The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-08

driven into a corner and sees his
enemies closing in on him inch by
inch. There is no shock when the
distance lessons, though the heart
may cramp and the temples throb
to bursting. Ainslee could think as
coolly as ever--too coolly for the
shaking heart beats forcing the
blood to her head. Her brain was
working with fearful activity.
Maddox advised her to go home.
That was to shield her from the
publicity which would follow the
filing of Nugent's papers. He ad-
vised her to tell her husband the
whole story. In other words, Kay
must soon learn of it, and he was
entitled to hear it first from her
lips. Maddox wanted her out of the
way and he was gently warning her
to prepare for the worst. This was
the beginning of the end. The next
message would counsel her to an
ticipate the scandal. Friends and
neighbors would receive her story
with sympathy, wonderment, in
credulity and disbelief, but they
would never forget it, except per-
haps detail here and there which
would make it a new and salacious
story for the evil minded. Before
long she would have to prepare her
child for the whispers, smiles and
cynical innuendoes which would
surely be waited to her ears-and
for what? Why must she endure
this? Because a set of rascals were
in just peril of the law, or because
drug crazed man desired re-
venge? Which, dear God-which?
The lava horrible impersonal-
ity, intangible, remorseless, I'M
feeling, was left to do it's worst
with her. She had sought the pro-
lection of this monster and 1t had
turned to destroy her. There was
no one she could look to for help.
Would it not be better to have
no laws at all than laws which
could be twisted by men of the Nu-
gent type for creatures like Lori
mer.
Think of the law serving and up
holding a drooling thing like Lori
mer and accusing her with solemn
phrase and detestable SANDER!
Think of the judges responding to
the plea of an animal like Nugent
whose foul purpose must be obvi-
GUS to every honest eye?
Two faces stared at Ainslee-Nu-
gent, with his .mask-like counte-
nance, and Lorimer, with his dead
face, sagging jaw, and horrid, va
cant look. Nugent's eyes sought
hers with horrid gloating, and
Lorimer's followed her with their
set stare-all their light masked in
glaze of death.
Suppose he was dead! Suppose
he were to die! Was that what
Maddox had meant when he said
that Nugent could do nothing for
10 days at least, and many things
might happen in that time? If Lori
mer were to die, she would be re-
leased. He would die sooner or
later from his indulgences. The
doctors had frequently said so. He
was near death now. No physician
was needed to tell her that. How
much life was left in him? That
was the question. Was he to live
just long enough to stain the in
nocent with the froth of his dying
lips? Would God permit him to
cucumber the earth until he could
pollute her and her dear ones with
his decaying touch? OF what use
to anybody or anything in the world
was his rotting life?
1t would take very little to close
those glazing eyes Of Lorimer's.
She knew just how many grains of
morphia would close them forever.
She brushed her hair back from
her forehead and passed her hands
over her eyes as though to blot out
some hideous mental picture. Was
she going mad?
Lorimer would never willingly
take his own life! He would die
inch by inch of his own excuses,
but he would live on and on until
She turned from the window, me-
chemically put on her hat, took
something from her bureau drawer
and thrust it within the folds of
her waist-something which gilt
tered even in the darkened room
and then, cropping her way toward
the door, slipped down the stairs
and passed out into the street.
(To be continued)
LnMnD HDEAr MIICINlAA