Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-01-08

confidential statement us to the legal
ty of the thing proposed. After Il few
perfectly legal breach OF promise suits
due to Aggies winSome innocence Of
ta9eouSly Out of court Mary devised Il
scheme of greater elaboratenesS. with
the legal acunlen OF the lawyer TO in
dorse it in the matter OF safety. 1t
was planned as the swindling of u
swindler. which in fact. had now be-
come the secret principle in Marys
morality.
\ gentleman possessed OF some
means, none too scrupulous himself.
but with high financial aspirations. add
rertised for Il partner to invest capital
in a business sure to bring large re-
turns. This advertisement caught the
eye of Mary Turner. and she answered
it. An Introductory correspondence
encouraged her to hope for the victory
in a game of cunning against cunning.
She consulted with Harris and espe-
cially sought from him detailed infer-
nation as to partnership law. His
statements gave her such confidence
that presently she entered into Il part
nerShip with the advertiser. BY the
terms of their agreement each depos
tied 100000 to the partnership account
This sum of 100000 was ostensibly
to be devoted to the purchase of a
tract of land. which should afterward
be divided into lots and resold to the
public at enormous profit. AS mat
ter of fact. the advertiser planned to
make Il spurious purchase of the tract
IN question by means of forged deeds
granted by IN accomplice. this max
ing through fraud neat profit of $780,
OcO
No sooner was the 100000 on deposit
i'll the bank than Mary Turner drew
out the whole amount. as she had
perfect right to do legally. When the
advertiser learned of this he was, nat
urally enough. full to overlooking with
wrath. But after an interview with
Harris he swallowed his wrath as best
he might. He found he could not go
into court with clean hands, which is
a prime stipulation OF the law, though
often honored in the breach. So he
let himself be mulcted in raging ST.
lence.
The event established Mary as the
arbiter in her own coterie. She next
decided that certain General Hast
ings would make an excellent sacrifice
on the altar of justice-and to her own
financial profit. The old man was
notorious roue. of most unsayory rep
utation as a destroyer Of innocence
1t was probable that he would easily
fall a victim to the ingenious charms
of Aggie. AS for that precocious dam
sci. she would run no least risk of de-
truction by the satyr.
General Hastings met Aggie in the
most casual way. He was captivated
! by her freshness and beauty, her de-
mnreneSS, her ignorance of all things
vicious. Straightway he set snares.
He showered every gallant attention
on the naive. bread and butter miss
and succeeded gratifyingly soon in
| winning her heart-to all appearance.
| But he gained nothing more, for the
coy creature abruptly developed most
| effective powers of resistance to every
| Establishment that went beyond strict
est propriety. His ardor cooled sud
| denly when Harris served summons
| in a suit for $4,000 damages for
breach of promise
| Even while this affair was still in
the course of execution Mary found her
self engaged in direction that offered
| at least the hope of attaining her great
desire-revenge against Edward Gill
der This opportunity came in the
| person of his son. Dick After much
continuing. she got an Introduction to
that young man. Forthwith she show
ed herself so deliciously womanly. so
I Intelligent. so daintily feminine. so
sinsularly beautiful that the young
| man was ellamored almost ut once
| The fact thrilled Mary to the depths
| OF her heart. for in this son Of the man
whom she hated she saw the instru-
ment of vengeance for which she had
so longed. Yet this one thing was so
| vital To her that she said nothing of
| her purposes. not even to Aggie.
y
have possessed suspicious more or less
near the truth.
1t WAS some such suspicion that lay
behind her speech as. in nesligee. she
sat smoking Il cigarette. while watch
ing Mary, who was adjusting her hat
before the mirror of her dressing table
one pleasant spring morning.
"Dollin up Il whole lot. amt youy
Agsie remarked affably. with that lax
ity of language which characterized
her natural moods.
II have very important engage
ment with Dick Glider" Mary replied
TRANQUILITY
Nice boy. amt he:" Aggie ventur
ed insnuatngly.
oh. suppose SO" came the indif
ferent answer from Mary as she tiltet
the picture hat to an angle Il trin,
more iaunty.
II don't get you. Mary. You neve
) used to look at the men The way yo,