Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-02-05

glancing from the window, uttered q
little shrek of dismay to see his tall,
tweed clad figure swing easily from
the trolley at the corner.
A hasty run we had Of It, screening
Beatrice on the way to our house,
where she was to stop and from which
we could observe many Of Philip Stur-
gis' subsequent movements and guess
the rest. The curtains were drawn as
he reached the front door, but he stop.
ped to push the electric button, pr0ba-
bly, thinking that his wife was in the
back Of the house. We saw a surprised
look come over his face when there
was no response, and we watched him
as he hastily extracted a bunch Of keys
from his trousers pocket and entered.
We gave him two minutes to find
the note Beatrice had left on the din
ing room table, water sprlnkled in two
or three places to initiate tears, and
written hastily on the back of his tel
egram 1t read:
Philip:
How could you do 1t? But. monster. I
have been suspecting you for some time
past. wish could forgive you. but
cannot. This time you have ventured .
.tep too far with your Felice. I am 60
ng where you will never find me.
BEATRICE.
Then we imagined him as he raved
and did things generally to relieve his.
feelings. A momentary glance of his
white, agonized face at the window
as u curtain shot up to the very top
Of the roller justified our expectations
that he was by this time deeply re-
GREETING his asinine stupidity. Then
we saw him rush upstairs.
What he would find there we well
knew, for We, had his wife's room fit
tingly prepared for him. Beatrice had
worked to no little effect, and its up
pearance was indeed startling. Pro-
fessional burglars could not have pro-
duced in so short time as she
scene Of such consummate chaos and
confusion. though the very I1el hinoor
had been the object of their efforts.
The unique, square pillared brass bed,
though Uttered with masses of lace
and muslin skirts. underskirts and
shirt waists in every color of the
rainbow, showed no signs of having
been slept in. The dainty pillows were
piled with heaps of hosiery, and in
the center Of all lay that identical red
and gold check golf1ng skirt which I
had been startled into admiring
months before.
The dressing table was barred Of its
usual mysterious collection Of toilet
articles. The dress sn4t case, which
was always kept when not in use in
the rooms solitary closet, was con-
spicuously absent, and a telltale strap
was lying on the floor. Surely Philip
Sturgis could find no grounds for dis
believing his wife's deceptive note.
Who. indeed, would doubt the evil
dence Of one's own eyes?
At the point when the thoroughly
frightened man must have been sit
ting at the table with his face hidden
In his hands, realizing that he who
sows the wind must reap the whirl-
wind, Edith and heard a half check
ed sob behind us. We both turned in
tine to see Beatrice Sturgis wiping
away tear that was trickling down
her pretty cheek.
IL j-just can't help It," she gasp
ed. 'Poor Philip! I'm afraid h-he'll
do s-something desperate If l d-don't
stop him.
"You needn't worry" l explained
grimly. II have his razor in my pock-
ct. and troubled to take all the car
tridges out Of his revolver before /
left!''
swell, I'm going to meet him when
he comes out Of the door," she an
nounced. "Truly"-and she smiled
through her tears-"I am afraid Philip
might do something desperate If let
him go away after reading that note"
I would not have relented myself, but
thought that Edith looked on Bea-
trice's suggestion with favor. am
far from what you would call hen
pecked, but seldom venture to op.
pose Edith. SO I let her have her way
u = j.