The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1914-12-18
CHATTER xvlll-contlnued.

Thai LSug all. i LnanK yOus bT80us
for your solicitious care for me-" He
emphasized the word noticably. "But
4 have been doing some thinking Of my
own In the last half hour and my plans
don't seem to go on at all where yours
leave OF. It might interest you to
know. before you go, that am going
to stay right here and tell the truth
from first to last--from the time you
came to Staten Island, until Mrs- Rey-
nolds received a letter from you the
other day showing that you had vol-
unfairly squared criminal transac-
ton for me at the bank"
As he finished Bob's fist came down
on the little center table and almost
shattered 1t. There was the vigor and
determination that Brand had had to
respect once before when he had
loosed his wiles on more gullible re-
cipient. But now, In this crisis, he had
not even considered the chance Of OPP
position to his will. First astonished,
their thoughtful. his ford features
no7 revealed their old cunning.
3You play the game big, Reynolds"
lie said at last. Either this Is
(holdup right, or you have gone clear
crazy"
"All right. Rave all you want to,
Brand. 1t can't do any harm now. I
told you last week there were two
ways to get out OF 1t all: One was
money and the other was to make q
clean breast Of it.. One can't have all
he wants all the time. You had your
chance ten days ago and you threw 1t
away. / gave you my terms and you
took advantage of my helplessness
and ignored them. You stayed away
and paid that paltry $4,000 at the
bank. You thought you would fright
en- my wife; that your magnanimity
In releasing US from immediate peril
would impress her and that in the end
she would welcome the release you Of
6ered. Well you succeeded with her
but not with me. For her sake was
almost inclined to let matters drop,
but this terrible affair has changed it
all. We have taken human life, and q
lot of 1t, and some one has got to pay,
90 IL anyone is going to take the Lusi-
tania, you're the man who had better
hurry and pack his grip"
Brand stepped quickly to Reynolds,
tower of indignant rage. Trapped
or cornered he was always Brand: al
ways ready to put his back to the wall
and flght-in the open If he couldn't
fight from ambush Bearded and al
most beaten now. he quivered In his
wrath and shook threatening fist
straight in Reynolds face.
You're a big. blasted baby and an
imbecilel" he cried. "You play the
gutter now and I'll make you regret it
to the last day of your life. I'll fight
and I'll win as always have. You
can't keep man with money in jail.
Those three words can't be grouped
In the same language! But what's the
use OF talking" he added disgustedly.
"You can't lay down now If you want
to. You haven't got the nerve to send
that girl there to the penitentiary for
six or eight or ten years, to come ont
! broken woman-not enough OF her
left to suggest who she was. Do you
know what prison does to men. Rey-
nolds? Breaks 'em-b body. mind and
soull Well. what will It do to a wom-
an. then? To your wife2 For II we 60
abe goes with US. I've told you that
and mean it, so guess my bluffe
about as strong as yours"
He turned partly to Dick and, as If
80 cinch his threat. added:
-And I'm not sure but that our vir.
&uous friend here win be keeping us
company. That's law and you know
r."
Bob" cried his wife, creeping to his
side and cuddling against him as II she
saw In Brand some hybrid monster
whom she really feared. I'm go. Any
thing you say. dearl I'm not afraid
mot afraid" Weeping softly, in obvi-
Gus contradiction to her courageous
stand, she nestled closer to his side.
We stand upon the brink OF high
Drecipice and hooking down are OBJ
aessed with strange desire to jump.
The thought Of life has vanished in q
vale of endless depths--the hold on It
Sc infinitesimal. A bird flying over.
head, startled by the strange intruder
in his realms. drops twig he is carry
Hng to his nest. The tiny bit OF wood
hutters to the mountain top and at
ehe precise moment that we have all
out signed our passport to other worlds
the twig falls at our feet The sound
of It is scarcely audible. but slight as
Il Is we hear II, turn. and the spell Of
aeIf-absorption and abandon is broken.
We lose no time in climbing back to
terra frma,
SO Reynolds, possessed with the
idea OF selfsacriflce self destruction,
Il necessary anything to bring to jus
eice the man he blamed for all his
wrongs and for the awful climax that
had just come, grew stronger in his
purpose. more fascinated in the pur-
p0rt OF it. with every word that Brand
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