Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-04-10

fiNNtNs
He made an end Ia his outburst aft
or awhile. Only his dreadful fat
breathing now filled the silence and,
surprising he had finished, she found
her voice with an effort:
Il am sorry. Ii comes at bad
time. as you know
"A bad time" he broke out violently.
How can IL come at any other sort of
timer With US all times are bad. IL
this is worse than the average 1t can't
lie helped. We are In II for keeps
This time
WEI"
Yes. WEI he repeated. hut his face
had grown CHASTITY and his uncertain
eyes We're fastened on hers In the mir
rur.
what do you mean-cxactly she
asked. turning from the dresser TO con-
front him.
He mnde no effort to answer. An ex-
preston OF dull fright was growing
on his visage. as though for the first
time he had begun to realize what had
happened.
She saw il and her heart quickened,
but she ST. Ike disdainfully: We'll. |
AIN ready % listen-as usual. How
much do you WANT"
He made no sign. His lower lip
hung loose His eyes hlnked at her.
What is itT' she repeated. What
have you been doing: How much
have you lost? You cant have lost
very much. We hadn't much to lose.
If you have given your note TO any of
those gamblers ii Is Il shame-a shame,
Leroy, look ut me, You promised me.
| on your honor. never To do that again.
Have you lied. after all the times !
have Helped you out. stripped myself,
denied myself, put off tradesmen,
faced down creditors? After all
| have done, do you dare come here and
ask for more-ask for what have not
| got-with not one bill settled. not one
servant paid since December
Leila 1--we gOt-to tell you
WHAT she demanded. appalled, by
the change in his face. If he was
OVERRIDING ii. he was OVERRIDING il real
| istically enough.
Give used Plank's check he
mumbled and moisteued his lips with
his tongue
She stared back at him, striving I
! comprehend. PLANK So she repeated
slowly. "Plank's check? What check
What do you mean!"
| The one he gave you last night To
pay his bridge losses and forgot 10 fill
In"
The one he But you couldn't.
How could you. 1t was not filed in
Il filed it,"
Her dawning horror was reactius
on him, as it always did, like Il fierce
tonic, and his own courage came back
in sort of sullen desperation.
"iou-you are trying TO frighten me.
Leroy" she stammered. You are try
ing to make me do something give
you what you want-force me to give
you what you want. You can't fright.
en- me. The check was made out to
me-to my order. How could you
have used ii, If | had not indorsed it!''
Il Endorsed it. Do you understand
that?" he said savagely.
NO, | don't. Because if you did
it's forgery"
Il don't give - what you think
1t is" he broke in fiercely. "All I'm
worried over is what Plank will think.
l didn't mean to do it. ! didn't dream
of doing it. When l saw that check
in my hands thought I'd use it tenn
porariy-merely as moral collateral to
flash at Notwithstanding to back
my o Us. SO filed it In
For how much?" she asked not dar-
ing to believe him, but he ignored the
question and went on. 81 filed it and
Endorsed it and
How could you indorse it," she In.
telrupted coOlly, now unconvinced
again and suspicious.
"Fll tell you If you'll stop that fool
tongue moment. The check was
made to L. Mortimer wasn't it? So
! wrote Il. Mortimer on the back.
Now do you know? If you are l.. Nor
timer, so am l. Leila begins with L;
so does Leroy, doesn't it? l didn't I'M
itate your O-wOrds-to-a-page auto.
graph. put my own fist to a check
made out to one l.. Mortimer. and |
don't care what you think about it as
long as Plank can stand it. Now put
up your nose and howl, If you like"
But under her sudden pallor he was
taking fright again, and he began to
bolster up his courage with buster
and noise as usual.
Howl all you like" he jeered. at
won't alter matters or square &C.
counts with Plank. What are you
staring at? Do you suppose I'm not
sorry? Do you fancy l don't know
what fool I've been? What are you
turning white for? What
How much have you She chok.
ed. then, resolutely, "How much have
yOu-taken?"
''Taken!" he broke out with an oath
"What do you mean? I've. borrowed
about $4,000. Now yelp! Eth? What
No yelps? Probably some weeps then
Turn 'em on and run dry. III watt
And he managed to cross one bulky
leg over the other and lean back, af.
fecting resignation, while Leila, bolt
upright in her low chair. every curved
outline rigid under the flowing silken
wrap, stared at him as though stun.
ned.
well, we're good for it, aren't we?'
he said threateningly. IF he's going
to turn ugly abOut il here's the