Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-02-13

want TO KNOW QUICK.
''Secret?" she echoed, with wave Of
her hand to indicate the noise which
the workmen were making.
upon whose authority was it be-
gun?"
mine. Who else could give it?e
"Look here" he said. advancing to-
ward her, don't try to fool me! You
haven't done all this by yourself. Who
hired these workmen?"
Remembering her first interview with
him, she rose quickly before he could
come near her. "Mr. Louden made
most of the arrangements for me-" she
replied quietly, before he went away.
He will take charge of everything
when he returns. You haven't forgot
ten that told you / intended to place
my affairs in his hands?"
He had started forward, but at this
he stopped and stared at her inarticu-
lately.
.'1 ~ remember she said. her hands
resting negligently upon the back of
the chair. "SureIy you remember7"
She was not in the least afraid of
him, but coolly watchful of him. This
had been her habit with him since her
return. She had seen little Of him ex-
cept at table, when he was usually
grimly laconic, though now and then
she would hear him joking heavily
with Sam Warden In the yard, or, with
evidently humorous intent. groaning at
Mamie over Eugene's health; but 1t
had not escaped Ariel that he was on
his part watchful of herself and upon
his guard.
He did not answer her question. and
it seemed to her as she continued
steadily to meet his hot eyes that he
was trying to hold himself under some
measure of control. and vain effort
it proved
'You go back to my housew he burst
out, shouting hoarsely. You get back
there! You stay there"
mo" she said, moving between him
and the door, Mamie and are going
for a drive"
"You go back to my housew He fol-
lowed her. waving an arm flercely at
A4OAs A(OA JOu NOAAC alV0AN %
trying to run over me! You talk about
your 'affairsr All you've got on earth
is this two for a nickel old shack over
your head and bushel basket of dis
tillery stock that you can sell by the
pound for old paper!'' He threw the
words in her face, the bull bass voice
scanned and cracked with falsetto. "Old
paper. old rags. old iron. bottles, old
clothes! You talk about your affairs!
Who are you? Rothschild? You haven't
got any affairsr
Not look, not word. not motion
of his escaped her in all the fury Of
sound and gesture In which he seemed
fairly to envelop himself. Least of all
did that shaking of his-the quivering
of jaw and temple, the tumultuous agi-
tation Of his evade her watch
fitness
ssWhen. did you find this outY' she
said very quickly. s.After you became
administrator
He struck the back of the chair she
had vacated a vicious blow with his
open hand. "No. you spendthrift! All
there was to your grandfather when
you buried him was basketfui of dis
tillery stock, tell you! Old paper!
Can't you hear me? Old paper, old
rags
"You have sent me the same in
come" she lifted her voice to interrupt
"You have made the same quarterly
payments since his death that you
made before. II you knew, why did
you do thatY'
He had been shouting at her with the
frantic and incredulous evaporation Of
an intolerant man utterly unused to
opposition. his face empurpled. his fore
head dripping and his hands ruthlessIy
pounding the back Of the chair, but
this straight question stripped him sud-
denly Of gesture and left him standing
limp and still before her. pale splotches
beginning to show on his hot cheeks.
IF you knew, why did you do it?'
income was from dividends. and |
knew and thought nothing about 1t. but
IL the stock which came to me was
worthless how could 1t pay dividendsT
1T did not" he answered huskily.
"That distillery stock. I tell you, isn't
worth the matches to burn it."
"But there has been no difference
In my income" she persisted steadily.
why? Can you explain that to me?"
Eyes; cam" he replied. And it
seemed to her that he spoke with a
paIlid and bitter desperation. like a
man driven to the wall. II can If you
think you want to know"
81 do"
81 sent It."
"Do you mean from your own
II mean it was my own money"
She had not taken her eyes from his,
which met hers straightly and angrily,
and at this she leaned forward. gazing
at him with profound scrutiny.