Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-18

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 no, got-with not one bill settled, not one servant paid since December
 Leila, live got-to tell you"-
 "What?" she demanded, appalled, by the change in his face. If he was overdoing 1t, he was overdoing it real istically enough.
 live used Plank's check" he mumbled and moistened his lips with his tongue.
 She stared back at him, striving to comprehend. 'Plank's" she repeated slowly. "Plank's check? What check ? What do you laean"
 'The one he gave you last night to ! pay his bridge losses and forgot to fill l in."
 'The one he But you couldn't! How could you. It was not filled in."
 T filled it."
 Her dawning horror was reacting on him, as it always did, like a fierce tonic. and his own courage came back in sort of sullen desperation.
 "You-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 1t, if had not indorsed itT
 T indorsed it. Do you understand thatF' he said savagely.
 No, l don't. Because if you did it's forgery"
 "1 don't give - what you think 1t is!" he broke in fercely. All I'm worried over is what Plank will think. l didn't mean to do it. didn't dream of doing it. When I saw that check in my hands I thought I'd use 1t tenn porarily-merely as moral collateral to flash at misunderstanding to back my o U's., So I filled it in."
 For how much?" she asked. not dar- ing to believe him, but he ignored the question and went on, 'I filled 1t and indorsed it and"-
 How could you indorse it?" she in. terrupted coolly. now unconvlnced again and suspicious.
 'I'll tell you if you'll stop that fool tongue moment. The check was made to L. Mortimer wasn't it? So l wrote l.. Mortimer on the back. Now do you know? If you are L. Nor timer, so am I. Leila begins with l.; so does Leroy, doesn't 1t? didn't im- itate your o-words-to-a-page auto- graph. I put my own fist to a check made out to one l.. Mortimer. and don't care what you think about 1t 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. ari he began to bolster up his courage with buster and noise as usual.
 Howl all you like" he jeered. Tt won't alter matters or square ac- counts with Plank. What are you staring at? Do you suppose I'm not sorry? Do you fancy I don't know what a 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 s20.OOO. Now yelp! Eh? What; No yelps? Probably some weeps then. Turn 'em on and run dry. I'll wait" 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 siIken wrap. stared at him as though stun ned.
 Well. we're good for it. aren't wey' he said threateningly. If he's going to turn ugly about 1t. heres the hOuse?"
 "My-houseT'
 Yes. your house. I suppose you'd rather raise something on the house than have the thing come out in the papers
 Do you think soy" she asked. star ing into his bloOdshOt eyes.
 -Yes. Go. I'm sure of it-'
 ~You are wrong
 You mean that you are not inclined fo stand hy me- he demanded
 Yes. mean that
 "YOa don't intend to help me outg-
 T d0 not intsEd to-not this tlme.~
 He beEan to show his big teeth sB3 that nsrvgls snicksrizz '-tick- twiteb ei hls upper lip
 How sfout the divorce courtsy be sEeersl -uo yOu want to figure i1 ikem uffh Piznkg-
 T d8a-f Eznt to.- sbe sai1 steadily -bgt ysu oaanot frizhtsa ne by ths .hrpat~ -Uh. can't frighrs1 yOa. PeEkIr Fga thlnk yaaU marry Flank whea } gst . aer-e~s To yguE Wei. Tsa