The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1913-01-24

faction. And Tom Mason's business
was not as well established as Henry $.
The very idea that the purchase OF the
Wiloughby pearls might wreck the
house of Budlow 4 Co. was ridiculous.
She dismissed the unpleasantness
from her mind and dwelt only on the
anticipated bliss of possessing the IA
nous pearls. They were at once the
admiration Of her set, and half the wo-
men had envied pretty Molly WillouSh
by their possession.
But now Willoughby had failed. and
the pearls, together with the other jew
els. pictures. houses. horses and mo
tors. were up at auction. for Molly WI
loughby had insisted that everything
should be sacrificed to save her hus
bands honor. and they were going
west to begin life anew. And Molly
had bravely declared she was happier
than she had ever been since Bob had
married her.
Laura took the train for the twenty
mile run into the city. 1t was local
and well filed with passengers. but she
found an empty seat and sank into 1t.
The train creaked into activity and
then settled into a steady rumblins
roar Two men in the seat behind
were speaking. and their voices were
plainly heard above the roar OF the
wheels.
YES said one of them, poor OLD
Budlow is about all in this time. ]
reckon"
But" expostulated another voice,
my wife says she heard he was going
to buy the Willoughby pearls They II
fetch cool fifty thousand at least"
The bigger fool he." rejoined the
other grimly. "a man in Budlows po-
sition has no business doing stunts
like that He needs every cent he can
scrape together to keep his head abov
water these times"
II thought he was pretty well bfcked
had plenty of it,"
so he was. but you know 1t takes
pretty big harreful to supply the
wants of one of the Ainslee girls.
Budlow married one of them"
THE Ainsces were not rich:"
Poor as Jobs turkey, but the girls
were all handsome and married
money. This one looks on poor old
Bud as walking gold mine. He's 90
harassed that he can't exercise proper
Judgment in conducting his affairs.
Some day my lady will ask for one
thing too many, and Budlow will be
found with bullet in his brain"
"And the Willoughby pearls will
come under the hammer again.
laughed the other as the train drew
into the Central station.
Laura Budlow walked through the
station like one in a dream. She was
about to enter waiting taxicab when
she drew back sharply. II will walk.
she said and turned toward Broadway
1t was Il long journey afoot down to
Wall street, but in burst of self re-
proach Laura Budlow determined that
her feet should tread every inch Of the
way. Besides. she must have time to
think over many matters which had
presented themselves in a new light
that morning-since she had entered
the train.
AS she plodded along. her high heeled
shoes quickly firing her feet. she
thought of the painful poverty of hel
girlhood-the constant struggle to keeT
up appearances. the overworked ia
Their and overanXious mother, then the
marriage of first one beautiful sister
after another into the rich set ant
finally her own wooing and wedding
to Henry Budlow.
OF course she had loved him Id {
way, but she had been so dazzled BY
the prospect of an opulent future
where there would be no weighing Of
dollars and cents. that size accepted Il
as fact that she was marrying Henry
Budlow for his money and nothin.
else. Since their marriage he had beef
very good to her. and there was NJ
within that he had declined to crafty
but his town office demanded much O.
his attention. and Laura had plunged
into the maelstrom of society. ant
gradually all her tenderness for be-
husband had been relegated to tn,
background. There only remained TO
her the restless fever of coming ant
going. Of spending lavishly. until sh,
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merely as a mine of inexhaustIbl,
riches upon which she could draw in
definitely to supply all her needs
whether real or imaginary.
With eyes fixed ahead and thou Gil
concentrated on these painful mem
cries. Laura trudged down the street
almost unconscious of her utter weari
ness. When she neared Wall stree
there came the apprehension that Hen
~ might have thought the matter owe
on his way to the city that morning
might have considered the purchas
of the pearls as the last straw Idol
his overburdened business and in ut
ter encouragement might have endet
his life as the man on the train hat
predicted.
Even now he might be lying In BIZ
splendid Offices with a small blue mari
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