The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-08-13

were short. The first intimation
Francis had of his beautiful wife's
wrong-doing was on certain after
noon late in November when he
reached home at five O'Clock, to find
the place dark and cold.
Surprising that she was visiting her
mother, he called up Mrs. Hawtry by
telephone. Evelyn had not been there.
He waited until nearly six. Meanwhile
darkness had settled down and feel
ing of utter loneliness had fallen upon
Francis Bonner. He called up several
of his wife's friends, but none of them
had seen her. She got home at $50,
and at once began making explana-
lions that were far from convincing;
but Francis pretended to be undis-
turbed, although the seeds of suspicion
had been planted in his breast.
A week later he got home early
again, and again he found the place
dark and empty. Again he telephoned
to his wife's mother and a number of
her friends. When she returned at
last he continued to seem uncon-
cerned.
I'm so sorry not to have been here
when you came. DEAR" she said, "but
have been visiting Mary Warren, and
you know how hard 1t is to get away
from her. started dozen times be-
fore I could make my escape"
Francis Bonner had telephoned to
Mary Warren and Mary had informed
him that his wife had not been to see
her for weeks and weeks, which she
considered very rude of her. Mr.. Bon
ner gazed at his wife with steadiness
that. did not betray the terrible
struggle which was going on within
him. At dinner, however, a mood of
abstraction seemed to fall upon him,
insomuch that Evelyn was moved to
bend over him from behind and Irvine
her soft arms around his neck as she
asked in cooling tones if he would not
please let her share his troubles. But
he protested that he was merely suf-
fering a slight attack of indigestion
and expected to be all right in the
morning.
At the Office on the following day it
was noticed that Bonner was not him
self, and it caused no surprise when
he announced at four o'clock that he
was not feeling we'll and was going
home. AS he had feared and expected,
his fireside was deserted. He had
thrown himself down in the big easy
chair which the boys in the Office had
given him for wedding. present and
was thinking in the gloom when the
telephone bell rang. He put the re-
ceiver to his ear, but before he could
ask what was wanted he heard a
mans voice.
Hello, hello" the man bawled, and
when Bonner answered "hello," the
man at the other end of the wire said:
Il want No. 1887" "This is 1887"
said Bonner. Then there was click,
and when he called up central he was
informed that "the other party" had
rung OF.
Francis Bonner ate no dinner that
night. His attack of indigestion was
worse, and his wife found it impos-
sible to do anything which seemed to
have the slightest effect in the way of
affording him relief. He was queru-
lous and excitable and flung aside book
after book in which he had tried to be-
come interested. He paced the floor
half the night, and in the morning
Evelyn wished to call the doctor, be-
ing convinced by her husbands wild,
haggard look that he twas about to
come down with something serious"
Its serious, God knows" he re-
piled, looking at her in way that
sent a chill to her heart, "but I'm not
coming down! No, I'm not coming
down. Don't you let yourself believe
that for minute"
! He pretended that he was going to
/ his Office after breakfast, but IL his
wife had followed him to the first cor
ner she might have seen him lodging
into a drug store. where he remained
for an hour. At the end of that time
he emerged and started for the near
est car line. He had lust boarded a
passing car when, looking back. he
J saw his wife coming down the street.