The Marshall republican., 1909-10-01

my husband, no doubt. hut he re-
m~embered, and so do l.. Shall I 70
furthcr?"
I'VE must speak in private" he
said.
Miss Winstanley and I arose at
once, but Mrs. Dimes motioncd us to
remain.
Miss WirstGnley is equally inter
ested with me in the establishment of
Justice she said to him, and Mr.
Twining may be required to distln-
guish for you between the illegal and
the merely ~dishonorable. They must
both remain. | should have been glad
to spare you this, as l think my CON
tinued inaction in the matter must
prove to you But you have forced me
to act. You have violated all sense
or honor and right, and you have
brought upon you head precisely the
thing you would most eagerly have
averted. If you thought I would stand
by and scr you marry Barbara Hem.
ingray, knowing you to he the sort Of
man you arc, YOU greatly misjudge
me. But | am inclined to bolieva that
you did not think ME to be my hus-
bands ~confidante, and that you felt
yourself secure, you ignominy buried
with him."
Ankony arose and held open the
door into the inner office.
e" must insist upon discussing this
matter in private" he protested hotly,
in a voice that quavered.
Mrs, Dimes sat still, an imperative
hand held out detainingly to us. THE
time is past for that" she told him:
If you had sought me out long age
1t might have been very different.
But understand that I mean to make
no public disclosures IL you accede
to my demand. 1t remains with you
to decide whether OF not the very un.
pleasant facts go forth"
He continued to stand across the
room from her, his hand still upon
the door. He did not reply, and I
could feel, rather than see, that he
was terribly shaken. Mrs. Dimes
turned her chair till she faced him.
That we may come to an under.
standing at once, l think I should tell
you In the beginning that I know that
when you were my husbands agent
some years 6 you hypothecated Sc
c~urities that were his-not yours,
You were hard pushed then, and he
knew 1t to be the crucial period of
your whole business career; so he
waited, believing that his confidence
In you had not been entirely misplaced
n that when you could you would
make good the amount you had
stolen. But you did not. And after
two years, when you had become am.
ply able to do so. and did not, he real
lied that you had grown secure In the
belief that your peculation was not
discovered, and that you were without
even he semblance of honor. He ad.
uitted this with singular reluctance.
Mr.. Ankony, for / think o know thai
he trusted you as not many men trust
their fellows"
She paused, her yes on his face.
His muttered reply was not coherent.
and she went on at once:
when he saw you at last as you
really were, he determined to prose
cute you; but there came his last long
Illness and his death, and afterward
my heart had softened a little to you
and l had not the mind beside to put
shame and sorrow upon YOU mother,
SO I did nothing. But when l heard
the amazing news that you had pro-
posed to marry a girl like Barbara
Hemingway, ] came back to America
to tell you that you must give her up
or the delayed prosecution will begin
at once"
Then he spoke. you understand
what this is you ask of me?" he said
thickly.
Perfectly" she nodded. and her
tone was less unkindly. IF ! did not
know Just how sweet and lovely and
full Of grace and innocence she is, I
might perhaps have stayed away and
left you to your wooing."
There was a long silence.
you demand large interest, Mrs.
Dimes" he said.
Accumulated interest is always
large" she retorted. But I do not
wish to humiliate you any more than
is necessary. You must, of course,
bring to an immediate end this unfor.
tunate engagements believe you
were to have been married at noon,
were o notf" She glanced ct the
clock. you have not much time.
Some part of the truth Miss Hem.
ingray must know. But you may make
your own explanation aside from that.
I only exact that she shall be made to
understand that whatever sense Of
obligation she may have entertained
for you ia d~issipated,"
Ankony colored painfully and made
no reply.
Il shall not intrude upon you fur
aher', she said; ''but I desire you to
understand that / am prepared to do
all that ! say ! win do In case you
do not yield to my stipulation. 7 have
with me the papers which leave NO
room for doubt AZ to your guilt Shall
! give them 70 Mr., Twining, as your
Attorneyr