Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-03-19

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lenly.
"How much margin did he get?"
"a thousand"
"Where is the restY' David Stires'
voice was like a whip of steel
Hugh hesitated a moment. He had
still a few hundreds in pocket but be
did not mention them
'I used most of it. I-had a few
debts"
"Debts of honor, l ~presume?"
Hugh's sensibility quivered at the
fierce, grating irony of the inquiry.
eff you'd been more decent with
spending money" he said with a fare
of the old effrontery, I'D have been
all right Ever since l came home
you've kept me strapped / was
ashamed to stick up any more of my
friends. And of course / couldn't Dor
row from JessicaT
"Ashamedr' exclaimed the old man
with harsh sternness. You are with
out the decency of shamel If you were
capable of feeling it you would not
mention her name nowP'
Hugh thought he saw a glimmer
through the storm cloud. Jessica was
his anchor to windward. What hurt
him would hurt her. He would pull
through
"Well." he said, tits done, and
there's no good making such a row
abot.t it She's my wife and she'll
stand by me. If nobody else does!"
No one had ever seen such a look on
David Stires' face as came to it now
a sudden blaze of fury and righteous
scorn that burned it like a brand.
"You impudent blaekguardl You
drag my name in the gutter and then
try to trade on my self respect and
Jessica's affection You thought you
would take it up yourself and | would
be none the wiserl And If | did find
it out you counted on my love for the
poor. deluded girl you have married
to make me condone YOU criminality.
to perjure myself, to admit the sig
nature and shield you from the conse-
quences- You imagine because you
are my son that you can do this thing
and all still go on as before. Do you
suppose | don't consider Jessica? Do
you think because you have fooled and
cheated her and me and married her
that | will give her now to a caught
thief. a common jailbirdY"
In the thoughts that were darling
through Hugh's mind there was none
now of regret or of pity for Jessica.
His fear was the fear of the trapped
spoiler who discerns capture and its
consequent penalties In the patrolllng
bullseye flashed upon him. He studied
his father with hunted, calculating
eyes as the old man turned to Harry
Sanderson.
"Sanderson," said David Stires once
more in his even, deadly voice, "Jessi-
ca is waiting In the room above this
She will not understand the delay
viii you go to herr Make some ex-
cuseEany you can think of-till I
| come"
Harry nodded and left the room,
shutting the door carefully behind
him, carrying with him the covering,
helpless look with which Hugh saw
himself left alone with his implacable
judge. What to say to her? How to
say it He mounted the stair as If a
pack swung from his shoulders. He
paused a moment at the door, then
knocked, turned the knob and entered.
There in the middle of the blue hung
in her wedding dress, with her
bandaged eyes, and her bridal bouquet
on the table, stood Jessica. Twilight
was near, but even SO all the shutters
were drawn ave one, through which a
last glow of refracted sunlight sifted
to fall upon his face. Her hands were
clasped before her. He could near her
breathing-the full. hurried respiration
of expectancy.
Then. while his hand closed the door
behind him, a thing unexpected, anon
alous, happened-a thing that took him
as utterly by surprise as If the solid
floor had yawned before him. Slim
fingers tore away the broad encircling
bandage. She started forward. Her
arms were flung about his neck.
"Hugh. Hugh" she cried, MY nus
bandp'
The paleness was stricken suddenly
from Harry's face. An odd, dazed
color. a flush of modification, of self
reproaeA, flooded 1t from chin to brow.
Despite himself he had felt his lips
molding to an answering kiss beneath
her own. He drew a gasping breath,
his hand neryously caught the bandage,
replaced it over the eyes and tied it
tightly, putting down her protesting
hands.
"Oh, Hugh" she pleaded. mot for a
moment-not when / am so happyl
Your face is what I dreamed 1t must
bel Why did you make me wait so
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