The Tomahawk., 1904-01-22

the descent of Huston and the cab upon
the gas office with surprise. These were
the instruments of Fate. One was Mr.
James Wharton, third vice president OF
the bank; the other a young married
woSlan, Mrs. Josephine Hodges by
name, confidential friend of Mrs
| Huston. In his haste Huston saw Meth
er of them.
''H'm," muttered Mr.. James Wharton.
Good deal of style for young man OF
Huston's salary, it seems to me. Won
der what's his hurry?"
So, ever vigilant in the interests OF
the bank, Mr. James Wharton stepped
into the gas Office and asked the clerk
what Huston's mission was.
"Paid gas bill of $780," replied the
clerk, grinning. "Must have been aw-
full anxious to keep the company out OF
% cents to pay dollar to cabman to
DO it,
Must be drunk or crazy" muttered
the bank official to himself as he hur-
ried out.
During the brief remainder of the DAY
at the bank the third vice president
watched Huston narrowly. That un-
conscious person with the humor OF the
cab incident uppermost in his mind GER
tainly did grin and chuckle from time
to time in manner that gave color to
Wharton's suspicious.
These suspicious were duly voiced at
the daily conference Of the officers and
they lost nothing in the telling-as sus-
picions never do. The upshot was that
it was decided to have Huston's books
quietly examined by an expert and to
have little examination made into his
life and habits out of tt e bank.
In the meaAtime trouble of an entirely
different nature was brewing ror the
unfortunate Huston. On that fatal
| September morning after he had left
home, Mrs. Josephine Hodges called on
Mrs Huston and together they had gone
into the city on little shopping exped1-
tion. While crossing a street just as
the bells were striking II they had been
run down by careless cabman and had
narrowly escaped injury. When they
protested sharply they had taken the
number of his cab, 1476, with threat
to make trouble for him. A blond Wo-
man with peroxide hair and supernatur-
ally tinted cheeks. had leaned from the
cab and laughed at their anger, but had
been pulled back by man whose face
they did not see. Mrs. Huston had hur-
ried home, but Mrs Hodges had gone to
the gas office to pay her gas bill. There
she had seen the pyrotechnic arrival of
Huston in the cab and had noted. In
voluntarily the number of the cab.
1476.
To say that the discovery surprised
her would be to put it mildly. She nearly
tainted at the Importance of her d1scov-
cry. 1t was the same cab that had run
them down a short time ago and, OF
course, Huston was the companion OF
| the peroxide blond In her haste to
tell "poor Flo (to-wit, Mrs. Huston)
! of her discovery she forgot to pay her
| gas bill and arrived at the Huston cot
I tage nearly as soon as Mrs. Huston.
The consequence was that when Hus-
ton arrived home that afternoon, burst
ing with the joke about the cab he found
deserted cottage very much disordered
with evidences of hasty packing, and a
brief, tear-stained note informing him
that he was base wretch and that his
wife had gone home to her mother.
Utterly bewildered, he hurried to the
home of his wife's people, but was not
admitted nor was he permitted 10 see
his wife.
In the meantime Mr.. John Hodges.
expert bookkeeper had been sum-
moned by the bank to 60 over Huston's
books on Sunday. Having been made
the confidant Of his wife Josephine, he
was not surprised and limited as much
to the bank officials.
"You know his wife has left him."
chattered Hodges, proud to be the We
hicle of such choice morsel. "a
blond woman, cabs, wine-all that sort
of thing"
So, although not an irregularity was
found in the books, the officials thought
| it better to take no chances and Mon.
| day Mr.. Huston found a polite note on
| his desk informing him that his serv-
| ices would be no longer required, and
| that instead of the usual 80 days notice
pay for that time would be handed him
| by the second assistant cashier and no
further work would be required CT him.
Before he left the bank a deputy
sheriff served papers announcing the
| beginning of divorce proceedings by bis
| wife.
The next few weeks may be passed
over in silence. Huston's frame of
mind defies description in cold type.
When his wife,s bill was filed and his
| lawyer called him in to discuss It,
| great light broke upon him. Then his
temper asserted itself and he disdai,ed
| explanations.
The case went to trial, and the court
room was crowded, attracted by tie
promise of sensational testimony. The
case of the plaintiff was brought 70
4 c1pco hv tho fccfimnpy of NTre