
eyes. She set down her cup with a
gasp,
It was a double column heading on
the front page of a New York morning
paper. Some young reporter had done
his best to make a humorous incident
out of the stopping of Mrs. Rockwell
Du Val! on the road to Rockwell St
Garden's house, The story was sym-
pathetic to Doris and Rocky, Lack.
ing a pleture of young Mrs. Rocky Du
Val, they had printed one of Oscar Du
Val with the.caption.
“Son's wife taken in false arrest,”
Doris read it through twice. It
would have been a good story—a good
%
of
’
joke on the police—If only she had
been Mrs. Rocky Du Val
She finished her breakfast slowly.
At the end of the story was a
paragraph which sald that Mrs. Du
val was the fourth wrong Diane Mer.
rell to have been discovered,
“Why couldn't one of those girls
have been Diane Merrell Instead of
me?’ she thought as she got out of
bed.
She would ask Beatrice to get her
some old newspapers. She would like
to read about Diane Merrell.
She was hathed and dressed when
Beatrice came back,
“I'm afraid I've been a long time,
but there's such a lot to do.” There
was a busy little frown on her broad
brow-—
“I wonder, Beatrice, If you could dig
up some old newspapers for me to
read—"
“Of course.”
They went downstairs together to
Beatrice’'s pretty litle room, done In
flowered chintz,
“This has been my own special place
since 1 was sixteen,” sald Beatrice.
“I'm sure there are some newspapers
in the basement. I'll send them up.”
A few minutes later, an eiderly mald
came in and put down a huge plle of
old newspapers on the table,
Doris rose unsteadily. She felt a
little faint as she put out her hands
to touch them. Here lay her own
story—or did it? Would she have the
courage to read It?
The first paper was recent, and
yielded nothing. As she continued her
search with a beating heart, she came
upon great glaring headlines:
“Shoots Groom After Wedding. So.
clety Girl Kills New Husband and Dis-
appears. Note Found”
She read feverishly. She had been
married at an afternoon wedding on
May 19 to a man named Howard Val-
ery. Immediately after the wedding
reception, which had been at her fa-
ther's home, she had gone out by a
side door where her own motor was
parked, loaded with her luggage. The
groom had been with her. As they
were about to step into the car she
had shot him, and driven away.
As she read, a stronger and stronger
feeling of antipathy for this girl Diane
Merrell developed. Was It possible
that she had ever heen a girl eapable
of all this? She was a heartless, cold.
blooded criminal. For the note proved
that the crime had been premeditated,
She studied the note again. It had
been found In the pocket of the poor
boy whose body was discovered
sprawled against a flowering llac
bush, It read:
HOWARD:
This marriage can’t go on—Iit cannot.
You must be crazy. 1 don’t want to
kill you.
Do something about it for heaven's
sake.
D.
Could any girl have written such a
note and forgotten it? Surely, surely
if she were Diane Merrell, she would
remember something now. But not a
faint glimmer of recollection enlight-
ened her,
Could it be that she had two sides
to her nature, and that that other,
darker side was hidden from her now,
sleeping quietly? Some day It might
wake again, and she would find her.
self a killer. She would be eapable of
shooting somebody she loved—capable
of shooting Rocky.
She was sick and frightened. She
lay at full length on the gently sway-
ing couch. Then she propped her head
on her hands and took up another
paper,
Diane Merrell had driven herself to
New York. Her car had been found
parked on Forty-sixth street the day
after the murder.
She saw a large picture of herself,
Yes, it looked very like her, There
was no doubt about that,
She went back to her reading. There
was a description of the wedding. It
brought back nothing at all.
Doris tried not to think any more
about Diane Merrell, Surely Rocky
would discover something that would
help her. He must be nearing Mor
ristown by now,
She went to bed early. The next
afternoon would bring Rocky back.
That would have to settle her fate.
Now she felt numb and exhausted,
In spite of everything she slept.
CHAPTER X
Rocky did not come the next after.
noon, Instead came a telegram say.
ing that he was catching a train that
night and would arrive Saturday morn-
ing.
That would be the day of the wed-
ding,
Doris had developed a streak of
hopefulness. Rocky would have un
raveled some clue, and would bring
back the miraculous news that she
was not Diane Merrell, Or he would
have discovered that Howard Valery
had not been killed, or that he had
committed suicide. No, that would
not do. The experts sald that that
was impossible. She remembered read-
ing that. Besides, Diane had left a
note. But how stupid she had been
to put down on paper such ap Inten-
tion and then to carry it out, leaving
the note for the police to find, Of
course she hadn't meant it for the
police,
Friday passed in a stew of specula-
tion, She woke at dawn next morning
with a heavy heart.
After breakfast she waited on the
little porch beside the sitting room for
Rocky. Her feeling of uncertainty
deepened. After all, If she was Diane
Merrell what could Rocky do for her?
Whatever happened, a long life of
loneliness stretched before her; that,
or death. :
“Mrs. Du Val sees no one” It was
Mary's volce.
The butler answered, “I have told
her that”
“The doctor's orders are that Mrs,
Du Val cannot see anyone.”
“I told her. But she won't listen,
"
No, it was a woman, As she hesitated,
ting room,
A new volce sald loudly:
going to see her”
fore—a strong husky girl's
“Belleve me.” the volece went
“you'd better not
you know what's good for you.”
Doris peeked in.
one she had seen
linen. Doris had seen her before-—but
where?
“Plenty of good reasons—"
“Whom did you wish to
personal tone,
self Mrs. Rockwell Du Val" The girl
of cordiality in her manner.
to see me I know—**
“Then why do you try—1
“Plenty more why she'd better”
Doris recognized her. She was the
gir! she had seen at the clam stand
the friend of the real Dorls,
had called her Molly,
termination, She was looking Beatrice
full in the face belligerently,
“There's no use trying to high-hat
me, Are you Mrs. Du Val?
“No,” sald Beatrice quietly.
“1 thought you weren't. | have an
idea who she is. And I Intend te go
find her If 1 have to.”
The quiet youthful voice of Beatrice
was in marked contrast to Molly's In
sistent tones. “Won't you sit down
and tell me what it is you want to see
Mrs. Du Val about?”
“That's my business”
sullenly,
“Supposing you tell it to me™
“Like h—1 I will”
“Then I'm afrald you can't see her”
Molly's tone held a jeer. “Oh yeah?
Well, supposing I tell you I'm a friend
of the real Mrs, Du Val"
Beatrice said nothing.
“That gets you, doesn't It? Now
perhaps you'll understand why | want
to take a squint at the girl who Is
palming herself off as Doris Du Val”
“I'm afraid I don't,” sald Beatrice
quietly. “How did you find out about
this?
“Doris saw it in the papers. Mra
Du Val arrested. And that made her
wonder, as the saying goes. She sent
me a wire"
“You are here then as Mrs. Du Val's
agent? Am I to understand that?
Molly sat down and crossed her legs
“Yeah, That's about It”
“Where is Mrs. Du Val?™
“That's my business, too"
“Rocky sald that Doris had left him,
Do you know where she 37
“Supposing” 1 do?
"Does Doris want to get Rocky to
come back to her?"
Molly disdainfully Inserted her
tongue between opened lips and blew
vigorously, “H-1, no,” she remarked
when she had finished the exercise
“I'm sorry. I don't quite under.
stand.”
Molly, searching In the. untidy
depths of her very large hand-bag,
brought out a paper package of clg-
arettes. "Gee, I've smoked my last
one.” She crumpled the bright green
wrapper In her fist. “Have you got
one¥
Beatrice rose and handed her a sil.
ver box filled with the small white
cylinders,
Molly seemed cheered as she lit her
cigarette, and much more favorably
impressed with Beatrice. "Tell you
how it is—this is just between you and
I. of course—but Doris wants me to
dicker with the girl financially—see?”
Astonishment showed In Beatrice's
breathless “Dicker? Financially? De
you mean that Mrs, Du Val wants to
get a divorce from Rocky?
“That's it. I knew you'd get It. 1
knew you'd get It.”
said
a private matter for her to discuss
with Rocky.”
trice pityingly. “You look like a girl
who would think a thing like that"
“I am awfully sorry.
you'll think I''m a bit stupid. But what
financial transactions are you talking
about?"
“In a couple of words, baby: all
mony.”
“Alimony I"
Doris could not stand any more.
She stepped out from behind the cur
tains,
“I'd like to say a word or two.”
Beatrice rose. Her face was horri-
fled. Molly's big brown eyes half
closed In a veiled, eritical stare,
“1 thought you'd turn out to be the
girl, 1 wrote Doris about meeting you
down among the clams. And was she
pleased? She's been trying to get
something like that on Rocky for
months! The Du Vals have got plenty,
and she'll take a big cash settlement,
and that will be the end. You know
she’s willing to be big—"
Doris was seething. She clenched
her hands together and spoke with
difficulty. “1 have nothing to do with
all this”
“Oh pow, what's the use of taking
that attitude? Some girls wouldn't be
generous like Doris. With what she's
got on you now--she could get all
mony for the rest of her life--see?
But she won't—say listen, Girlle, you're
in the movies, aren't you?"
“Of course I'm not.”
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
=a E
F YOU can snatch
out of fashion's med-
ley of novelties, buck-
les, buttons-—clips
clasps or gndiets of uny
sort which are breath-
taking in their oddness,
by all means do so, for
the hue and ery now resounding
throughout the style world is for fas
tenings of striking originality.
One way of giving swank to your
outfit Is to use perfectly epormous
buttons. They may be of metal or
composition, of or better still,
of wood, for wooden dress ornamenta-
tion is the rage. As to size, Paris Is
not only doing things on a big scale
when It comes to buttons but much of
the latest costume jewelry trends to
Some of
the new beads are tremendous In size,
Especially chie new velvet or
satin beads which are smartest when
they are an exact color-mateh to you
dress,
And have you seen the new lipstick
buttons? They look amusingly like
the real thing When It comes to
unique dress fastenings they are about
the neatest trick yet discovered, They
measure two Inches long, are of shiny
nickel with bright colored galilith tips
at each end. There's & big buckle to
match If you're asking. A half dozen
of these buttons on 8 gay woolen
jacket is warranted to make any au
tumn street costume look stunning.
The lovely new mirror buttons an
swer the call for touches that dazzle
and scintiliate. To match the mirror
buttons on your dress you should
have initials on your bag of the same
looking-ginass medium cut in iarge
block type.
In the glittering class, and the gilit
tering, sparkling note is certainly go
ing strong in fashion’s realm this sea
ginss,
ward generous proportions
those
aid
son, rhinestone buttons are
The rhinestone
handsome dinner gown
tered in the Illustration are
Which goes to show the
originality
eraft these times,
stone
of heavy
The
mousseline,
and nights.
on the
slides. This gown Is fashioned
black crepe for the
Jacket blouse is of sheer
thus stressing the
black
plece
for evening dresses,
Is employed for the collar and bow.
£ A oes
Gen
They
Wars.
left
are accomplished In varied
with self-fabric cord which Is
through decorative
front
drawn
might be called. The brown caracul
collar and epaulets are matched with
tabs of fur which finish the cord
streamers
The good-looking suit to the right
is of a knitted novelty fabric.
metal
lacings and tie of the same material
Among other impelling style touches
in the way of outof-theordinary fas
tenings are such clever devices as
safety-pin effects.
namental and jeweiry-like
prosaic utilitarian kind.
than the
rows just like buttons,
PARISIANISM NEW
FASHION RELIGION
“Parisianism” is the new fashion re
ligion which Jean Patou has created
for 1933-1034 season, and he says the
reason he has adopted this title is be
cause the fashions of the ast few
months have diverged somewhat from
Parisian taste,
“The elegant woman found herself
reduced to choosing too realistic an
nthiete's suit for daytime wear and
confronted for evening wear by the
alternatives of dressing herself up In
seraphim’s wings or winding herself
round with feathers In the manner of
the unforgettable star whose appear
ance In our capital aroused such di
verse sentiments”
Patou maintains that his plan this
year is not to decorate costumes but
to build them so architecturally that
{ they will need no special decoration
The fronts of his skirts are simple
| and his chief ambition is to define the
| legs but cover them at the same time
| Mannish Chapeau Really
Devastatingly Feminine
At first glance seemingly amnnish
the hats of the 1913 winter mode prove
on cleser inspection, on the contrury
devastatingly feminine, .
Nothing makes a pretty face more
utterly girlish than a becoming jaunty
hat of mannish cut, perched at the
just-right angle on shining hair,
A simple, sophisticated knot, an un
expected bow of ribbon, give the lle
10 the sterner suggestion. Even the
neretofore severe sports beret be
comes subtly more elegant when fash
foned--as it Is this season—of choicest
fur skins,
New Material Possesses
Unlimited Possibilities
This is the heydey of artificial silks
French creative genlus--the thing we
onn’t seem to get away from, no mat
ter how smart we are about copying
things-<has Just given birth to anoth
er novelty, which is bound to minke
itself felt In this season's fashions
Artificial slik threads have been so
mixed with real silk ones that a new
material has come forth as the result
with a certain sheen over it that noth
ing heretofore has produced. It has
f
BEADED EPAULETS
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
pew look be sure its sleeves are topped
with some sort of fancy epaulets, If
it's a street dress or coat the sleeves
will be capped with taillarag and
frocks of velvet, satin or other formal
weaves the theme is elaborated upon
via sparkling embroidered motifs such
as here pletured. This velvet dress
flavors of fashions of the nineties in
that it has a tight bodice which tends
to create a definite waistline and hip
curves, The full sleeves are fashion.
ably worked with elongated shoulder
pleces of crystal passementerie. Rhine.
stone buttons finish the neckline. The
little velvet pillbox turban sports a
quaint ostrich tip.
Laced Frocks
Lacings are a new trick In fasten
ings for winter frocks. Ome brick
wool frock Is laced from the walst to
the high neckline with brick-colored
wool lacings run through glided loops.
BE SURE, THEN CO AHEAD
Nearly every success Is due to
starting right and sticking to it.
=
To make Children
EAT
Don’t force children to eat! The
girl or boy who has no appetite has
stasis—which means the child is
sluggish, But catharties have caused
more constipation than they ever
cured! The “California treatment™
is best-—just pure syrup of figs, Try
this for a few days, then see how
eagerly your youngster will eat.
Stimulate the colon and that child
with a finicky appetite will devour
everything set before him, Here's
the simple treatment that does more
for babies or older children than all
the diets, fad foods, or tonies,
Nature has provided the “med!
cine” you'll need to stir your child's
colon muscles Into proper action.
California syrup of figs, Pure, de-
lelous, harmless, It acts on the
lower colon—where the trouble is.
It has no ill effects on the intestines.
Jegin tonight, with this marvel-
ous “California treatment” Any
druggist has California syrup of
figs, all bottled, with directions. Use
enough the first time to cleanse the
clogged colon of every bit of polson
and hard waste, Then just a little
twice a week until the child's appe-
tite, color, weight and spirits tell
you the stasis is gone. Whenever a
cold or other upset clogs the system
again, use this natural vegetable
laxative Instead of drastic drugs.
WARNING! There are dealers
who practice substitution. Be sure to
protect your child by looking for the
name CALIFORNIA on the bottle,
MEMBER NK. R. A.
Doctors Give Creosote
For Dangerous Coughs
For many years our best doctors have
prescribed creosote in some form for
coughs, colds and bronchitis, knowing
how dangerous it is to let them on.
Creomulsion with creosote and six
other highly important medicinal ele-
ments, quickly and effectively stops all
coughs and colds thet otherwise might
to serious
¢ Creomulsion is powerful in the treat-
ment of all colds and coughs, yet it is
absolutely harmless and is pleasant and
easy to take, ~
Your own gist guarantees Creo-
mulsion by refunding your money if you
are not relieved after taking Creomul-
sion as directed. Beware the cough or
cold that hangs on. Always keep Creo-
mulsion on hand for instant use. (adv)
CuticaraQintment
Joothes and Heals
skin irritations quickly and easily.
Let it be your first thought in treat.
ing itching, burning affections, ecse-
blotches. No household should be
without it.
Price 25¢ and 50c
Sample each free. Address: * Cuticura™
Dept. 138, Malden, Mass,
CONSTIPATED
After Her
First Baby
OLD POSTAGE STAMPS bring big money,
High as 3500 for one stamp. What have
you?t I buy Ten and fii lections,
™ Matlock St. + ~ Paterson, N, J.
rogus $950 SUS $00