Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-03-13

boanl."
YES"
i denied the charge. but refused TO
explain. You remeInbers
Quarter nodded coldly.
AMI I was dropped hy the club.
4 slight inclination of Quarters
,ymmetrIcal head cOrroisorated him
Now" said sIward. slowly and very
distinctly. Il shall tell you unOfficisliy
what refused 10 tell the other govern
ors officially" Aud as he began speak
ing Quarters face flushed. then the
features becum. lnlmoui.e. set and In
art aud his eyes grew duller aud duller.
rs though under smooth surface the
soul inside Of him was shrinking back
into some dark corner, silent, watch
full. suspicious and perhaps defiant
MIR. Quarriec." said Siward quietly.
II did not take that girl TO the Pa
troOns club. aud you know it,
Quarter was all surface now. He
,ad drawn away internally SO far that
even his eyes seemed To recede until
they scarcely glimmered through the
Sits In his colorless mask. And 81
ward went on:
Il knew perfectly well what SORT OF
women / was To meet at that fool sup
per Billy Fleetwood gave. and you
must have. too. for the girl you took In
was no stranger TO you. Her maine Is
Lydia Nyse. | believe"
The slightest possible glimner In the
elder mans eyes was all the answer he
granted.
What happened" said Siward calm
ly, was this: She bet me she could
SO disguise herself that | could safely
take her Into any club I'm New York.
bet her she couldn't. never dreamed
or trying. Besides, she was your-din.
ner partner" he added. with "hrug
"Ouarrier," said Slward earnestly,
what happened In the club lobby ]
don't exactly know. because was not
In Il condition to know. | admit II;
that was the trouble with me. When
| left Fleetwood's rooms | left with
q half dozen men. ! remember cross
T ing Fifth avenue with them. and the
4 next thing | remember distinctly was
/ loud talking IN the club lobby and
number Of men there aud slim young
fei,.w in Inverness and top hat In the
center of crowd whose face WAS the
face OF that girl Lydia Vyse. And
that Is absolutely all. But ! couldn't
do more than deny that took her
there unless | told what ! knew, and
OF course that was not possible. even
in self defense. But IL was for you
10 admit that was right. and you did
not. You dared not! You let another
man blunder into your private affairs
and fall a victim TO circumstantial evil
dence which you could have refuted,
and it was up TO you 10 say something
And you did not! And now what are
you going to do? The Lenox club has
taken this thing up. man can't
What am | TO doT ! can't defend my
self by betraying my accidental knowI
edge OF your petty private affairs. Sc
| leave 1t to you. ask you what are
you going To do"
do you mean"-Quarrier's voice
was not his own, and he brought II
harshly under command-"do you
mean that you think it necessary FOL
me to say | knew her? What object
would be attained by that? | did moi
take her TO the PATRONS"
Nor did |. Ask her how she go
there. Learn the truth from her
man.
What proof Is there that ever me
her before | took her into supper a
Fleetwood's?'
Proof. Are you madf All ask Of
you is to say TO the governors what
cannot say without using your name
You wish me-" asked Quarter Jelly
} ito deny that you made that wager
can do that"
You can't do 1t, did make tina
bet"
oh, Then what is 1t you wish I'M
to say
Tell them the truth. Tell them 20,
know | did not take her to the club
t You need not tell them why you know
It. You need not tell them how mucl
you know about her. whose broughan
she drove home in. | can't defend my
self ut Your eXpense-intrepch mysel
/ behind your dirty little romance. VIVA
could | say? denied taking her Il
the club. Then Major Belwether con
fronted me with my wager. Then
: shut up. And so did you. Quarter
: so did you, seated there among thu
. governors between Leroy Mortime
, and BeIwether Ii was up to you. an,
you did not stir"
, Stir" echoed the other man. exas
. perated. "Of course | did not stil
. " hat did l know about 1t? DO yo'
g think | care to give man like Mort
t mer hold on me- by admitting knew
! anything? Or Belwether. do you thin
+. care to have that man know any
t thing about my private and persona
s business? Did you expect me TO So,
r that was in position to prove any
$ thing one way or another? And" b
. added, with increasing hnrshness. "hov
K do you know what might or Nigh
!, not prove? II she went to the IA
t troons club. did not go with her:
= did not see her; | don't know whethe
e or not you took her"
o II have already told you that di
t not take her." said Siward. turniu
whittier.
: You told that to the governors tot
Il Tell them again II you like. decln
: to discuss this matter with you. ! dc
g cline to countenance your unwarrante
intrusion into what you pretend to be
/ lieve are my private affairs. declin
1 Z IL l. \ -