Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-22
~ aUGnt to ask you," began Donald, SIS
this all Tight?'

"Yes?" arching her eyebrows with an
afectation of extreme surprise, while a
sensation of passionate relief swept over
her. She felt they were coming to some
sort of an understanding, to what end
she did not care; anything would be bet
ter than this sullen waiting, this intoler-
| able calm
Twill you come into the parlor?" cour-
stranger, leading the way.
81 want to ask you," began Donald
when they were seated, taking a bank
book from his pocket and selecting from
it a slip of paper, "is this all right"
1t was her Cancelled check for three
hundred dollars. Anita regarded it
curiously, a slight smile on her lips.
"Why, yes,' she said slowly, cit seems
to be just as | wrote it."
"And there is no mistake about itY
| perplexedly studying the paper,
mot the slightest, that can see," her
smile broadening little, as if enjoying
| his discontinue.
81 thought when went away that you
| had money enough-more than enough
for all ordinary requirements. | made
| arrangements at the bank for you to
have all you might need in case of any
unforeseen emergency; but can't under
stand now what possible emergency
could have arisen to demand this" re-
garding her with grave questioning.
mo? can you not?" nonchalantly smil-
ing up at him. We'll, it is possible that
the emergency simply arose and then
sat down again, so to speak If You will
look in you bank book, presume you
will discover that | deposited the full
amount two days later"
Eyes; but that does not make the mat
ter any clearer"
81 should suppose it would be suffi-
Gent to be assured that did not use any
of it," with a sheer she knew would sting
him like lash.
"As if ever grudged you a dollar, or
questioned how you used it!'' he retorted
warmly, flushing under her insulting
tone. when have l ever limited that
you could use too much money!"
"Never, unless now" more humbly,
her eyes falling little under his indig-
nant glance.
"And not now. 1t only seems to me
that here is something that l should
know about and ask you to tell me. If
you had used the three hundred dollars
three times over it would not have
troubled me like your curious reticence
about it.
Another thing" he went on, after he
| had waited a moment in vain for her to
speak; ga fellow came up to my office a
day or two ago with curious charge of
assault and battery against Fred Ingalls,
Do you know anything about that?''
"I?' with look of frankest astonish-
ment. mo, indeed; how should T."
WELL" in a somewhat relieved tone,
sit did not seem very likely-the tale he
told. He had been drinking, and scarce
ly gave his wandering yarn another
thought until l got my passbook and
Cancelled vouchers from the bank this
morning, when, in a wholly unreasoning
way, it struck me that there might be
some connection between the two cir
cumstances."
"And what was his story?" her face
curiously changing, her eyes steadily
fixed on the minute plaits she was folding
in her handkerchief.
"Simply that you were down in the
bank alone with Ingalls, one evening, and
that after you had come out together,
| and you had turned and gone toward
home, this fellow, passing by, made a
| joking remark to Ingalls, about his bank
| ing hours for ladies, when he found him
self knocked into the ditch"
"ohp comprehensively. not looking at
him,
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