The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-07-30
CHAPTEQ1,
FOUpTEEN

Mortimer h AlNl - NAAtA tAh AAoA AhA IN I
ou him If you caress an Angora too
long and TOO persistently 1t runs away
And before it goes it scratches.
lydia WISE left Saratoga when the
financial suiugency began to make i
unpleasant for her to remain. She
told Mortimer without the slightest
conjunction that she was going.
He did not believe her, and he gave
her the new big yellow and black car
She sold il The same day to a book
maker. all old friend of hers; with
drew several jewels from limbo-gems
which Mortimer had given her-and
gathered together everything for whil b
# he turned ugly she might not be
WiminaIly liable.
She had never liked him. She had
long disIiked him. So she wrote a note
to the governors Of the PATRONS club
saving that both Quarter and M0lti-
ner were aware that the guilt Of lie.
escapade could not be attached to ST
ward; that she knew nothing Of 81
ward had accepted his wager without
meaning 20 attempt to win 1t, had new
or again seen him and had on the i'm
pulse Of the moment made her eurs
II the wake Of several men. She add
ed that when Quarter, as governor
bad coucurred in Siward's expulsion lac
knew perfectly well that Siward was
not guilty, because she herself had SO
Informed Quarter. Since then she had
also told Mortimer, but he had taken
no steps 10 do justice to Siward, al
though he Mortimer was still a gov
ernor of the PATRONS club.
This being about all she could think
Of to make mischief for two men whose
recent companionship had nourishad
and lutated her, she shipped her
trunks by express, packed her jewel
ease and valise and met Desmond at
the station
Desmond had business in Europe
Lydia had as much business there as
anywhere, ana, although she had be
faithless to Mortimer for a comDa"a-
lively sl0r. time, within that tim
Desmond already had sworn at her |
and struck her SO she was quite /
ready to follow Desmond anywhere in
this world OF the next. And that, too.
had not made her the more considerate
toward Mortimer
When the latter returned from the
races to find her gone the last riddle0
props to what passed for his man
mood gave way, and the rotten fabric
came crashing into the mud.
Creditors with sharp noses scented
the whirIWiud afar off and hemmel
MIN in with unsettled accounts, mostly
hers Somebody placed lien on bis
lolSeS, a deputy sheriff began to TO
low him about, all credit ceased as r.
magic, and men crossed the street TO
avoid meeting with an old companion
In diresl need
sui, alternately stupefied by his own
grief aud maddened into the necesSit.F
lOr action, he packed a suit case,
CaWed out Of the rear door, toilea I
across country and found a farmer to
urlye him twenty miles over a sandy I
road to d local railroad crossing, where {
ne managed to board train for Al
bany.
Al Albany as he stood painting and S
'Neatlng On the long concrete platform
which para eled track No. l he sa'a
private car, switched from Boston '
Aau Albany train, shunted to the rear {
u Tue Merchants express
Inc private car was lettered in gold I
~ Tue central panel, algonquin" He 9
'Oarded the Pullman coupled to it for 9
'aiu' pushed through the vestlbule, q
'uoVed aside the japanese steward ana I
.atA cook, forcing his way straight
u0o the pirate car. Quarter, read a
~ magazine, looked up In astonish- .
AeuI For full moment neithe. q
poAe' Then Mortimer dropped hi. .
WI case Sat down in an armchair op d
'DS''e Quarter and leisurely mopperi {
S feekIng face and neck.
scotch an lithiav' he said hoarsr u
. Tue japanese steward looked at -
a ao' then, at that gentleman's al =,
o'' Iilperceptibe nod, went away to
,vcute the commission.
ut. executed a great many similar :,
~, SSIonS during the trip to New
~ When they arrived there at :,
J VA Qnarier offered Mortimer his >,
4' NQd held the trembling puffy A
is'IS aSnc leaned closer saying with =
P'e0 Ion and emotionless empha- :.
'o''.r'0.'- that appeared to require =
=, u. a." 'ccntation OF Mortimer's :,
4. ..'. ad faculties. =
'. ..'. at Ieneth Mortimer drove os
'' J., Hnsom Quarters japanese :"
went with him perhaps to ;,
suit case courtesy that 80
.'.H to Quarters innate thought -
"'i consideration for others
.riF considerable. He even ~.
l liza up On the telephone and ri
~, ''o her for ten minutes. Then va
.'"Iri to Plauk's Office, learned 20,
burlington was already there,
II'n'd the garage for car which .
D.N ways Kept ready in town and yo
.n ,''| went bowling away to con $