Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-06-03

ly with nervous chill.
Il haven't done anything wrong"
said the weeping wife. continuing TO
hide her face.
Il never did think much OF Cham
berlaine." said Harlon, trying to re-
cover his equanimity and failing ut
terly.
"You must be very brave" she whis-
pered.
I'll defend you with my life," he
answered, and took out his handker-
chief to wipe his forehead-"tell me
ALL"
II knew him before l was married"
she went on. II used TO write TO
him. He has all my letters, and none
of them are dated" She began to
cry very hard indeed. do you know
what he said to-day he would
bring them all to me o-night-if-if'-
'The villain" said Harlon, with
energy
He has been threatening me for
year, and have been almost crazy"
She paused and lifted her beautiful
tear-stained face up to his.
"Ah, my husband, are you magnani-
nous enough to forgive me, to stay
here and meet him, and then force
him to surrender the letters?"
Harlon gasped. The memory of
Chamberlain rose up before him like
that of some evil genius.
"Oh Ada" he said, cant l write
him a note?"
Mrs. Harlon started to her feet and
crossed the room to the mantel.
"He will be here in ten minutes"
she cried, hastily. "Seel Here is a
pistol. He will be unarned and to-
tally unsuspicious. You must take
him by surprise, and then overcome
him. l know you can do It," She
lifted the pistol and showed 1t to him
with a smile.
my hero!" she murmured, and left
the room.
The door had not closed behind her
when Harlon precipitated himself up
on the pistol, seized 1t gingerly, car
ried il to the window, and threw the
loads out on the damp grass below.
There might have been an awful
accident" he said, with pale lips. Then
he put the pistol back on the mantel,
turned out the light and sat down to
spend the worst minutes he had ever
known. He remembered Chamber
LANES attempt TO get out of driving
Hughes to the train. Forgotten his
project, eh!-the villain!
The husband tried to grit his teeth,
but they persisted in chattering in
stead; then he heard a stealthy tread
in the hail. and the cold beads of per
spiration started out all over him. He
pressed the button with his shaking
hand and the room was suddenly IL
lumined.
In the midst of the glare Chamber
laine stood bewildered He had on a
macintosh and carried an umbrella.
! The expression on his face so nearly
approached fright that Harlon felt sud
denly courageous and advanced boldly.
81 know all" he said ,impressively-
"all."
Chamberlain was close to the door.
He said: There's some mistake" and
turned to go.
Then all the pent-up fury which the
inoffensive husband of a flirtatious
wife may accumulate during eight or
ten years of married life suddenly
boiled up in the veins of Harlon and
led him to spring upon his guest But
the latter was slippery TO catch on ac-
count of the macintosh, and as he
jumped backward he handled his UNI
brella so neatly and dexterously that
his host paused in his onslaught and
backed towards the mantel. The next
minute the revolver-barrels cleaned
on the scene.
Chamberlaine's whole attitude al
tered at once.
You're mad" he said, coolly, and
with incredible speed and dexterity he
rushed upon the other man, knocked
the weapon out of his hand, threw him
to the ground, and pinned him there,
helpless.
Now kindly explain?" he said, as
he looked quietly down on his pant
ing ghost. Are you out of your mind l.?
or what is it?"
"You villainl" gurgled Harlon. you
come into my house by invitation and
then try to barter my wife's honor
against her girlhood's folly"
GO on" said Chamberlain. Il want
to know exactly what / am supposed
to be committing tonight"
81 want those letters. She has told
me the whole story"
"Whose letters?"
Her letters
"She never wrote me a letter in her
life
What"
81 say she never wrote me letter
in her life"
What did you threaten her with,
them"
Il never threatened her What
should threaten your wife for?"
What did you come here for then?'
Hughes told me to wait here for
him. | was to have driven him to
the train
AS he spoke Chamberlain loosed
his grip and rose to his feet. Harlan
rose too.
where is Hughes now?" he asked.
cuppOco he's oOua IIo hoI g.