Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-01

quite a fancy to you, Mr.. Beecot, and
you shall know what l do"
''Pray do not tell me if you would
rather not"
But would rather" said Mrs. Krill
bluntly. ut will prevent your miscon-
ception of anything you may hear
about us. Ny husbands real name was
Lemuel Krill, and he married me thir-
ty years ago. will be frank with you
and admit that neither of us We're gen.
tlefolks. We kept a public house on
the outskirts of Christchurch, in Hants,
called the Red Pig" She looked anx-
iously at him as she spoke.
~ strange name"
"Have you never heard of it beforeT
|. mo. Had heard the name it would
have remained in my memory from Its
| Oddly"
Paul might have been mistaken, but
Mrs. Krill certainly seemed relieved,
| yet if she had anything to conceal in
| connection with the Red Pig why
should she have mentioned the name?
ut is not a first class hotel" she
| went on smoothly and again with her
false smile. I'VE had only farm labor
ers and such like as customers, but the
custom was good, and we did very
| well. Then my husband took to
drink"
| "In that respect he must have chang
ed,' said Paul quickly, for all the time
l knew him-six months 1t was-I new
| er saw him the worse for drink. and
certainly never heard from those who
would be likely to know that he in
dulged in alcohol to excess. All the
| same" added Paul, with an after
thought of his conversation with Syl-
via in the Embankment garden, II
fancied from his pale face and shaking
hands and Il tightneSs of the skin that
he might drink"
Exactly. He did. He drank brandy
in large quantities, and, strange to say,
he never got drunk"
"What do you mean exactly?" asked
Reecot curiously.
"Well" said Mrs. Krill. biting the tor
of her fan and looking over it, "Lemue
I'll call him by the old name-nevel
grew red in the face, and. even after
years of drinking. he never showed any
signs of intemperance. Certainly his
hands would shake at times, but new
err noticed particularly the tightness Of
| the skin you talk Of"
"a certain shiny look" explained
Paul.
; "Quite so. never noticed it. Blu
: he never got drunk so as to lose his
: head or his balance" went on Mrs
Krill, "but he became demon"
"a demon?"
Eyes" said the woman emphatically
''as q rule he was a timid, nervou:
. little man, like a frightened rabbit
and would not harm fly. But drink
as you know, changes a nature to thu
, contrary of what it actually is"
az have heard that"
"You would have seen an eXampl,
= in Lemuel." she retorted. when h,
l drank brandy, he became a king, ;
| sultan. From being timid he became
bold; from not harming any one h
! was capable of murder. Often in hi
5 fits did he lay violent hands on Inc
But I managed to escape. When SO
: Der he would moan and apologize II
provokingly fearful manner.
hated and despised him." she went on
: with flashing eyes, but careful t
/ keep her voice from reaching the gam
bIers. 81 was a fool to marry him
My father was farmer, and had
] good education. l was attracted b.
the good looks Of Lemuel and RAJ
away with him from my fathers farn
in Buckinghamshire."
t That's where Stowley is" muI
INJURED Paul.
j "Stowley?" echoed Mrs. Krill, who's
ears were very sharp. yes, 1 know
e that town. Why do you mention it?
1.-The opal serpent brooch with whic
4 your husbands lips were fastcne
was pawned there
: II remember" said Mrs. Krill calm
[ ly. "Mr. Pash told me. 1t has neve
n been found out how the brooch cam
/ to fasten the lips-so horrible it was!
/ She shuddered.
mo. My father bought the brooc
: from the Stowley pawnbroker an