Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-05-13

an ingratiating leer. but she paid hin
confident thst her sulkiness could mo-
result In anything unpleasant to any
body except herself.
Nor did II, as far as he could see
The days brought no noticeable chang,
In his wife's demeanor toward him
Plank. when he met him, was civil
enough, though II did occur TO MORT
mer that he saw very little of PLANK
In these days.
"Ungratef'l beggar." he thought bit
terly. Hes toadying 10 BelwetheI
now. l can't do anything more fol
him, so l don't interest him."
And for awhile he wore either q
truculent, aggrieved air In Plank's
presence or the meeker demeanor OF q
martyr, sentimentally misunderstood
but patient under the affiiction.
Then there came a time WHEN he
needed money. During the few days
he spent circling tentatively and ap.
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 I'm
that fashion-was a 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, II 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. "Tll catch her tripping, and
then there'll be decent division Of
property or - there'll be a 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. II somebody would see
that he had some money occasionally.
One OF these occasions when he need.
ed 1t was approaching. He had made
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 &C.
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 go 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-
bility OF the matter.
or course Plank owed him more than
he could ever pay-the ungrateful par
venul-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 I'm
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 Sylvia's heels. He was seen
with her in public. He went to the
Belwether house a great deal No pos
sible doubt but that he was as infat-
uated as ever. And Quarter was go
ing to marry her next November-that
Is, If he, Mortimer, chose to keep ST.
lent about a certain midnight episode
ut 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 |
hat / once promised you my aid In Sc
curing what. to you. is the dearest object |
~ your existence. l have thought, have
/ have given the matter deep |
Ind may add without irreverence. pray |
'rful consideration. knowing that the |
ife's happiness OF my closest friend de- |
pended on my judgment and wisdom and |
Intelligence TO secure for him the oppor- |
unity TO crown his lifes work by the ac- |
Iuisition of the brightest jewel In the dia-
lem OF old Manhattan.
by George, that's wickedly good.
.hough!" chuckled Mortimer, refresh
ng himself with his old standby, an
apple, quartered and soaked In very
I'D port. So he sopped his apple and
II and picked up his pen
again, chary OF OVERRIDING It:
All say 70 you is. be ready The time
3 close at hand when you may boldly
make your avowal. But be ready All
depends upon the psychological moment