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

ne's mad about-stark. raying mad.
Mrs. Mortimer slowly raised tsr
head and looked at her husband.
Leroy. are you mad?"
81! Not much!" he exclaimed glee-
fully. 81 can make him the husband
of the most run after girl in New
York-if l want to. And at the same
time | can puncture the mos, 'rrogant,
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, I
can do it. I can make good. What
are you worrying about? Why, I've
got a hundred ways to square that
check, and each separate way is Z
winner"
He rose, shook out the in his
trousers and adjusted the squat gold
fob which ornamented his %protruding
waistcoat.
$50 you'll fix it, won't you. Leilay
he said, apparently oblivious that he
had expressed himself as able to ad-
just the matter in a hundred equally
edifying and satisfactory manners.
She did not answer. He fingered q
moment at the door, looking back with
an ingratiating leer. but she paid him
no attention and be took himself OF,
confident that her sulkiness could not
result in anything unpleasant to any
body except herself.
Nor did 1t, as saJ as he could see.
The days ought no noticeable change
In his " Il demeanor toward him.
Plank, zen he met him, was civil
enough. though it 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. l can't do anything more for
him. SO l don't interest him"
And for awhile he wore either a
tr%uculent, aggrieved air in Plank's
presence or the meeker demeanor of a
martyr, sentimentally misunderstood.
but patient under the affection.
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
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 a strain on her re-
sources. whatever those resources
were.
nr0 $hin~ rrOc aAr{0Sn 1DyorH h0d
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. "Tll catch her tripping, and
then there'll be a 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 60 on as things
were going. If somebody would see
that he had some money occasionally.
One of these occasions when he need
edit was approaching. He had made
8 ling at Desmond's and had used
Il oney to stop up the more threat.
chg 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 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.
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.
l. 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
ITO Be Continued.)