The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-04-30
(ccaunued.l

sneered. do you want to figure II
them with PlankY
Il don't want to-" she said steadily
but you cannot brighten me by thai
threat"
"0h! Can't brighten you! Perhaps
you think you'll marry Plank when |
get a decree? Do you? Well, you
won't for several reasons. First, be
cause I'll name other correspondents
and that viii make Plank sick; second.
because Plank wants to marry some
body else and I'm able to assist him.
30 where do you come out In the
shutter
Il don't know" she said under her
breath and rested her head against the
back of the chair, as though suddenly
tired.
well, know. You'll come out
smirched, and you know it." said Nor
timer, gazing intently at her Look
here, Leila. didn't come here 10
threaten you. I'm no blackmailer
I'm no criminal. I'm simply a decent
sort Of a man, who is pretty badly
scared over what he's done in a mo-
ment of temptation. You know had
no thought of anything except to bor-
row enough on my l o US to make
a killing at Burbank's. | had to show
them something big so filed in thar
check, not meaning to use 1t, and be-
fore knew it I'd Endorsed it and was
plunging against it. Then they stack
ed everything on me-by God, they
did, and if had not been in the condi-
lion l was in I'd have stopped pay
tnent. But it was too late when re-
allied what l was against Leila. you
know I'm not bad man at heart.
Can't you help a feliowT
His manner, completely changed,
had become the resentful and fretful
appeal Of the victim of plot and cir
cumstance. All the savage brutality
had been eliminated. The sneer, the
truculent attempts to browbeat, the
pitiful swagger, the cynical justifica
ton, all were gone. 1t was really the
man himself now, normally scared and
repentant; the frightened. overfed pen
6AOhCA Oh h1o WIG DOuhlyy AOl luC
human beast maddened by fear and
dissipation, half stunned, half panic
stricken, driven by sheer terror into
role which even he shrank from-had
shrunk from all these years. For,
leech and parasite that he was, Nor
timer, however much the dirty acQui-
sitton of money might tempt him IN
theory, had not yet brought himself to
the point of attempting the practice,
even when in sorest straits and bite
est need. He didn't want to do 1t.
He wished to get along without it,
partly because of native. inertia ard
an aversion to the mental nimbleneSs
that he would be required to show as
q lawbreake~, partly because the word
''blackmail" stood for what he did no,
dare suggest that he had come to, ever l
to himself His distaste was genuine
There were certain things which lie \
didn't want to commit, and eXtorti9n :
was one of them. He could at a pinch
lie to his wife or try to scare her i.lSo
giving him money. He could when
necessary borrow" from such meu 4
Is Plank, but he had never cheated H.
cards, and he had never attempted to c
1lackmail anybody except his wife
which, of course was purely family r
natter and concerned nobody else.
Ills poncy or alternately frightening,
and supplicating Leila had
arried him so far, and though 1t was
rue that this was more serious stu II
ltion than he had ever yet faced he '"
vas convinced that his wife would :
ull him oct somehow, and how that =,
vas to be accomplished he did mo- p
cry much care as long as he was pull p
d out safely. q
"What this household requires" he
aid, 'is economy" He spread his =
sgs, denting the Aubusson carpet with y
is boot heels, and glanced askance at
is wife. Economy" he repeated
urtively wetting his lips with
cavity coated tongue, chats the true
olution. Economical administration ~
| domestic matters. Retrenchment, IN
ella, retrenchment. Fewer folderols. "'to
ITO be Contiuned) ="