Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-09-22
CHATTER IV.-Continued


you are married already"
No, have not. I should tell them,
Of course, if I could afford it. But I
can't. The old man has found out all
about you, Ruth, I don't know how.
He's not bad sort, the old man; all he
says is cut it., that's all
Ruth drew her breath quickly. On
her pale cheek there showed a spot of
color.
~'Cut it, he says, and you shall be a
partner; keep it on and you shall be
beggar.
-That's the situation, Ruth--he
threw himself into chair with lauda-
BILE assumption of carlessness. "A beg
gar. There is nothing in the world that
1 can do. 1 don't know any trade-I
can't do anything. There isn't a man
in the world more helpless than 1 when
1t comes to doing any work that will
pay. So you see, as I can't afford to be
a pauper, and it would only make things
for you worse if I made you pauper,
too, I've made up my mind that the only
thing for us to do is to cut it; to have
done with ito separate-to go on as
If we had never met.
But we cannot, Harry. It is too late
to talk of such thing"
1T is never too late. That is my res
olution, Ruth"
Good Heavensi Why, we are mar
ried. Have you forgotten that? !"
Are WEI"
Are we not?"
Look here, Ruth" he threw himself
into chair and tried to assume a fine
air of carelessness, as if the matter was
one of very small Importance. $50 long
as there was any chance at all for us
was willing TO go on. But there isn't.
1t would be only cruel to you to keep up
the thing any longer. want to consult
yonr interests first. I can't keep a wife,
you see. 1 can't even keep myself.
Well, now-don't fly out more than you
can help, Ruth. Look here. you've got
a dozen of letters of mine; you can
make yourself Internally disagreeable
If you please. If you go into a court of
law you would even get damages, I dare
say. Now look here Don't let's have
any scandal. I'll buy the letters-Tu
buy up everything at a big price. Any
thing to prevent row and to part
amicably."
She stared at him with a mind only
half awakened
mean? Harry-husband"- laid her
hand on his arm as he sat up in the
chair; tell me what does this mean?
Buy your letters to your wife?"
-Wife-ahl well-Of course, I don't
pretend to believe that you didn't see
through the trick. Where were you
married, pray?"
At registry"
Where is that registry?"
I don't know. You took me there"
i took you to an office; but, my child,
it was a sham registry"
He turned away his head. Cold and
selfish as he was, he could not face her
as he told this internal lie.
A sham office" he went on, "and
took a false name. You are no more
married than your sister, Miss Ruth
Heron"
He forced himself to face her.
I don't know, L don't know" she
said, not in fact knowing what she said.
Then she stopped and neither spoke.
Do you mean all you say-all?" she
asked.
All; mean it all. Hang it, Ruth, no
body wants you to come to any harmI
tell you frankly that will buy back all
the letters"
She bent forward and whispered.
He sprang to his feet with an oath
and walked across the room. When he
came back to her his face was logged
and obstinate, as it had been with his
father. Unhappily, the girl would not
meet him with equal stubborness.
What does that matter to me?" he
asked her, with brutality incredible
y
TO think it over you will say that the
best thing you can do is to follow my
advice. Give up all the papers and I'll
see you through-buy you a business,
send you abroad-anything you please"
Remember that this man up to this
moment had been her passionate lover;
one who would not find respect too great
or v orship too complete. What did 1
say? Fear of poverty reduced him in
one moment to this level. Again I say
it makes one tremble lest through
some temptation we, too
The girl stared at him. It was as if
beneath the visor of the knightly helmet,
where a moment before had been the
face OF u man, there should be grinning
the ugly features of a hooking ape.
You mean all this, she said again.
~Of course, mean it. What the devil
should I say it for unless 1 meant it?"
Brutality, you see, once begun must be
kept up, even if one has had enough of
it Yet declare that to this young man
the recollection of his fathers fierce
eyes and of his awful threats drove pity,
love, memory, honor-everything out OF
his mind. He had but one thought, to
get out of the mess.
You have no pity? Consider-Ohl
have told -cOnsider-because you
did love me only a week or two ago
Drop it, Ruth. If one of US two is
going TO be pauper IL sna1I not De me,
if I can help it. We've had good time
and it's over. You shall be taken care
of. 1t is all over, tell you"
Mono. OH" She clasped hel
hands with cry of anguish. 1t is only
beginning. OH it is beginning.
She sank into the chair he had lef
and buried her face in her hands. Their
she sprang to her feet again as if there
was no rest in her.
@Oh, my sister-Naomil" oh, m.
sisterl-how shall 1 tell herr Wha
shau I say? What will she say? Oh
would rather die than tell herr
He was leaning against the mantel
shelf. He turned impatiently and tool
up little dagger paper-knife, one o
those glittering toys the handle OF whlc
is of mother-o'- pearl and the blade Q
polished blue steel, and began to pla
With it, not even thinking Of the toy.
Il thought you had more sense, h
said, @than to 60 On like this. Well, 70
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