The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-18
and when she did not come back to
lunch did not know what to do.n

and when she did not come back to
lunch did not know what to do"
ooh, it is all right" said Tom, with a
confidence he himself WAS far from feel
ing. 81 think I know where she has
gone. A friend Of hers is ill. She has
very likely been detained. will go and
bring her home"
And SO, putting on his hat, he resolved
TO go down and see the man at the rail
road station. When he closed the front
door behind him and went down the
steps toward the gate, he saw in the
darkness the figure of woman who
seemed to have been lettering there and
who now hurried away.
AS he came out into the street, some
thing of her evident desire not to be
seen convinced him that the retreating
| figure was that of his wife. He followed
| quickly, and as soon as she noticed this
she broke into u run.
| Now, Tom realized that it was a risky
thing to run after and overtake flying
i woman, especially if she turned out to
be the person of whom he was in search.
But Tom was desperate, and he took the
risk
Seeing that she could not get away,
she stopped at lamppost, leaning
| against it, and as he came up to her he
heard the shuddering cry:
ooh, Toni"
Lillian" he said hoarsely, grasping
her wrist, "what is the meaning of thisf
Have you gone crazy?"
She leaned against the lamppost and
wept.
Come" he said briefly, and without
resistance she accompanied him in ST.
lence, broken only by her sobs, back to
the house.
The girl let them in and at once sur
missed by the grief of her mistress that
the friend who was ill had died.
Tom led his wife into their sitting room,
and there she sank into chair, covering
her face with her hands She saw by
his stern demeanor that he suspected her
guilt.
He closed the door, then standing be-
fore her said sternly:
Lillian. I want an explanation"
"Oh, Tom, Tom" she said piteously.
Don't look at me like that or shall
never be able to tell you the truth"
You must tell me the truth, no mat
ter how look
That check, that check, !" she moaned.
well, what about it? What has the
check to do with your going away?"
1.-THE check, she murmured, sis gone"
WHO has it? Did you cash it, and
have you lost the money!"
Il have lost the money" she said,
"but did not cash the check. 1t was
burned"
Burned! Who burned it,"
ooh, did it by accident. was dry
ing the ink before the fire, and somehow
it caught, and l had not presence Of
mind enough to save it"
But what has all that TO do with your
running away"
She looked up at him i'll surprise
1T has everything to do with it," she
said. II could not face you after losing
5000"
Good gracious, Lillian" he cried, a
light breaking in upon him. You sure
ly don't imagine you have lost anything
by the burning of the check"
WAS it not for $200:' she asked in
surprise.
Toms overstrained feelings gave way.
He sat down on the chair and laughed.
Lillian" he said at last, lis that all?"
"All'' she cried. astonished at his be-
havior. is that not enough when we
have so little money!"
my dear girl" he said, rising and
kissing her, 1.-The check is but piece Of
paper. 1t is not like bank note. The
burning of a check is nothing. 1t only
puts me to the trouble of writing an
other. Ignorance may be bliss, but it
has given me Il very bad half an hour"
Dear me- said the little woman,
looking at him with wide eyes. What
i'll the world did you suspect"
Nothing" said Tom.-Lukc Sharp in
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