Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-11-19

- Droom'S description or
the lady certainly did not correspond
to what his memory recalled. lnvesti-
CATION, however, assured him that the
Gables in the mansion near the lake
were the people he had known in New
York. Bansemer took no one into his
confidence not even broom. Once con-
WINGED that the erstwhile fireman was
now the rich and powerful magnate, he
set to work upon the machinery which
was to extract personal gain from the
secret in his possession. He soon
learned that the child was young wo-
man of considerable standing in socie-
ty, but there was no way for him to
ascertain whether Frances Gable had
told the truth to her husband in those
dreary far west days.
Bansemer was rich enough, but
avarice had become habit. The flight
from New York had deprived him of
but little in worldly goods. His Ill got
ten gains came with him, and invest
ments were just as easy and just as
fe in Chicago as In New York. Now
he saw a chance to wiring handsome
sum from the rich woman whose only
possession had been love when he first
knew her. If the secret Of James
origin still remained locked up In her
heart the effort would be an easy one.
He learned enough Of David Gable,
however, to know that If he shared the
secret the plan would be proftless and
dangerous.
1t was this uncertainty that kept him
from calling at the Gable home; like
wise from writing note which might
prove a most disastrous folly. Time
and circumstance could be his only
friends, and be was accustomed to the
whims of BOTH He read of the dinners
and entertainments given by the Ca
bles and smiled grimly. Time had
worked wonders for them. Scandal,
he knew, could undo all that ambition
and pride had wrought. He could well
afford to wait.
However, he did not have long to
wait, for his opportunity came one
night in Hooley's theater. Graydon
and he occupied seats in the orchestra
near the stage and not far from the
lower right hand boxes. 1t was during
the busy Christmas holidays, but the
STAR was Of sufficient consequence to
pack the house. The audience was no
end of q fashionable one. Time and
again some strange influence drew his
gaze to the gay party in one Of the
lower boxes. The face Of the woman
nearest to him was not visible, but the
two girls who sat forward turned oc-
casionally to look over the audience,
exceptionally so. One Of the men was
gray haired and strong featured; the
others were quite too Insignificant to
be of interest to him. The woman
whose back he could see did not look
out over the audience. Her indiffer-
ence was so marked that 1t seemed de-
liberate. tTsS an
At last he felt that her eyes were
upon him. He turned quickly. True
enough, for with lips slightly parted,
her whole attitude suggestive Of In
tense restraint, Mrs. Cable was staring
helplessly into the eyes Of the man
who could destroy her with word.
The one thing that flashed through
Bansemer's brain was the realization
that she was far more beautiful than
he had expected her to be. There was
a truly aristocratic loneliness in the
rather piquant face, and she undenia-
bly, possessed manner" Maturity had
improved her vastly, he confessed,
with strange exultation; age had been
kinder than youth. He forgot the play.
seldom taking his eyes from the back
which again had been turned to him.
Calculating, b. reached the conclusion
that she was not more than forty years
OF age. More than once he made some
remark to his son, only to surprise that
young man glancing surreptitiously at
the face of the more beautiful of the
two girls. Even In this early stage
James Bansemer began to gloat over
the beauty of this new found old ac-
quaintance.
In the lobby Of the theater as they
were leaving he deliberately doffed his
hat and extended pleasant hand to
the wife of David Cable. She turned
deathly pale, and there was a startled,
piteous look in her eyes that convinced
him beyond all shadow Of q doubt.
There was nothing for her to do but
introduce him to her husband Two
minutes later Graydon Bansemer and
Jane Gable, strangers until then. we've
asking each other how they lnRed the
play, and Fate was at work.
A few weeks after this scene at the
theater young Mr.. Bansemer dashed
across the ball from the eaeyatog ana