Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-31
TODAY'S INSTALLMENT.
PART II.

"Confound the brute" He looked down
at his hand. The scratch hurt and was
beginning to swell and an ugly little
yellow ridge was rising ominously. No
oouot ,ne beasts claws were poisoned
the wound would fester-perhaps he might
lose his hand. He sucked the scratch
and cursed the cat again
What the deuce was Keeping JeX-waS
there anywhere in this place where he
could wash his hand? He glanced toward
the door leading 10 the staircase com
municatinE with the upper part-he felt
a distaste that was more than reluc-
lance 10 90 upstairs He had not heen
there since the day Of his wifes death
the day that had given him back his
freedom.
Much good his freedom had done him
His thoughts ran IN a bitter vein this
afternoon. Betty Lumsden-al his plans
seemed, II not 20 be actually miscarrying,
10 he hating inexplicabIy. Rlmington IN
prison safe barred and silenced for
twenty years seemed for the present at
least as effective a barrier as Rimington
young and rich and free Betty was
such fool-she had given her promise,
II was true but there was a woefu lack
of flavor in a marriage Of barter.
Hang the brute"
Really, his hand was beginning to pain
him abomInably It was detestahle, but
there was no help for #. He must 60
upstairs With his lips pressed against
his hand he went mp the stairs mount
ing them slowly.
Ghostly memories came out to meet
him as he pushed open the door ar the
top Of the stairs and looked in. The in
defnable odor that had chung about
Jenny-a fragrance that had never left
her even in her illness. that even now
had power 10 conjure up the past, that
rose leaf past Of the first days Of their
marriage stin hung family In the air.
The bed was made as though ready for
occupation. Her hair brushes and little
toilet trinkets. dainty trifIcs Of tortoise
shell and gold he had given her tricked
out the dressing table SAKE drew back
with something like a shiver. What a
sentimental old idiot lex was' He opened
another door that Of the old mans own
bed room this time, apparently There
we're signs Of his occupation -huddled
clothes medley Of Queer things pros
pective stock apparently. and in the cor
ner what SAKE sought-a hand wash
stand.
basin and bathed his injured hand The
water cooled and soothed H. As he wiped
81 gently he saw that some OF it's angry
redness had sbated
Caught!
He stood looking about the room with
q half amused curiosity as he dried his
hand. What a queer old cuss Jex wasi
His thoughts snapped suddenly His
wandering eyes had encountered some
thing that stood on a table by the iron
bed-a box OF dark wood curousy bound
with brass, oddly familiar looking box
his own he would swear 10 that--that
he had thought secure beyond all cues
ton in the locked safe at the safe de-
posit In Chancery Lane. where so many
other precious and dangerous things were
buried under a name that no one but him.
self knew under combination Of let.
ters to which no one but himself had the
clew
Paul SaXe's face was not good to see
as he crossed the room and examined the
box by the bed. Yes. it was the same
there in the midst Of one OF the brass
Rrabesques were his wife's Initials he
remembered how he had got the shopmeu
in the queer old Paris shop to scratch
them there when he had bought It dur
ing the heyday Of his infa tuation for her
And she-how was il she had retained
possession Of IL all this time? He could
have sworn he had sent il with the other
things Could II he possible that he had
been guilty Of an act Of such gross care
lessness?
Beads of sweat started to his brown
II Jex had been tampering with that box
Was this the explanation Of his new atti-
tude 81 slightly-veiled insolcnce He laid