The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-07
GEORGE BARR McCUTCH

much TO demand OF herself. after all.
He came in. but left a few minutes
later. She was strangely unresponsive
10 his tender inquiries. Her thoughts
We're Of another was his quick conclu-
sion as he fed from her presence be-
fore the harsh accusations could break
from his eyes.
In his den once more, with the door
closed. he gave himself up completely
TO black thoughts. He recalled his
words TO her. uttered years ago. half In
jest and half in earnest He had hor-
rified her beyond expression by telling
her how he would punish a wife IL he
were the husband she deceived. With
a grim, lurid smile he remembered the
penalty. He had said he would not
kill: he would disfigure the woman
frightfully and permit her to live as a
moral example To other wives. He
now felt less brutal He might kill.
but he would not dishgure. For an
hour he sat and wondered what had
been the feelings OF his old friend
George Driscoll just before he DELHI
erately slew his faithless wife. He
remembered saying 10 other friends at
the time that Driscoll had done
right"
This night OF black shadows-he did
not sleep at all-was really the begin
ming OF the end. He forgot the presi-
dency that was to be handed out TO
him. He forgot everything but the
horrid canker that gnawed into his
heart and brain.
Day and night he writhed in silent
10 he
that grew and grew until il absorbed
all other emotions. Scandal, divorce.
dishonor, murder. swept before the
mind of this man who had been Of the
people and who could not condone.
The people kill.
For a week he waited and watched
and suffered. What he knew OF men
told him that they do not devote them
selves to the wives OF others with hon.
orable motives behind them. He con-
WINGED himself that he knew the world:
he had seen so much of II. The man
aged years in that single week OF
jealousy and suspense. His face went
haggard: his eyes took on q strange
CLEAN; his manner was that Of a man
in grave trouble.
Day after dey this piteous, frcnzied
man who swayed thousands with his
hand stopped to deal with the smallest
movements OF one man and one wo-
man. Despite his most intense desire
to drive himself into other and higher
channels. he found himself skulking
and spying and conniving with but one
low end in view.
He employed every acute sense In
4N a.
Time and again he went home at I'M
usual hours. fearing all the while that
he might incur the pain of finding Ban
semer there. He even visited the man
In his office. always rejoicing in the
fact that he found him there at the
time. He watched the mail In the
morning; he planned TO go out Of
nights and then hurried home DELHI
erately, bat Unexpectedly. Through 1t
all he said no word to Frances Cable
or Jane. He asked no questions, but
he was being beaten down by appre-
tensions all the while
His wife's manner convinced him
that all was not well with her. She
avoided being alone with him. keeping
close to her room. He detected a hun
, bred pretexts by which she managed
to escape his simplest advances.
At last, overwrought by the strain.
he began TO resort to cunning-this
man who was big enough to have gone
from the engine cab to the presidents
Office. 1t required hours of struggle
with his fairer. nobler nature to bring
himself low enough to do trickery.
but the natal influence mastered He
despised himself for the trick. but he
would know the truth.
The late afternoon mail one day
brought to Mrs. Cable brief letter.
| typewriter both inside and out. Ia
vid Cable saw her open and read the
missive. and he saw her trembling
hand go to her throat and then to her
| temple Her back was toward him.
| He could not see her face until she
turned. a full minute later. Then II
was calm and undisturbed, but her
eyes were brilliant. He ground his
teeth and tore upstairs without a
word. David Cable had stopped low
enough to write this letter. and be
was paying for IL.
| He knew the contents far better than
she knew them. The letter purported
to be an urgent appeal from James
Bansemer. asking her TO meet him at
s o'clock that night IL said:
| / must see you tonight. Leave your
home at O'Clock for a short call on
Mrs w Just around the corner. ] viii
meet you across the Drive. near the sea
! wall. II is quite dark there. J.
David Gable did not know that ear
lier In the afternoon James Bansemer
had called her up by phone to say that
he intended TO speak to his son the
following day unless word came to
him from her. nor could he have pos
sibly known that she was now deter
mined to tell the whole story to her
husband and TO trust to his mercy.
He only knew that be had written the
letter and that he had told her Of hiS
intention to go downtown Immediately
I after dinner.