The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-02-21

pect- your Intentions an0 Deg 20 as
! sure ron that so far as 1 an concerned
I the most absolute secrecy shall be
I maintained. Please call as soon as you
I find II convenient It might be best
I TO drop in while Mr.. Dumleigh is at his
Office, or on your way home from
matinee"
That's enough" cried Mr.. Dunn
/ leigh. 'Any man who caR-Put two and
I two together knows what that means.
4 need 90 no further. That is, no fur
I Their than TO my lawyers"
He flung himself into a chair and
! gazed moOdily at the ceiling.
eff that isn't woman's perfidy for
youI" he moaned. Here have given
I her the best years Of my life and the
most constant, unwaYering trust-and
/ this is the end. I wonder who this up
start of an Anderson IS, anyway. III
fix him. III teach him to enter an
others home and destroy the peace
and happiness Of a mans heart"
He looked a gain at the three letters.
They were in plain, neat envelopes that
gave no hint as to where they were
from, beyond the local pOstmark-
Dumleigh shook his head sadly and
said:
"And even now she is on her way
home, thinking Of her poor fool OF
husband, who is so blind as not TO see
what has been going on under his very
nose. Humphl She's going to find out
that Rufus Dumleigh is no longer
lambIike person who has wOrshiped
her with blind, implicit faith. But I'll
be shrewd about this. I'll let her go
just so far, and then I'll thunder forth
my denunciatiaons. and she shall see
what It means to bring lion TO bay"
At that instant Mrs Dumleigh ar
rived at the house and came into the
hall. calling:
where are you, Rufus2"
aPm here" he answered, still star
ing at the letters. forgetting al his
plans of shrewdness.
So that was how Mrs. Dumleigh
found him when she reached her room.
what have you there. dear2 Oh,
good gracious, have YOU found II out %
she asked. with a smile.
Found II out2 Yes. woman. have
found II out" he roared. "And you
have the-the-the nerve TO smile at
such a time as thisl"
what do you mean2
''Mean2" continued D.;Rllsigh, now
thoroughly aroused. "Mean2 Why,
you ana what-d'-yOu-caIl- per
sop-this HaroId-this Andersou-you
have agreed on your designs. have
yOu2 And YOU vii, have no trouble in
adjusting matters viii you2 And you
are going TO preserve the most absO-
lutte secrecy, are you2 On. yes, you
are. And YOU think II would be fatal
to have me even suspect anything
about it. do you2 Best 10 droPfn while /
am a my Office, Is ftp HUH"
The last was a snort of rage
Mrs. Dum,eigh was staring at him
with wide eyes. She exclaimed: ''Why, |
Rufus Dumleigh. have you lost your
senses2''
Lost my senses2 Well should say
not. Best to complete arrangements |
next Tuesday, eh2 Why? Because ] |
am luIled into unsuspectingness by |
that fake dinner you have been talk |
ing about for my birthday on Wednes-
day. oh. yes. I think ] have lost my /
senses"
Here Mrs. Dumleigh began TO laugh. |
She laughed until she cried She |
screamed with laughter. while psor |
Dumleigh sat there. the picture Of |
open-mOuthed amazement. When she /
had sufficiently quieted 10 speak, she |
said:
"Rufe, you big goose. those letters
are from Mr.. Anderson, the silver 1
smith. and refer to a chased silver /
smoking set I was having him make /
for your birthday present, and that /
explains the secrecy. Now, aren't YOU 4
ashamed of yOurself2"
Rufus Dumleigh rose TO the situa-
tion. put on a feeble smile. took his I
wife in his arms and said:
''Why. I was just joking You. knew /
that it was something like that. but I 4
wanted TO have little fun. That was \
al. But next time you get me a pres
ent, please arrange for 1t over the /
telephone. If you must have eommuni- +
cations with the makers. I don't like /
these sudden shocks"
He Wasn't Pleased.