Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-12

nerves, you Know. There Is mental
trouble in her family. You have heard
of 1t as well as I. You know her IA
Their died of it,
.8rhe usual defense In criminal cases"
observed Austin. Ticking his cigarette I
end into the CRATE. "Ism sorry, dear.
that Alike has the jumps. Hope she'll
get over 'em. But. as for pretending
I've any use for her. can't and don't
and won't She spoiled life for the
best man know. She kicked his repu-
tation into cooked hat, and he, with |
his ehivalrous Selwyn conscience. let
her do 1t. I did like her once. don't |
like her now. and that's natural. and 1t |
winds up the matter"
Ruthven was at that very moment
seated In private card room at the
Stuyvesant club with Sanxon Orchil.
George Fame and Bradley Harmon.
and the game had been bridge. as
usual, and had gone very heavily
against him.
Several things had gone against Mr..
Ruthven recently. For one thing, he
was beginning to realize that he had
made a vast mistake in mixing himself
up in any transactions with Neergard.
When he, at Neergard's cynical sug-
gestion, had consented to exploit his
own club-the Siowitha-and had con-
scented to resign from it to do so, he
had every reason to believe that Neer
gard meant either to mulct them heavily
or buy them out. In either case. hav-
ing been useful to Neergard, his profits
from the transaction would have been
considerable.
But even while he was absorbed in
figuring them up-and he needed the
money. as acknowledgement coolly IN
formed him of his election to the club.
and Ruthven. thunderstruck, began to
perceive the depth of the underground
mole tunnels which Neergard had dug
to undermine and capture the strong
hold which had now surrendered to him.
Rage made him ill for a week, but
there was nothing to do about it. He
had been treacherous to his club and to
his own caste. and Neergard knew 1t,
and knew perfectly well that Ruthven
dared not protest. dared not even
whimper.
Then Neergard began to use Ruthven
when he needed him. and he began to
permit himself to win at cards In Ruth
ven's house, a thing he had not dared
to do before. He also permitted him
self more ease and freedom in that
house, a sort OF intimacy, even q GER
| tain POPULARITY.
Meanwhile Neergard had almost fin
ished with Gerald. He had only one
| further use for him, and as his social
| success became more pronounced with
| the people he had crowded in among
| he became holder and more insolent, no
longer at pains to mole tunnel toward
| the object desired. no longer overcare-
| full about his mask. And one day he
asked the boy very plainly why he had
never invited him to meet his sister.
And he got an answer that he never
forgot.
Ruthven had viewed with indiffer-
enee Gerald's beyish devotion to his
| wife. which was even too open And
|
witnessed it. But he had not counted
on Neergard's sudden hatred of Gerald
| and the first token of that hatred fell
| upon the boy like a thunderbolt when
Neergard whispered to Ruthven one
night at the ,Stuyvesant club and Ruth.
ven, exasperated. had gone. straight
home. to find his wife in tears and the
L bory oil flv off 80 for
her, both her hands In his.
Perhaps" said, Ruthven coldly, 'yor
have some plausible explanation fol
this sort of thing. If you haven't. you'd
better trump up one together. and III
send you my attorney to hear it II
that event." he added, you'd bettel
leave your joint address when you fint
more convenient house than mine"
AS a matter of fact. he had reall!
meant nothing more than the threa
and the insult, the situation permitting
him d heavier hold upon his wife AMI
a new grip on Gerald In case he eve
needed him, but threat and insult wer'
very real to the boy, and he knocked
Mr.. Ruthven fat on his back, the on
thing required to change that gentle
: mans pretense to deadly earnest.
Ruthven scrambled to his feet. Ger
! aid did it again. and after that MI
: Ruthven prudently remained prone dur
: ing the delivery Of terse but concis
/! opinion of him expressed by Gerald.
: After Gerald had gone Ruthvel
/ opened first one eye, then the other
then his mouth and finally sat up, AM
r his wife, who had been curiously OF
serving him, smiled.
She dropped her folded hands int
0 her lap. gazing coolly at him, but ther
was glitter In her eyes which arres,
l ed his first step toward her.
"I- think" she said, 'that you mea
my ruin. My mind has become curiou
~ clear during the last year-strange
: and unusually limpid and precise. VIII
: my poor friend, every plot Of yours ar
of your friends, every underhand o
tempt to discredit and injure me, b,
been perfectly apparent to me. You su
posed that my headaches, my outburs
Of anger, my wretched nights, passt
= In tears, and the long, long days spec
kneeiing In the ashes of dead mer
u cries. all these you supposed had wea