The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-06-27

sprung TO the womans eyes ana snd
along the lids, where she tried vainly
to restrain them Her face had altered.
too. like her voice, haggard lines sud-
denly appearing about the eyes and
mouth as if they had just been pen
ciled there--the truth issuing from be-
meath her pinchbeck simulations like
tragic mask revealed by the displace-
ment of tawdry covering.
81 expect you think I'm real foolish"
she said, "but / ben waitin' so awful
long. and got good deal of worry
on my mind till see Mr.. Louden."
81 am sorry" Ariel turned from the
roses and faced her and the heavy per-
fume. 81 hope he will come soon."
81 hope So" said the other. "It's
something to do with me that keeps
him away, and the longer he is the
more it scares me-" She shivered and
set her teeth together "It's kind Of
hard waitin' I cert'nly got my share
Of Troubles" -.--..-
"Don't you think that Mr.. Louden
will be able to take care Of them for
you" .........
ooh, l hope so, Miss Tabor! If he
can't, nobody can" She was crying
openly now, wiping her eyes with her
musk soaked handkerchief. 1--WE had
to send fer him yesterday afternoon
ITO come to Beaver Beach, do you
mean?" asked Ariel, leaning forward.
"Yes, ma am. It all begun out there
leastways it begun before that with
me. 1t was all my fault. deserve all
that's comm to me. guess. done
wrong! 1 done WRONG! I'd oughtn't
never to Of went out there yesterday"
She checked herself sharply. but
after moments pause continued, en-
couraged by, the grave kindness OF
the delicate face in the shadow Of the
wide white hat. Il oughtn't to OF
went" she repeated. ooh, I reckon
I'll never, never learn enough to keep
out O. trouble, even when I see it
comm! But that gentleman friend OF
mine-.Mr. Nashville Cory's his name
he kind O. coaxed me into it, and he's
right comical when he's with ladies,
and he's good company, and he says,
'Claudine. We'll dance the light fan:
tastic,' be says. and kind O wanted
something cheerful. I'd Den workin
steady quite a spell, and it looked like
he wanted to show me good time, sc
went, and that's what started it.
Now that she had begun she babbled
on with her story, at times incoherent
", full of excuses made to herself
more than to Ariel, pitifully endeavor
ing to convince herself that the re
sponsibility for the middle she ha(
made was not hers. "Mr. Cory told
me my husband was drinkin' and
wouldn't know about it, and, Besides,
he says, what's the odds" Of course
l knowed there was trouble between
him and Mr. Fear--that's my husband
"a good while ago. when Mr.. Fear VI
and laid him out. That was before me
and Mr.. Fear got married; l hadn''
even ben to Canaan then; was OF
the stage. | was on the stage quite
awhile in Chicago before got &C
quajnted with my hssband:"- -.
'.You were o., The stage?" Ariel ex
claimed involuntarily.
Eyes, ma'am-livin' pitchers at Gold
berg's rat'skeller, and amunchool
nights l nearly always done a sketch
with gentleman friend. That's thu
way I met Mr. Fear. He seemed to b;
real struck with me right away, ant
soon as ! got through my turn he as
me to order whatever l wanted. He!
always gen'lemanllke when he ain
had too much, and even then be vurry
v1rry seldom acks rough unless be-:
jealous. That was the trouble yes
terday l fever would of gone to til,
Beach if I'd dreamed what was com
in! Wheri>we got there saw Mike
that the gentleman that runs TIT
Beach-lookin' at my cofapany and M
kind of anxious, and pfstty soon h
got me away from Mr.. Cory and told
me what's what. Seems this Cor,
only wanted me to go with hin Il
make my husband mad, and he'd tool
good care that Mr.. Fear heard I'd b.
there with him. An he'd ben hangin
around me every time he struck towr
fest to make Mfr. Fear mad=the fresl
thing! You see. he wanted to make
my husband start something again
this NJ. Cory did, and he vas f2es
for it."
81 dodt dndefstand,s said Ariel.
'1t's this way: II Mr.. Fear attacked
Mr. Cory, WHY Mr.. Cory could shoe,
him down and claim self defense. You
see, it would be easy for Mfr. Cory, be:
cause Mr.. Fear. neaffy Killed him when
they had their first foubie, and that
would give Mr.. Cory d good excuse to
skeet If Mr.. Fear jest only pushed him.
That's the way it is with tie law. Mr..
Cory could wipe out their old score, and
git off scot Free"
Surely notr'
"Yes, nda'am, that's the way it Would
be- And when Mike told me that Mr.
Cory had got me out there jest to prof.
woke my husband l went straight up to
him and Begun to give him a piece of
my miad, didn't talk loud, because I
never was one to make a disturbance
and start trouble the way some do,
and right while was talkin' we both
see my husband pass the window. Mr..
Cory give kind of yelling laugh and