Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-08-29
CHAPTER xvlI.-contInued.


II was however. her husbands voice
that answered her. He spoke quickly.
as IL in a hurry, telling her that he
would not be home to dinner. as
college friend of his from New York
had just arrived and he would dine
and go to the theater with him that
evening. Berny's ear. ready to dis
cover, In the most alien subjects. mat
ter bearing on her husbands interest
IN Rose Cannon, listened intently for
the mans name. As Dominick did
not give 1t she asked for it. and to
her strained and waiting attention 1t
seemed to come with an intentional
indistinctness.
What is his name?" she called
again. her voice hard and high. Il
didn't catch 1T"
1t was repeated and for the second
time she did not hear 1t. Before she
could demand 1t once more, Domi-
nicks "Good-by" hummed along the
wire and the connection was cut
She did not want any more lunch
and went into the parlor. where she
sat down on the cushioned window
seat and looked out on the vaporous
(ransparencies of the fog. She had
walked with the sense of weight and
apprehension heavy on her. As she
dressed she had thought of the inter
view of yesterday with anger and also
with something as much like fear as
she WAS capable Of feeling. She real
lied the folly of the rage she had
shown, the folly and the futility of 1t.
and she realized the danger of an
open declaration OF war with the
fierce and INSCRIPTIONS old man who
was her adversary. This. with her
customary bold courage, she now tried
to push from her mind. After all. he
couldn't kill her, and tina. was about
the only way he could get rid OF her.
Even Bill Cannon would hardly dare.
in the present day in San Francisco.
cold-bloodedly to murder woman.
The thought caused e slight. sarcastic
smile to touch her lips. Fortunately
for her, the lawless days of California
were passed.
With the curtains caught between
her finger-tips, her figure bent forward
and motionless. she looked out into
the street as II she saw something
there OF absorbing interest But she
saw nothing. All her mental activity
was bent on the problem of Domi-
hicks telephone message. She did not
believe it. She was in that state
where trifies light as air all point one
way, and to have Dominick stay out
to dinner with sudden and unexpect-
ed friend from New York" was more
than trifie. She assured herself with
slow, cold reiteration that he was din
ing with Rose Cannon in the big house
on California Street. II they walked
together on Sunday mornings. why
shouldn't they dine together on week
day nights? They were careful OF ap-
pearances and they would never let
themselves be seen together in any
public place till they were formally
engaged. The man from New York
was a fiction. She-that Immaculate,
perfect girl-had invented him. Domi-
nick could not invent anything. He
was not that kind Of man. But Ber-
ny knew that all women can lie when
the occasion demands. and Rose Can
non could thus supply her lovers de-
fciencies.
With her Misunderstanding eyes fixed
on the white outside world, her men
tai vision conjured UP a picture of
them at dinner that night, sitting op-
posite each other at table glistening
with the richest of glass and silver.
while soft-footed menials waited OBJ
seQuiously upon them. Bill Cannon
was not in the picture. Berny's imagi-
nation had excluded him. pushing him
out Of the romance into some unseen.
nnintsresting region where people who