Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-10-06
CHAPTER xxxIV
Avenged.


dining-room OF his house in Park
lane, his hands thrust deep in his
pocket, his bloodshot eyes fixed with
savage moodiness on the fire.
Two hours had elapsed since Jess
had watched him enter the house,
and it is scarcely necessary to say
that he had spent the time in drink
ing. And now, with muddled brain,
he was trying to realize his position,
and hit upon some way to escape.
For weeks past, in fact since the
night of the scene in the quarry, he
had been drinking heavily, drinking
and gambling, fiinging vast sums
Desmond Carr-Lyon's money-right
and left, scarcely ever sleeping, and
doing his very best-or worst to
bring about an attack of delirium
tremens.
And now had come his meeting with
Jess, the woman he had deceived and
deserted.
Curse herr" he muttered, with his
usual facility of malediction. 81
thought she was dead! She ought to
be! Why isn't she? But no, it's just
my luck! Desmond, who ought to be
dead, is alive, and so is she. 1t is
just my luck, too, that should have
stayed in this cursed London! An
other day, and l should have gone"
The idea of taking flight never
entered his head He knew her too
well to entertain any hope of being
able TO escape her.
Shes watching the house at this
moment, / dare say" he muttered.
mo, I've got to go through with it.
Ten O'Clock tomorrow, she said; if l
forget it, she'll come here and make a
scene. What the deuce shall do?"
He reached for the bottle of brandy,
and, with an unsteady hand, mixea
himself glass.
What shall l do? Tell her I'm
married! No; she'd-she'd tear my
eyes out. l know her of old. What
shall l do? If it were anyone else,
money might settle it, but not Jess
not Jess She didn't look poor,
either, No; moneys no usel Con
found heri Confound everything!
What am l to say to her? 1 wish to
gracious I'd spoken the truth when |
said l wasn't married. 1t would have
been better for me if I'd married Jess
than the other one. Where is she i
wonder? With Desmond-with Des-
tnond!" he repeated, between his
teeth, and clenching his fist. "Oh. if
l could see him lying dead here a:
my feet"
Then he began to whine and
whimper over the glass of spirits.
I'm an unlucky wretch" he
moaned; nothing ever goes right
with me. I've been badly used all
through, and by all of EN-, and now
here's this cursed Jess turned up
And I've got to NEE. her at ten
O'Clock, and she'll insist upon my
marrying her, and then they'll have
me for bigamy-For bigamy!"
His voice died away, the tumbler
fell from his limp nerveless hand, and
his head dropped forward.
Suddenly he awoke with a start,
some one had entered the room.
He looked around, clutchlng the
chair and trying TO rise.
Who the deuce
and haggard, with fear and horror
written on every one of the dark lines
which seemed suddenly to have been
dug into his once suave and blandly
@ent face.
Arthur" he exclaimed, with
hoarse gasp, shutting the door and
leaning against it; thank heaven,
you're up"
Up? Of course I'm up; middle of
the day." stammered the other, with
hiccough. What dye mean by COM
ing into a fellows room in that-that
scarecrow fashion,"
The majors hand went to his throat.
as if he were choking.
Good gracious, drunk at such a
time as this!" he exclaimed-to him.
self, as he thought; but, like mos,
tipsy men, Arthur's ears We're sharp.
Drunk! Who's drunk?" he retorted.
'You are, / should say, to look at
YOU and, indeed, the majors I'M
kempt hair and general disorder were
such marked contrast to his usual
neatness THAI it lent some show of
reason to the retort. Whats the
matter with you, and what do you
stand there for like a ghost? Has
Kate come back?"
Kate the major groaned. Don't
talk about her; it's waste of time.
Arthur, for gracious sake, try ana
pull yourself together. Something
has happened-No," and he put his
hand on the weak and trembling arm
as it strayed feebly toward the bottle.
leave that alone, You will want ali
your senses. Good gracious, man,
have you been like this ever since"
YES" he assented, ever since my
wife deserted me-" and he shook his
head with q maudlin sigh
The major grasped him by the
shoulder, and shook him roughly.
Pull yourself together" he said,
very hparSp1y "I'vp nous fr. .-o,,