The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-05-31
A Retaliatory
-Spark-
by ELLIOTT WALKER

steam up slowly to the boiling
point and then rage In a sudden. unre-
pressed tumult Of reckless. scalding.
overpowering vituperation-they indi-
cate the unpleasant fact that the devil
in US doesn't sleep very sound. in spite
Of his being carefully tucked away un-
der the plaster Of civilization
That's the kind OF a temper I'm blessed
with Once In q great while IL makes the
plaster" fly. I don't think am quite
responsible at such times
And Kathleen had never said word
In defense It was like lashing a span
lei. deserving q beating She only COW
cred her eyes. rocking to and fro and
moaning
That Irish beauty. black hair and blue
eyes with black lashesi I didn't blame
Latham 50 much blamed her.
When I dragged at her wrists. trying
to make her look up. It must have hurt.
but she should have yielded OF course.
she couldn't meet my eye
I gave her q chance. Said /: Kath-
leen, q man doesn't like to find q note Of
that sort In his wife's handkerchief
box Explain It. please"
At first she laughed. trying to grab It,
Then she saw my expression. and knew
| was not to be fooled What else she
discovered, l know not, but the color
went from her cheeks as q match flame
| Is pulled out, and over her eyes flew
both palms. / suppose the Hash Of her
rings (they mean q good deal to fell
| low) ripped the chain from my tongue
No matter what said. told her what
I thought. Then concluded with what
| never supposed could do to any wom-
an-struck her.
Not hard, out just q couple OF cuffs.
such as one bestows on dog for fin-
ishing touch She writhed and cried
out was glad to compel a sound.
Tossing that fateful scrap Of paper in
her lap, stamped through the hall.
picked a stout cane from the rack. and
strobe away to find Roy Latham
OF all men, he was the last to be sus-
pected of treachery, but who can account
for any man where a pretty woman is
concerned?
Well. I'll simply state that had treat
ed and trusted him like q brother.
There 1t was First, q charming &C
lquaintanee, then confidence and friend
ship, then that familiarity that blinds
us all: the Christian name. the come
and go like one of the family" the make
yourself at home, old man" element, the
most dangerous invitation one can ex-
Itend-
L rr< bod rrau-n about Rov for vaa ru
before we met. and every one spoke OF
him as q thoroughbred" Men know
what that means; it means just that.
Kathleen saw a lot of him They were
a gay pair. always fooling in trifiing
ways. making fun of my serious man.
ners and Observation-Disclosures I'm big
and heavy and solemn. as befits bank
president. although so young for the
position, and an athlete.
Latham's q slim. graceful, awfully
Ineat chap. always manicured and
lgroomed to the limit He can do any.
thing in the social line. but doesn't lool
Ito shine In the physical / decided q
Igood, hard Gaming would Just suit him
and as for KathleeI-well. 1t would b
lmy business to attend to her future edu.
Il
Ieation-
This Is what was in the note: "Kath-
leen: two French words didnr
understand. but 1t was sufficient to SEE
they were French-"We will 20 on tn,
night Of the 18th. He is absolutely un
suspicious of our plan. have the tick
cts. Till then"-two more French
words. one OF which was ami. which
means love; I know .cme LATIN
Roy"
Rather difficult to explain, eh'
Why she didn't destroy II can only b,
accounted for on the theory that peopl,
strangely retain discriminating evidence
Half the time my studs were In he
handkerchief box ! was hunting 70
cufi buttons when lighted on the pre-
cious epistle.
/ The twelfth! Irather guessed not A
week on. 1t would be a week Of refiec
tion. 1t proved to be.
This was Sunday morning, and
Latham was out walking. I searched
for an hour. then started for the house
My tramp had cooled me to some extent
that is. the dignity Of righteous wratl
hardly balanced the guilty feeling tina
pricked me when / thought of Kath
leen's wrists. and those final slaps- M.
bitter words / did not regret, but vio
lenee-no! / could not have been my
self Then / spied Latham cominl
: down the steps. and my rage surge'
back I could not help admiring tn
way he came toward me across tn
lawn
- No doubt he would try explanation