Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-03-02

"What the Devil Did You
The mention Of the Italian clearly
troubled Gillespie. After a moment he
said:
HE may be holding on to Henry in
stead of Henry's holding on to him. Do
you see?"
"No; I DON'T"
"Well, have an idea that the dago
knows something that's valuable. Last
summer Henry went cruising in the
Sound with pretty rotten crowd,
poker being the chief diversion. A
man died on the boat before they got
back to New York. The report was
that he fell down hatchway when he
was drunk, but there were some ugly
stories in the papers about it. That
Italian sailor was one of the crew."
where is he now?"
"Over at Battle Orchard. He knows
his man and knows he'll be back. I'm
waiting for Henry, too. Helen gave
him $4,000. The way the market is
running he's likely to go broke any
day. He plays stocks like a crazy
man, and after he's busted he'll be
back on our hands,"
Its hard on Miss Pat"
"And it's harder on Helen. She's In
terror all the time for fear her father
will 60 up against the law and brins
further disgrace on the family. There's
her Uncle Arthur, a wanderer on the
face of the earth for his sins. That
was bad enough without the rest of it. u
"That was greed, too, wasn't it,"
mo, just general cussedness. He
blew in the Holbrook bank and
skipped"
"You told me that Henry Holbrook
found his way here ahead of you. How
do you account for that?"
He looked at me quickly, and rose.
again pacing the narrow room.
II don't! I wish I could"
Its about the last place in the
world to attract him. Port Annandale
is quiet resort frequented by western
people only. There's neither hunting
nor fishing worth mentioning; and a
man doesn't come from New York to
Indiana to sail a boat on thimbleful
of water like this lake,
"You are quite right
IF Helen Holbrook gave him warn.
Ing that they were coming here
Don't you dare say it! She couldn't
have done! She wouldn't have done
it! l tell you I know, independently of
her, that he was here before Father
Stoddard ever suggested this place to
Miss Pat
well, you needn't get so hot about
it,"
"And you needn't insinuate that she
is not acting honorably in this affair!
should think that after making love
to her, as you have been doing, and
playing the role of comforter to Miss
Pat, you would have the decency not
to accuse her of connivance with Hen
~ Holbrook."
'You let your jealousy get the better
of your good sense. I have not been
making love to Miss Holbrook!" I de-
clared, angrily, and knew in my heart
that lied.
well, Irishman," he exclaimed with
entire good humor: 'let us not bring
up mine host to find us locked in NOR
tai combat"
what the devil did you bring me up
here for?" demanded.
"Oh, just to enjoy your society. I
get lonesome sometimes. I tell you a
man does get lonesome in this world
when he has nothing to lean on but a
blooming button factory and STEP
mother who fits among the worlds ex-
pensive sapatoria. know you have
never had Button, button, who's got
the button?' chanted in your ears, but
may ask whether you have ever
known the Joy OF q stepmother? Il
can see that your answer win be an
unregretful negative"
! He was quite the fool again, and
stared at me vacuously. ~ -
MY stepmother is not the common
type Of Juvenile fiction. She has never
attempted during her widowhood to
rob the orphan or to poison him. Bless
your Irish heart, no! She's a good
woman. and rich IN her own right, but
! couldn't stand her dietary. She's
afraid I'm going to die, Donovan!
She thinks everybedy's going to. die.