Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-10-21

- APTAIN WILLIAMS lower
jaw advanced, and his pig
~ gish eyes contracted He
threw off his too amiable de-
meanor. His voice became harsh and
cruel as his natural brutality asserted
itself
"A man like me, eh?" he rasped.
That's pretty hard language. Mrs.
Brooks"
please forgive me and let me talk"
III you didn't come here to see me
sort of socially, what did you come
forY'
About Joe-my husband
What about himY'
Il asked you the amount Of the def
alcation."
You said It was your business.
Wen, it's more than $4,000"
Emma was astounded, and her heart
sank. She had not imagined that il
could be so large a sum.
lis that the truth?' she asked.
Il amt never been noted for lying"
Captain Williams, I've come here to
plead with you to save Joe and me
and my family from disgrace-to keep
him out of jail You knew my father.
You were in business with him. You
always liked him and knew he was an
honest man."
"He was square in his business deal
ings with me, Mrs Brooks, but that's
not less than every man has got to be
who deals with me"
Ep,rr- fl,of che ootI bor or,,nr
becoming duplicating; Il know that,
but you must have some respect for
his memory, you must have had some
affection for him at the time-every-
body had-and some pity for me in
this trouble. l thought all these things
might soften you, might open way
to some arrangement that would save
us from the exposure that seems now
bound to come tomorrow morning.
Isn't there some way out of III"
But he was all business now. He
had satisfied himself that he had vast
ed his time with her.
Have you got the money? ?" he snap
ped.
mo"
Then what's your proposition
Il have none," she confessed hope
lessly, hanging her head.
"Humphw he grunted, settling him
self in his chair
Il thought thought you might be
little more charitable and suggest
some way" she murmured
"Your husband sent you here, didn't
he?"
yes"
What did he say to your"
Told me I might have some inhu-
ence with you"
Put the blame on you for stealing
the money, didn't heY'
How did you know that?"
She raised her head and looked at
him in surprise
Il know the man. Didn't hep
Eyes"
Told you, didn't he. that you could
fix it up with me to call everything
onY'
Yes, that's what he said,v she ad,
mitted wonderingly.
And l suppose he said that II you
didn't come you'd have to take the
blame for him going to the peniten-
tiary?7
Tit was something like that"
Didn't happen to mention, did he,
that he thought liked you pretty
wellg"
eyes" she stammered. now utterly
bewildered. IL think that was part
of what he said"
Didn't forget that. eh? Wen," he
continued looking once more straight
into her eyes and putting the issue
squarely to her, I'm here and you're
here. That part seems all right. What
have you got to sayy'
She sustained his gaze brayely and
answered, though with no hope in her
heart:
rs there any honorable way In
which l can help himg'
what do you mean by 'honOrableY F"
Emma lost all patience. Her nerves,
that had been under such severe
strain, were getting beyond control
she rose. flushing angrily.
You know what l mean by honor
ADLER You know what any good wom-
an means when she says honorable
You're beating about the bush, Cap
tain Williams. If you want to come
to the point, come to it and come to
it quickly. l am going home"
'Now you're talking. my lass" he
said grimly. getting up also, "and I'll
talk right back to you. If took your
opinion Of me and that of your thiev-
ing husband l wouldn't have to talk
I'd tell you in plain words that If you
wanted to go to San Francisco with
me I'd take chance on the overeat-
ing and wouldn't put you on diet
like / put the rest What would you
do then? What if did make the prop
osition that's in your mind ard was
in the mind of that sneaking husband
OF yours when he tried to put yon on
the bargain counter and send you over
to me to see if I'd put the price up to