The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-30

A Fool and His Money

time, while remained where | was an
awkward, gauche spectator, conscious
of having put my clumsiest foot into
my mouth every time l opened it and
wondering whether l could now safely
get it out again without further disas-
ter.
Her back was toward me. She was
dressed in dainty, pinkish house gown
or maybe it was light blue. At any
rate it was very pretty gown and she
was wonderfully graceful in it. Ordi-
|narily in my fiction / am quite clever
ut describing gowns that do not exist;
but when it comes to telling what a
real woman is wearing, I am not only
as vague as a savage, but painfully
stupid about colors. Still, l think it
was pink. l recall the way her soft
brown hair grew above the slender
neck, and the lovely white skin; the
smooth, delicate contour of her half
averted check and the firm little chin
with the trembling red lips above it;
the shapely back and shoulders and the
graceful curves of her hips, suggestive
|of secret perfection. She was taller
than I had thought at first sight, or
was it that | seemed to be getting
smaller myselff A hasty bit Of COM
|parison placed her height at five feet
|six, using my own as something to 60
by. She couldn t have been day over
twenty-five. But she had baby!
Facing me once more she said: "If
you will sit down, Mr.. Smart, and be
patient and generous with me, / shall
try to explain everything. You have a
right to demand it of me, and I shall
feel more comfortable after it is done. !"
| drew up chair beside the table
and sat down. She sank gracefully into
another, facing me. A delicate frown
appeared on her brow.
doubtless you are very much
puzzled by my presence in this gloomy
old castle. You have been asking your
self thousand questions abont me,
and you have been shocked by my out
rageous impositions upon your good ma
turc. I confess l have been shocking
y impudent and"
"Pardon me; you are the only sauce
I've had for an excessively bad bar
gain.
"Please do not interrupt me-" she
said coldly ~ am here, Mr. Smart, be-
cause it is the last place in the world
where my husband would be likely to
look for me- -
"Your husbandi Look for you9"
"Yes. / shall be quite frank with
you. My husband and have separated
A provisional divorce was granted, how
ever, just seven months ago. The final
decree cannot be issued for one year. "
But why should you hide from
hims'
The-the court gave him the Gus,
tody of our child during the proba
tionary year Il have run away with
her. They are looking for me every
where. That is why l came here. Do
you underestimate
| was stunned. "Then, | take it, the
court granted him the divorce and not
you," I said, experiencing a sudden
chill about the heart. "You were de.
prived of the child, see. Dear mel"
You are mistaken y she said, a
flash in her eyes. "It was an Aus
trian court. The Conpt--my husband,
should SAYS an Austrian subject.
His interests must be protected She
said this with sneer on her pretty
lips. You see, my father, knowing
him now for what he really is, has re-
fused to pay over to him something
like million dollars, still due for the
settlement. The Count con-
tends that it is jus. and legal debt
and the court supports him to this ex-
tent-the child is to be his until the