News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-10-14
CHAPTER XVI.
The Denouement,

ne Denouement.
They heard the honk of the return.
ing car and Mrs. Collins thanks and
farewell to the chauffeur Brand took
out his watch, then glanced at Rey-
nolds.
Il don't want to be disagreeable, !"
he said, "but this nonsense has got to
end for me. Shall we invite my chauf-
feur in?"
His voice was quiet enough, but his
meaning was clear and the vexation
that his tone implied was sincere.
Brand was good at bluff, but he was
ready, too, to back a threat with
deeds. The storm cloud was about to
break. Jane saw it and felt her first
alarm.
wait" she said excitedly, wait
| just minute. Bob shall know all he
wants and more"
"Then, if you don't mind" the mil
lionaire suggested, Tets be seated"
He fetched chair to Jane.
"hob,' his wife began, eff you want
to learn all the truth you've got to
! ASaih ~ u Jill DlC. NIl. ID dAu Gail
tell you why he has come here-be-
cause l asked him to. But that is ALL
That night, five weeks ago when he
came for the first time we heard what
he proposed. | heard it as we'll as
you. You formed your opinion and
mine"
Brand raised his hand
Pardon me-" he said suavely, and
pointed the hand toward Dick. 81
think our friend here was playing
pinochle. He didn't hear. l see no
reason why he should hear now"
The reporter jumped to his feet.
Pardon me-" he replied. This is
no party of mine" He stepped toward
the door. But Reynolds would not let
him CO.
Let him stay, then" Brand agreed
Honesty and harmlessness go hand
in hand"
Jane looked again at Bob. She ig-
nored the others.
when l married you five years ago
what did l become?"
my wife, I hope"
'But is that all? Wasn't there |
something more? Didn't we say that |
we would be partners, and didn't say !
that was the only way | would become |
the wife of any man, no matter how |
much l loved him? Bob, you have |
broken the partnership and l have |
gone on alone. That night when Mr.. |
Brand came l wanted to talk to you,
but you would have none of it. L can
not have you interfere. That was
what you said Well, have interfered.
Mr.. Brand offered to help you make !
forty thousand dollars. You called it |
stealing. l called it something else. !
You turned Mr.. Brand away and gave
your scornful ultimatum. / asked him
to come again. | wrote to him and |
talked to him. In a most important
business matter the partners did not
agree, that's all. Mr.. Brand thought
that might bring you to your senses,
or to my way of thinking, if you pre-
fer that. l thought so, too. l didn't
want to let this chance slip by, If
you did. l considered you, but l con-
sidered myself, too. 1t means as much
to me as to you; perhaps more. Have
you ever really seriously thought what
it means? Have you thought what my
life is here, compared to yours? You
and Dick sit here after you've done
your work and theorize and rise UP to
martyrdom, and what do do? I'm in
the house all the time. Up at six
O'Clock and tired out at night l wash,
I scrub, sweep, l sew, cook-or did
until | saw an escape. And what are
you doing? You're up in your office,
rubbing shoulders with the man who
governs things. You have excitement
You have to work, too, but you're 9
cog in the great, big wheel that makes
the world go round-the world that
can't enter-while l have to sit here
like a drudge"
Reynolds, standing tense and
strained, for he had not seated himself
with the others, wore puzzled frown
The voice of discomfort was crying
aloud. But it was righteous discon
tent. He could find no falsity of note
And yet he had struggled hard. He
had loved his wife and shared with
her. He had given her love for love
loyalty for loyalty, and-he had given
her dollar for dollar. What more could
any man do? Still there was no injus
tice in her plea A jury of twelve good
men and true could not have doubted
her sincerity. Where, then, was the
hiatus? Was the partnership an un
equal bargain in the first place? Had
he aimed too high, or, aiming rightly
fired too soon? Was he, the mere pro
wider, taking something to which he
had no right? 1t was the old, eternal
question, as old as the world; the ques
ton Of man and woman; what the
one can give and what the other car
command. Through a vaporous mist
of thoughts that racked his brain and
pierced his heart he saw tangible
something = just what he did not