The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-11-15


wide and Amy stood there.
$50 right into the house! You'll take cold," he
commanded.
But she drew him inside with eager welcome,
|''Why, how DID you manage to get the o'clOcky L
heard the gate shut and could hardly believe my
ears!" She possessed herself of one of his hands,
he had to dive best he could with the other to
fish out her candy She took it, with gay pretense OF
scolding, and then checked herself
''You look tired, Tom. When you We had your din
ner you'll feel better"
"Ah Amy"
eyes? Tell me; knew you hadn't had good
day."
When he had told her, she sat dumb before him.
Her face white and her eyes terror stricken But
that only for the first moment. Almost instantly
there the relief of anger She stood up, her deli
cate face red her voice strained
''TO accuse you! YOUR
1t was just what Bates had said The first thought
Everywhere would be of the absurdty of such
charge against Thomas .Fleming.
at blackmail, Amy said trembling.
"Of course, we shall have no difficulty in throwing
them down. he said. ''They bring their case real
ly, on Smiths old check to me for $17,400"
81 don't underestimate Amy said It had always
been joke between them that Amy did not know
anything about business, she tried to smile when
she asked him to explain
"Oh'' he said, impatiently, "it's simple enough
L. III. Smith owed me $4,000 personal matter. l
once sold him some stock; he gave me his note; had
to two three times; thing sort of hung fire.
You wouldn't understand it, Amy. But when he
bought this Hammond property for $14, 400 he made
out the check for $17 40O-he'd had windfall, he
could pay me what he owed me. See? 1 got my
money. UNDERESTIMATE
Perfectly" she said "what rascal Hammond
|isp'
Her husband was silent Amys knees were shakr
ing under her. "Oh, could kill that man, I could
kill him!''
Well as he knew her, he looked at her with astont
ishment-this mild creature to speak with such
deadly vindictive passion! She came and knelt
down beside him; he felt her heart pounding in her
side. -
She kissed him silently and went back to her Seat
"Dont let's talk about it, dearest, any more to-
night It's only on the surface; it isn't real trou-
He nodded, gratefully and they did not speak of
it again:
her bed stared into the darkness until the glmmer
ing oblong Of the window told her that dawn had
come.
"Trouble shows us our friends" Amy said smil-
ing. And indeed it did, in the Flemings case When
the news of the indictment of Thomas Fleming fell
upon his community, there moment of stunned
establishment; then of protest and disbelief.
Hammond is up against it, - men said to each
other; .Feming? What nonsense!"
But with gentle dignity she told every one she
was very sorry Mr.. Hammond was so-foolish Tom
had been trustee of the Hammond estate for nearly
twenty years, and he had given time "Though, of
course, it is only Mr. Hammond Amy corrected
herself carefully just; 'the rest of the family are
nice people. His mother such an honorable
woman. And his wife-I sorry for his wife, =
Amy thought a great deal about his wife. "She
must know what he is poor soul!'' she said to her
self. And, knowing, she could not respect him. And
without respect, love must have crumbled away.
So, in spite of her deep resentment at Hammond,
Amy felt something like tenderness for Hammond IS
wife-losing both respect and love, poor soull
AS the weeks passed before the day set for the
trial, Amy grew perceptiby thinner and whittier. For
beneath all her certaintes the fear of the law re-
manned She brooded over instances of goodness
suspected, of innocent men condemned, of the blum
ders and mistakes Of Justice It was not until three
four days before the trial that Bates realized what
even Thomas Fleming had not understood, that she
was consumed with fear. When the lawyer penef
trated this he roared with laughter, which was the
best thing he could have done.
"You think I'm foolq'' she said, with quiver~
ing smile.
Now let me explain it to you,' he said kindly;
and then you won't be frightened; why, you'll be
$50 you II send out invitations for dinner party
lon the 10th, SO we can celebrated"
Then he laid the grounds for his confidence. Ham,