Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-04-13

IN september, she walled. I10F0 Is
absolutely nobody in town. Six is a
dreadful number
Its a good poker number" her hus-
band suggested.
The matter settled itself, however.
l was hopeless, save as a dummy;
Miss West said it was too hot for
cards, and went out on a balcony that
overlooked the Mall. With obvious
relief Mrs. Dallas had the card table
brought, and-I was face to face with
the minute l had dreaded and hoped
for for a week.
Now it had come, it was more diff
f1cuIt than had anticipated. / do not
know if there was a moon, but there
was the urban substitute for 1.-THE
balcony railing in long black bars
against her white gown, and as it
swung sometimes the face was in the
light. 1 drew a chair close so that 1
could watch her.
do you know" l said, when she
made no effort at speech, 'that you
are much more formidable person
the last time : saw yOu?"
The light swung on her face; she
was smiling family.
1.-The hat with the green ribbons!"
she said 'T must take it back; 1 had
almost forgotten"
Il have not forgotten anything"
pulled myself up short. This was
hardly loyalty to Richey. His voice
came through the window just then,
and perhaps 1 was wrong, but 1
thought she raised her head to listen.
Look at this hand" he was say
ing. Regular pianola; you could play
it with your feet"
Hes a dear, isn't he?" Alison said
unexpectedly. mo matter how ae-
pressed and downhearted / am, 1 al
ways cheer up when 1 see Richey."
He's more than that" 1 returned
warmly He is the most honorable fell
low know If he wasn't so much that
way, he would have a career before
him. He wanted to put on the doors
Of our offices, Blakeley and Mcknight,
p. B. H., which is Poor But Honest"
From my comparative poverty to
the wealth of the girl beside me was
a single mental leap. From that
wealth to the grandfather who was
responsible for it was another.
81 wonder if you know that l had
been to Pittsburg to see your grand
father when l met you?" said.
'You!" She was surprised.
eyes. And you remember the alli-
gator bag that / told you was ex-
changed for the one you cut off my
arm?" She nodded expectantly. well,
in that vaiise were the forged Andy
Bronson notes, and Mr.. Gilmore's dep
ositiOn that they were forged"
She was on her feet in an instant.
"In that bag!" she cried. "Oh, why
didn't you tell me that before? Oh.
it's so ridiculous, $3.50 hopeless.
Why, I could"
She stopped suddenly and sat down
again. 81 do not know that 1 am sor-
ry, after ALL" she said after a pause
MIR. Bronson was a friend of my ia
theirs. II suppose it was a bad
thing for you, losing the papers?"
well, it was not a good thing"
conceded. while we are on the sub
ject of losing things, do you remem-
ber-do you know that l still have
your gold purse?"
She did not reply at once. The sha-
dow of a column was over her face,
but / guessed that she was staring at
me.
'You have it," She almost whis-
pered.
4 picked it up in the street car" 1
said, with a cheerfulness I did not
feel. ct looks like very opulent lit.
tie purse"
Why didn't she speak about the
necklace? For just a careless word
to make me sane again!
''Youi" she repeated, horror-strick.
en-. And then 1 produced the nurse
and held 1t out on my palm.
81 should have sent it to you be-
fore, / suppose, but, as you know,
have been laid up since the wreck"
We both saw Mcknight at the same
moment. He had pulled the curtains
aside and was standing looking out at
us. The tableau of give and take was
unmistakable; the gold purse, her out
stretched hand, my own attitude. It
was over in a second; then he came
out and lounged on the balcony rail-
ing.
They're mad at me in there" he
said airily, so l came out. suppose
the reason they call it bridge is be-
cause so many people get cross over
it,"
The heat broke up the card group
soon after, and they all came out for
the night breeze. l had no more words
alone with Alison.
l went back to the Incubator for
the night. We said almost nothing on
the way home; there was a constraint
between US for the first time that 1
could remember. 1t was too early for
bed, and so we smoked in the living
room and tried ia talk of trivial