Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-07-17

We tl}Sh up NY c.SS'S'
good any time | wish to. I'm In a
position to marry that man to the. girl
he's mad about-stark. raying mad"
Mrs Mortimer slowly raised her
head and looked at her husband.
Leroy, are you mad?'
81! Not much!" he exclaimed glee-
fully. II can make him the husband
of the most run after girl In New
York-if want to. And at the same
time can puncturo the most arrogant.
the most cold blooded, selfish. purse
proud, inflated nincompoop that ever
sat at the head of a directors table.
Ohio. Now you're staring, Leila.
can do it. ! can make good. What
are you worrying about? Why, I've
got a hundred ways to square that
check, and each separate way Is
winner"
He rose, shook out the creases IN his
trousers and adjusted the squat gold
fob which ornamented his protruding
waistcoat.
$50 you'll fix it, won't you, Leila r
he said, apparently obliyious that he
had expressed himself as able to adj
lust the matter in hundred equally
edifying and satisfactory manners.
She did. not answer. He fingered q
moment at the door, looking back with
en- ingratiating leer, but she paid MIN
mo attention and he took himself or,
confident that her sulkiness could not
result in anything unpleasant to any
body except herself.
Nor did it. as far as he could see.
The days brought no noticeable change
In his wife's demeanor toward him.
Plank, when he met him. was civil
enough. though 1t did occur to Morti-
mer that he saw very little Of Plank
In these days.
"Ungrateful beggar,' he thought bit
terly. Hes toadying to Belwether
now. can't do anything more for
him, so | don't interest him."
| And for awhile he wore either a
| truculent. aggrieved air In Plank's
presence or the meeker demeanor of a
martyr, sentimentally misunderstood,
but patient under the affection.
| Then there came time when he
needed money. During the few days
he spent circling tentatively and APP
prehensively around his wife he learn
ed enough to know that there was
money to be had from her at present.
| No doubt the money she raised to pla-
| cate Plank-if she had placated him In
/ that fashion-was strain on her re-
sources, whatever those resources
were
One thing was certain, Plank had
not remained very long in ignorance
of the check drawn against his bal
ance. if indeed. as Mortimer feared,
the bank itself had not communicated
with Plank as soon as the check was
presented for payment. Therefore
Plank must have been placated by
| Leila-how, Mortimer was satisfied not
| to know.
"Some of these days." he said to
himself, Cpl catch her tripping, and
| then there'll be a decent division OF
property or - there'll be divorce"
! But, as usual, Mortimer found such
! practices more attractive in theory
| than in execution, and he was really
| quite contented to go on as things
were going. If somebody would see
that he had some money occasionally
One of these occasions when he need
ed 1t was approaching. He had made
| q killing at Desmond's and had used
the money to stop up the more threat
ening gaps in the lettering financial
fabric known as his personal ac-
counts" The fabric would hold for
awhile, but meantime he needed mon
ey to go on with. And Leila evidently
had none. He tried everybody except
Plank. He had scarcely the impu-
dence to 60 to Plank just yet, but
when completing the vicious circle he
found his borrowing capacity exhaust
ed and himself once more face to face
with the only hope, Plank. he sat
down to consider seriously the posi-
D1llty or the matter.
OF course Plank owed him more than
he could ever pay-the ungrateful par
venu!-but what Plank had thought Of
that check transaction he had never
been able to discover.
Somehow or other he must put Plank
under fresh obligations, and that
might have been possible had not
Leila invaded the ground, leaving
nothing, now that Plank was secure in
club life.
OF course the first thing that pre-
scented itself to Mortimer's cOnsidera-
ton was the engineering Of Plank's
matrimonial ambitions. Clearly the
man had not changed. He was al
ways at Sylvias heels. He was seen
with her in public. He went to the
Belwether house great deal. No pos
sible doubt but that he was as infat-
uated as ever. And Quarter was 60
ing to marry her next November-that
| Is, if he, Mortimer chose to keep ST.
lent about a certain midnight episode
at Shotover
Several times he called up Quarter
on the phone and made appointments
to lunch with him. but these meetings
never resulted in anything except
luncheons which Mortimer paid for,
and matters were becoming desperate.
So one day. after having lunched too
freely, he sat down and wrote Plank
the following note:
My Dear Beverly-You will remember
that l once promised you my aid In Sc
curing what. to you Is the dearest object
of your existence. / have thought. have
pondered, | have given the matter deep
and, may add without irreverence pray