The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-04-27
Copyright. 1911, by American Press
Association
CONTINUED
CHAPTER <.
THAT FANCHON WOMAN.

own name to buy the woman he need
ed most; buy Rose Fanchon or buy his
own wife! A moment ago you heard
him practically offer them to me for
my silence.
Even then, knowing he had sold his
honor for money, was ready to be-
neve he had done it for the best. I
was ready to believe his excuse Of me
and the children. But he has betray-
ed me. His eyes smile lies; his lips
speak lies; his lips''-
She rubbed her hands almost brutal
~ over her mouth, as though trying
to rub away the brand Of some foul
disgrace. With one last desperate ef-
fort for self mastery she walked to
the door through which her husband
had passed and commanded in a voice
Of deadly calm:
"Come out! Come here!"
eyes, Anna, Pm here" answered he,
appearing with a smile. Absorbed in
his own thoughts, he had not noticed
the tone Of her words.
Robert Granger, how did you dare
tell me you needed me! I say, how
did you dare! What kind Of IA thing
are you? You thought you could buy
your own wife. You'd take the money
from-from Rose Fanchon-and hand
1t to me-to me! You don't need her
Just now; you need me! Rose Fan
chon or me or another, it would be all
thn nd h1
ried" She paused for breath, spent
with the fury of her scorn.
Granger stood staring whitley at
her, the incarnation of shame and de-
spair. Finally he tried weakly to set
right the thing that never could be set
right; tried to explain it away and
bully or beg himself back into his
wife's heart.
f"Of course, I-er-well, Anna, want
to apologize. about Rose-Rose-that
Fanchon woman. It was all her fault
anyhow. Men are up against an awful
lot with some women. r. With his
practiced cunning he saw he was on
the wrong track. He changed his tac-
tics, little venomous bully that he was
when I was up there" he nodded
across the Hudson, "a man came to
see me one day and he said-well, Of
course, laughed him down-he said
my wife was living here with Burton
Temple, living here with an unmarried
man. Well, as say, laughed him
down; I wouldn't let him see"-
BE paused for a second, arrested by
Annals instructive recoiling. Two lit
tie steps she took, steadying herself
by both hands on the table back OF
her. The pupils Of her gray eyes were
black and big with horror.
"Oh, you needn't take it like that,
he went on magnanimously. "Why
I'm not going to ask you single ques
ton, not one. I won't try to learr
how far it's gone; I'll overlook-we'rt
both Of us-well, it'll be all right. Only
really, I must ask you to come along
now; I've no time to spare"
Il have met Absurdity in my time
and hobnobbed with him." said Anna
at length, "but never heard anything
so absurd as that. Could you really
fancy, Robert Granger, that I should
go with you-now?'
If she had burst upon him with {
storm Of words, anger, injured virtue
reproach, he might have known wha
TO do. But this! This naughty, I'm,
disdain! 1t made even him realize hi!
own depravity.
For a moment just now" she said
your weakness overcame me. I wal
going to-God knows what was goine
to do. Then you offered to buy me
my sympathy, as though I were 9
thing to be bargained for, along witt
your Rose Fanchon. And as though
that were not enough, you tried tt
barter your children's mothers honor
You knew that every drop of my blood
every throb of my heart, was In either
your own or. the children's keeping
You knew it. And yet. oh, what sort
OF thing are you to be made in Gods
image?'
Granger sank on his knees, catch
Ing at her hand. With the loss of his
game went also the loss Of his nerve.
Forgive, Anna," he cried, forgive
and come with me now"
But coldly, CONTEMPORARY, she bade
F.. him rise. 1--WE put you out Of my
lne," she said.
Driven into a corner like a rat. all
his desplcable cruelty came out. He
started as though to spring upon his
wife, and Mrs. Mason screamed.
you'll testify against me, will you p
he sneered. Testify against your
husband for stranger? No magnify
ing glass needed on that; it's pretty
plain. was safely tucked away In
prison. You thought you COULD
In answer to Mrs. Mason's scream
Temple had. appeared, followed by
4 Craven. Granger looked at them sheer
1ngly for a second, then went on in his
TRADE against bis: Wifi. ~
u.