The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-14

as sorry for Emma as she was for herself. When Lucy got through with me, Tom, looked like thirty cents and felt like twenty-five of that was plugged.
 'eI didn't have sense enough to know that 1t was most of it grief over her grandfather, and nerves and hysteria. wasn't so very old myself, and hadn't. ever been married before. should have kept my mouth shut until it was all over, and then when she be- gan to cry should have coaxed her up and made her feel like was the only solid thing to hang on to in the whole world.
 ttBut the bottom had dropped out of the universe for me. She had said she hated me I was fool enough to be- lieve her. went downtown and be- gan to drink come home late that night. The poor girl had been waiting up for me-wait1ng for hours and be- coming more and more frightened when didn't show up. She was over her jealous fit, suppose. If I had come home in good shape or in any thing like it, we would have made up then and there. But my condition stop
 
 that saw her face change when she let me in. She was disgusted.
 'fIn the morning I was sick and fe- verish. I was more than disgusted with myself. I was in despair. So when she told me that she had writ ten home again and was going back was going to leave me, I didn't see that 1t was only a bluff. I didn't see that she was really only waiting to for give me, if I gave her a chance. T started downtown, wondering when she would leave, and if there was any thing I could do to make her change her mind.
 "f I had gone straight to work everything might have come around all right even then. But didn't I had that what's-the-use feeling. And stopped in at the Palmer House bar to get something to sort of pull me to- gether.
 While was there who should come up to the bar and order a drink but Prent McMaldn.''
 'eYes,'' says Colonel Tom, as near excited as he ever got.
 'Yes,'' says Armstrong, nobody else. thought that he intended to do me some mischief-shoot me, you know, for taking, his bride to be away from him or some fool thing like that But as we turned toward each other saw- he had no intention of that sort.''
 Hadn't he9' says Colonel Tom, mighty interested
 'cNo," says the doctor, looking at Colonel Tom very puzzled. Did you think he had?"
 .'Yes, I did," says the colonel, right thoughtful.
 "On the contrary" says Armstrong, i've had a drink together. And he congratulated me. Made me quite a little speech in fact, one of the flow cry kind. you know, Tom, and said that he bore me no rancor and all that
 '@The- deuce he didr' says Colonel Tom very low, like he was talking to himself. ''And then what?''
 Then" says the doctor, '+then-let me see. It's all a long time ago, you know, and McMakin's part in the whole thing isn't really importan nt.''
 'trm not so sure it isn't important, g says the colonel, "but go on.''
 'Then," says Armstrong, Eve had another drink together-in fact, a lot of them We got awfully friendly. And like fool I told him of my quarrel with Lucy
 Like a fool" says Colonel Tom, holding his head. "Go on.''
 ''There isn't much more to teH,' says the doctor, "except that I made a worse idiot of myself yet and left McMakin' about o'clock in the after noon, as near as can recol1ect. Some where about 10 o'clock that night I went home Lucy was gone. haven't seen her since.' TNo vol GOV RRo Maxim happen to mention to you that day just why he was in Ohicago?"
 'I suppose so," says the doctor. q don't know. Maybe not That was long ago. Why?''
 Because" says Colonel Tom, very grim and quiet, ''because your first thought as to his intention when he met you in the bar was my idea also. I thought he went to Chicago to settle with you You see, got to Chicago that same afternoon
 ''TEe same day?"
 "Yes- We were to have come to- 1 gether- But I missed the train, and he got there a day ahead of me. He was waiting at the hotel for me to 1 join him, and then we were going to look you up together. He found you first, and never did find you-''
 "But I don't exactly understand" says the doctor. You say he had the idea of shooting me-"
 fI don't understand everything my self" says Colonel Tom. "But I do l understand that Prent McMakfn must have played some sort of a two faced game. He never said a word to me about having seen you. "Listen,' he goes on. When you and Lucy ran away it nearly killed our