Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-11

:'but you cannot frighten me by that
threat"
"Oh! Can't brighten you! Perhaps
you think you'll marry Plank when !
get a decree? Do you? Well, you
won't for several reasons. First, be
aus I'll name other correspondents
and that will make Plank sick; second.
because Plank wants to marry some
body else and I'm able to assist him.
So where do you come out in the
shufleY"
Il don't know" she said under her
breath and rested her head against the
back Of the chair. as though suddenly
tired.
well, I know. You'll come out
smirched. and you know It," said Nor
timer, gazing intently at her. Look
here. Leila I didn't ONE here to
threaten YOU. I'm no blackmaAer.
I'm no criminal. I'm simply a decent
sort Of a man, who is pretty badly
scared over what he's done in a mo-
uent of temptation. You know l had
no thought Of anything except to Dor
row enough on my l o US to make
q killing at Burbank's. I had to show
them something big. SO I filled in that
check. not meaning to use 1t. and be-
fore [ knew 1t I'd Endorsed 1t and was
pluneing against 1t. Then they stack
ed everything on me-by God. they
did, and II l had not been In the condf-
ton l was in I'd have stopped pay
ment- But it was too late When I re-
allied what ! was against. Leila, you
know I'm not a bad man at heart.
Can't you help a fellowy
His manner completely changed,
had become the %resentful and fretful
appeal Of the victim of plot and cir
cumstance. All the savage brutality
had been eliminated. The sheer, the
truculent attempts to browbeat, the
pitiful swagger. the cynical justiica-
ton, all were gone. 1t was really the
man himself now. normally scared ard
r~epentant; the frightened. overfed pen
sioner on his wife's bounty, not the
human beast maddened by fear and
dissipation. half stunned. half panic
stricken. driven by sheer terror into a
role which even he shrank from-had
shrunk from all these years. For,
leech and parasite that he was, Nor
timer, however much the dirty acqui-
sition Of money might tempt him in
theory, had not yet brought himself to
the point Of attempting the practice,
even when in sorest straits and bitter
est need. He didn't want to do it.
He wished to get along without 1t,
partly because of native inertia and
an aversion to the mental nimbleness
that he would be required to show as
a lawbreaker, partly because the word
'blackmail" stood for what he did not
dare suggest that he had come to, even
to himself. His distaste was genuine.
There were certain things which he
was one of them. He could at a pinch
lie to his wife or try to scare her into
giving him money. He could when
necessary "borr3Sw" from such men
as Plank, but he had never cheated at
cards, and he had never attempted to
Ul0Chu1dAl any Douy CASSPI LIS Wv
which, Of course, was purely a family
matter and concerned nobody else.
His policy of alternately frightening,
%dragooning and supplicating Leila had
carried him SO far, and though 1t was
true that this was a more serious stu
alton than he had ave yet faced he
was convinced that his wife would
pull him out somehow, and how that
was to be accomplished he did not
very much care as long as he was pull
ed out safely.
"What this household requires" he
said, "is economy" He spread his
legs. denting the Aubusson carpet with
his boot heels, and glanced askance at
his wife. Economy" he repeated.
furtively wetting his lips with a
heavily coated tongue, that's the true
solution. Economical administration
in domestic matters. Retrenchment,
Leila, ~retrenchment. Fewer folderols."
Leila's head was lowered. He could
not see her expression, but he had al
ways been confident of his ability to
talk himself out Of trouble, so he am
bled on In ~pretense Of camaraderie
currying favor. rs he believed, ingra-
tiating himself with the coarse blunt
ness that served him among some
men, even among some women.
"We'l fix 1t somehow" he said reas-
suringly. Don't you worry. Leila.
I've confidence in you, little girl.
You've got me out of sticky messes
before, eh? Well. we've weathered a
few, haven't WEI"
Even the horrible parody on welded
loyalty left her silent. unmoved. dark
eyes b%rooding, and he began to grow
a little restless, and anxious as his
jocularity h .ased without a move
ment in Ell response OF aversion
from his VIE.
"You needn't be scared if I'm not"
he said reproachfully. "The house Is
worth two hundred and fifty thousand
and there's only fifty on it now. If
that fat Dutch skinfint, Plank. shows
his tusks we can clap on another fifty"
Ard as she made no sound or move
ment in reply: LAS far as Plank goes.
haven't l done enough for him to
square it? What have we ever got
out Of him except a thousand or two
now and then when the cards went
against me? II l took it. it was prac-
tically what he owes me. And If he
thinks it's too much-look here. Leila.
I've a trick up my sleeve. can make
good any time | wish to. I'm in Il