The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-04-02
Judge and Mrs. SpotsWood.

Judge and Mrs. Spotswood.
metropolitan run of many weeks, and
phans," held her spellbound for an
evening? Had not the leading men in
these productions been invariably very
different in their appearance from any
Of the Jonesville youth, and therefore
Economically attractive; had not the
leading women worn enormous jewels
and extraordinary, yellow hair which
she had envied fiercely? Her own hair
was rich, dark brown. She thought it
very commonplace
She looked at him somewhat coldly.
1t was plainly time to turn from Cos
sip to pure business.
I've worked all the morning with
the auditor upon a statement which
shows the years business up to the
first of this month";" she notified him
gravely. From an upper drawer of the
big desk at which she had been seated
she secured long, formidable looking
paper and, rising, approached him with
it. do you care to go over it now"
He eyed it askance, as if it might
have been dangerous thing and liable
to sting Business! Should he ever
really discover how to feel the slight
est interest in it or understanding of
it? What tiresome looking thing it
was
mo; not right now" he told her, al
most shivering. "I-Mr. Wallace prom
ised to do all that for me-
She put the statement back into her
desk, little disappointed. Then he'll
be here this morning."
Yes; he'll be here right away. He
had to go to the barber shop" He
laughed. 81 shave myself, thank Cod
he added fervently.
Her manner now became more seri-
Gus and rather puZzling. 1t was not
as if he had done anything which dis
pleased her, it was not even as if she
thought he might; it was only that OF
the delightful woman who is wonder
ing if, presently, she may not think he
might. She was not suspicious, she
suspected that she might suspect. He
knew it; men always know when WON
en- are beginning to wonder if they had
not better very soon begin to wonder
It's the only intuition mere men have.
The others are all feminine monopo.
lies.
Presently, while he waited, acutely
conscious that some unpleasant ele-
ment had entered into the situation,
but densely ignorant of it's character;
and while she calmly went about the
business of her office management, at
which, it may as we'll be stated now
as ever, she showed unmistakable signs
of perfect competence, she went to a
complicated filing cabinet, extracted
from it certain other papers, carried
them across the room to the desk near
which he had found a seat, laid them
on that desk, then slowly turned and
faced him.
do you know that Mr.. Pembroke, of
the Consolidated is here in town.
she asked after a seconds hesitation.
To her great satisfaction, which she
would not for the world have admitted,
he did not hesitate before he an
swered; he did not try to beat around
the bush; he INDUCED in no evasions
or delays of any kind whatever.
Yes, l know it, he said promptly.
1t may be that some detail in his
tone or manner treasured her, at any
rate her voice, when she spoke next,
was free from a certain icy hint of
criticism which undoubtedly had crept
into it.
Did he come here with you?"
mo; he followed me here"
Have you seen him." She made
no attempt to offer an excuse for
cross-examining him; she evidently
asked the question as an interested
party who has right to be informed.
Was she not citizen of Jonesville and
an employee of the Jones Pepsin Gum
Company"
mo; have not seen him, but Mr..
Wallace saw him last night and turned
down his offer, too"
Instantly the reserve, which, intangi-
BILE but perceptible, had affected her,
dropped from her. She was no longer
in the least suspicious.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed
cordially.
But he failed to note this circum-
stance; he failed to ward against on
coming danger. AS matter of fact he
was not thinking of her as an employee
of the Jones company, he was not
thinking about Jonesville, he was con-
sidering his own pressing need for
money and the delightful possibility
that through Pembroke, in one way or
another, that need must be relieved.
He rose and paced the floor with light
and hopeful tread, wholly without ap-
prehension.
1--WE gave him to understand that we
wouldn't sell for less than a million
and half" He said this half proudly.
Then, with the accents of hopper:
I'VE expect him here at eleven o'clock
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