Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-02-04

~
tage of it. He had begun by making &
study of racing and risking small sums
Luck had been with him. and he had
won time and time again. He had
wanted his wife to share his good for
tune. but had not dared to tell heI
how lie had obtained the money. so Ii.
had invented the story of outside work
His run Of luck had continued. how
ever. until it had become phenomenal
and this 1t was that had caused his
eXtravagant optimism. He had wager
ed larger and larger sums until hia
winnings had represented secre,
bank account of $1,000 1t was ont
day when he had plunged and WOE
Il thousand dollars that he had con
ceived the fiction Of his promotion witt
reward Of back. pay.
Soon after their Installation in theii
more expensive quarters. however, 8
series of reyerses had come. His luch
had deserted him. First his bank &C
count went; then he had drawn on the
collections in his efforts to retrieve hi.
losses. He had plunged and lost
plunged; and won, plunged again anG
lost. 1t had not been long before his
borrowings" had reached such 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
spairing hope that by wagering heavi
~ he could win enough during VIII
liams' absence to hide his pilferine
and postpone examination. While thi.
could be deferred there was hope
Now be knew that his cunning. re
lentless employer had been watching
his gradually tottering progress on the
tight rope of dishonesty and, prepar-
Ing trap to catch him in. had chosen
his own time to spring it.
At the thought of this Brooks worked
himself into perfect frenzy of fury.
He ragged up and down the room, ours
Ing Williams. aud hurled cushion to
the floor and ground it with his foot as
though II We're his enemy's hated face.
you have cheated me out of liv-
ing. you tiend!' he almost howled
And now you have taken my wife!'
The sound of his own voice startled
ard Gained him, and he peeped out in
the corridor apprehensively. for fear
any one might by chance have been
nigh and heard him. He was exhaust
ed by the violence of his paroxysm.
His breath came quickly in gasps.
and he stood with staring eyes and
heaving bosom until the nervous reac-
ton set in. Then he staggered to the
sofa. threw himself upon 1t and burst
into tears
The lachrymose effusion was of brief
duration. and 1t was succeeded by
deep detection. He sat up and glanced
at his watch. 1t was IL O'clock. One
after another he got all the papers
and magazines there were, only to
throw them impatiently to the floor
1t was impossible for him to read
them
Emma had been gone long time
What was OBTAINING her-what. ex-
cept-
His face began to twitch. He rose,
lit Il cigarette. took two puffs at it and
put it down.
After all, the chief thing was that
she should be successful.
He filed glass with water that
bellboy had brought up iced for his
mother-in-law and drained 1t at
draft. Then he picked up the news
paper nearest to him and tried to read
again. but 1t was useless He threw
it down.
What If Williams had refused to be
persuaded?
The suspense was becoming unen-
durable. A look of determination
came into his face. and he went to the
telephone. but as his hand touched it
he changed his mind. walked back to
the table and lit another cigarette
Then, he went to the window and
stared out ut the opposite houses with
unseeing eyes. Presently his hand
sought his watch pocket. The time
piece it drew out marked ten minutes
past II. He held it to his ear. 1t was
ticking steadily.
Only ten minutes since he had looked
at 1t before! Impossible! Fully an
hour had elapsed The watch must
have stopped in the interim. Impa-
tient, he went to the telephone and
asked for the right time. The ho-
tel clerk replied that it was just ten
minutes past II. On his way to the
table to get another cigarette he hap
pened to catch sight of himself in
the mirror over the mantelpiece. The
thin. haggard. ashen visage he saw
.there frightened him. He laughed nerv.
ously.
AS he did so the door behind him
opened. Starting so violently that he
let fall the box of cigarettes. he turned.
Mrs. Harris. in high dudgeon. walked
in. followed by Beth.
Ito be continued.
children Cry
EnP EIErcuEp,c