The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1908-10-15
Mallory Hats-Sun and Rain Proof at Staker's

"Oh. Can't frighten you! Perhaps
you think you'll marry Plank when
get decree? Do you? Well, you
won't for several reasons. First, be
cause III name other correspondents
and that will make Plank sick; second,
because Plank wants to marry some
body else and I'm able to assist him.
So where do you come out in the
shuffle?"
II don't know" she said under her
breath and rested her head against the
back of the chair. as though suddenly
tired.
swell, know. You'll come out
smirched, and you know It," said Nor
tuner, gazing intently at her. "LooS
here. Leila. diunt come here to
threaten you. I'm no blackmailer.
I'm no criminal. Tn simply decent
sort of Il man, who is pretty badly
scared over what he's done in a mo-
ment of temptation. You know l had
no thought of anything except to Dor
row enough on my o US to make
a killing at Rurbank's. had to show
them something big. so filed in that
check. not meaning to use it, and be-
fore | knew 1t I'd Endorsed it and was
plunging against it. Then they stack
ed everything on me-by God, they
did, and If had not been In the condi-
ton was In I'd have stopped pay
ment But it was too late when l re-
allied what l was against. Leila, you
know I'm not bad man at heart
| Can't you help a fellow?'
His manner. completely changed
had become the resentful and fretfu
appeal of the victim Of plot and cir
cumstance. All the savage brutality
had been eliminated. The sneer, the
! truculent attempts to browbeat, the
pititul swagger,- the cynical justihca
ton, all were gone. 1t was really the
man himself now. normally scared and
repentant; the frightened, overfed pen
sioner on his wifes bounty, not the
human beast maddened by fear ant
dissipation. half stunned. half panic
stricken, driven by sheer terror into 9
role which even he shrank from-had
shrunk from all these years. For
leech and parasite that he was, Nor
timer, however much the dirty acQui
sition of money might tempt him IL
theory, had not yet brought himself t
the point of attempting the practice
even when in sorest straits and bitter
est need. He didn't want to do it
He wished to get along without 1t
partly because of native inertia an(
an aversion to the mental nimblenes
that he would be required to show a.
a lawbreaker. partly because the wore
"blackmail" stood for what he did no
| dare suggest that he had come to. ever
to himself. His distaste was genuine
There were certain things which h
didn't want to commit, and extortiol
was one of them. He could at pincl
lie to his wife or try to scare her int
giving him money. He could whe1
necessary borrow" from such mel
as Plank, but he had never cheated a
cards, and he had never attempted tt
blackmail anybody except hts wife
which, of course, was purely famil!
matter and concerned nobody else.
His policy Of alternately frightening
dragooning and supplicating Leila hat
carried him SO far, and though it wa.
true that this was q more serious stu
alton than he had ever vet faced b.
was convinced that his wife woult
pull him out somehow, and how tina
was to be accomplished he did no
very much care as long as he was pull
ed out safely. lf
What this household requires" b.
said, lis economy" He spread hi
legs, denting the Aubusson carpet witt
his boot heels and glanced askance a
his wife. Economy" he repeated
furtively wetting his lips with
heavily coated tongue, that's the tru
solution. Economical administrator
In domestic matters. Retrenchment
Leila, retrenchment. Fewer folderols.
Leila's head was lowered. He coult
not see her expression, but he had al
ways been confident of his ability t,
talk himself out OF trouble, so he ram