Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-10-21
JOHN W. HARDING
copyrIah.. zoos. By 9. W DIIIIn.h.n G.

ltulS. 1T the Olict Wutfe ne Hdu
worked for Eve years. these men, at the
behest Of his employer, would place
their hands on his arms, and he would
be under arrest. He saw himself be-
ing led out, handcuffed. under the
hooking eyes of his fellow clerks and
the customers.
He closed the door again and turned
from It. cowardice at his heels, whis-
pering sophistic prudence, counseling
the poltroon's discretion, throwing spe-
cious sops to his conscience. Some
thing had to be done. No other course
than that be had taken had been pos
sible under the circumstances. Re
tween him and state prison stood
Emma. she alone on earth could save
him. If salvation we're possible Pun
ishment and immunity at that moment
perhaps held the balance even. The
giving or Withholding Of a kiss would
turn the scales either way. The giving
Of it would brand him with that par
ficnIar stamp Of infamy which when
recognized by men caused them to
draw away with rising gorge and
spurn the bearer. But none would
know Of the sacrifice-no one save the
victim, Williams and himself. Other
women had done as much IN pressing
emergencies to save their husbands
from public dishonor Some had bar
gained their favors to insure Office or
advancement for husbands or sons,
some for dress and jewels their hus-
hands could not give them. He him
self would never seek to know just
what had passed between his wife and
the captain He was free to assume
that be had worried unnecessarily;
that nothing Of what he felt certain
was happening had occurred, to sur
mise that it had not been necessary
for Emma to resort to complete sur
render. What he did not know could
not trouble him. Anyhow. It was too
late now. The die had been cast. The
chief thing-nay, the one thlng-he had
TO fear was that her mission might
be unsuccessful; that she could not
purchase his freedom at any price
whatsoever.
The possibility Of this twisted his
selfish heart with anguish again. Oh,
why had he got himself into this trou-
BILE?
When goaded to desperation and
recklessness he had taken the first
$40 from the money he had collected
he had no idea Of not returning IT,
somehow. 1t had brought a good deal
OF pleasure to Emma and himself.
heightened their hard penury with
CLEAN Of brightness. But $40 then
had been lot Of money. 1t had not
~been possible to replace it at once.
1t was far easier to fix his accounts
50 that the sum would not be missed.
lie had yielded to the temptation and
had so fixed them.
Jenkins, his fellow employee In the
Office. was follower OF horse racing
in his small way Now and then he
risled dollar or two IN a nearby
pool room, and sometimes he won. A
few days after Brooks had falslfied
the books to cover up his deficit OF
$40 Jenkins had confided to his Office
cronies that he had a tip Of which he
felt SO sure that he was prepared to
pawn his last shOestring to back It.
Many Others had decided to take a
chance, and. having 10 money OF his
own. Brooks had taken an advance
on his salary out Of his collections and
followed their example. The odds
they had obtained were 6 to ], and
the horse had won Out OF his win
nings Brooks had replaced the money
he had helped himself to.
The pool room and the availability OF
the company's money had offered to
HIM a great opportunity to win what
he could not earn, and, encouraged BY
his first success. he had taken advan-
tage OF It, He had begun by making
study Of racing and risking small sums.
Luck had been with him, aud he had
won time and time again. He had
wanted his wife to share his good for
tame. but had not dared to tell her
how he had obtained the money. so he
had Invented the story OF outside work.
His run OF luck had continued. how
ever. until 1t had become phenomenal.
and this It was that had caused his
exfravagant optimism. He had wager
I'd larger and larger sums until his
winnings had represented a secret
bank account OF $1,000. 1t was one
day when he had plunged" and won
a thousand dollars that he had con
ueiyed the fiction Of his promotion with
reward Of back pay.
Soon after their installation in their
more expensive quarters. however,
series Of reverses had come. His luck
had deserted him. First his bank ac-
count went; then he had drawn on the
collections in his efforts to retrieve his
losses He had plunged and lost.
plunged and won. plunged again and
lost. 1t had not been long before his
borrowings" had reached such a ter
rifying amount that he had realized
that discovery was inevitable unless
he could replace the money within
brief delay. He had chung to the de-
spaning hope that by wagering heavl-