The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-19
Fiction
BREATH OF SCANDAL.
BY ELIAS Isle.

appointed surprise at the approaching
dingey.
"There are only Hugh and your
cousin In the boat" she announced to
her guest "Mr. Cuthbert isn't there
I'm so sorry"
Her intonatiOn implied that the sor-
row was sympathetic rather than per.
sonal Sibyl Beach resented It,
"You needn't be, Helen" she said,
the curve Of her lips strengthening
firmly.
"why, invited him to come, par.
ticularly on your account"
'And / wanted him not TO, particu-
larly on my account" said the girl
"Why, slbyl, dear, | thought you
were such great friends or even more"
so did l." There was u suspicion
Of tears In the bright eyes the girl
turned to her friend. so did / until
until he disgraced himself oh, youll
know all about It soon enough any
way. ] may as well show you now"
She held out a clipping from a week
ly publication which makes n business
of purveying social sewage to its read.
ers.
at came TO me In the mail-anony-
nous, of course" she said.
Mrs. Verrel took It with an express
sion OF distaste.
You wouldn't believe anything that
wretched paper says. hope" she OBJ
served whenever read II I feel as
il needed bath TO get clean again."
"The Era had little notice, too say
| ing that Sld-Mr. Cuthbert-was there,
and that Is reliable enough. l only
wish II weren't"
With pressed lips and frownlng
brow Mrs. Verrell ran over the clip.
pings. II was a comment less yelled
than Is common with that paper upon
the presence of Sidney Cuthbert at the
| funeral of woman who had once
been well known In that dim border OF
the theatrical profession where people
of more dubious world claim hablta
| tion.
1T will strengthen Mr.. Cuthbert's
reputation for generosity among his
club and society friends" commented
the paragraph. that he should have
borne the expense of the funeral from
bis own pocket. The woman who was
once known as Viola Trevannion was
buried beside her son. whose deatl
two years ago was also the occnsior
OF burst Of of'mortuary generosity oil
the part of young Cuthbert"
isn't that nice thing to read about
man You had thought you could
could Mt least respect?" said the cir
bitterly.
81 don't believe It about Mr. Cuth
bert" began the other Indignantly
when the two men came over the rail.
After verrell and young DR.. Dem
had greeted the two women the latter
turned to his cousin and said:
"Did hear you speaking about Sid
ney Cuthbcrt, Beauty"
"You may have II you were listen
ing" said the girl. "And / do wish
Harvey, that you would drop thai
childish nickname. I've outgrown IT,"
well, don't know about your out
growing It," said Dent. looking at hei
flushed cheeks and shining eyes, "but
You certainly haven't outgrown your
| childlsh-beg pardon-yOur childhood
temper. But OF course I'll drop It, Sib
II you don't like IT." he added good
naturedly. But I was interested IN
Sidney Cuthbert because used tC
know him when he was Typh and
was house in Sawgums."
whats Sawgums?" asked Verrel
lazlly from his deck chair. "LunatiC
asylum? And was Cuthbert one Of the
numbered patients and you another,
/ understood you TO say you were q
house Singular delusion."
"Sawgums Is short for st. Angus
tines hospital, where / disported my,
self ms house physician when Cuthbert
became typhoid case No. T." explained
the young physician. "As all the pri
vate rooms were full, he had to go into
the public ward and live at n dollar
per day between profane and asth,
matte car driver and charity conva'
lescent."
Every good lesson In economy" OBJ,
served Verrell virtuously.
'He couldn't give many dinner par.
ties and send the kind OF flowers he
used to favor sibyl with on that basis
Helen, II my feet are in your way I'll
have 'em moved" he concluded, bliss.
fully unconscious OF his wlfe's savage
glances. "Did Cuthbert like II, DentT'
Seemed TO enjoy II tolerably after
he got convalescent. He got up quite a
friendship with another patient known
as Tommy the Cod, presumably be
cause he lived In an empty fish box
down Fulton market way"
"Don't remember having heard Cuth-
bert speak OF the gentleman" muir.
INJURED Verrell, "Did he ever bring
him to call, Sibyl? Helen, h you kick
the only husband you're ever likely to
have on the shins he'll rise up and de-
sert you"
"The Gods real name, as near as he
could tell, was Hannlgan," continued
the physician, "Cuthbert's previous
acquaintance with him was purely n
business one. Tommy used to sell
Cuthbert evening papers on Wall
street until one day truck ran over
his ankle. and when we got him here
we found he had very interesting
case Of heart disease, so we kept him.
We'll. the Cod used In give Cuthberf